![]() ![]() A 2016 study found that a third of cancer survivors had gone into debt as a result of their medical expenses, and 3 percent had filed for bankruptcy. The finding was only the latest in a long string of statistics suggesting that many Americans who have faced major health scares face significant financial setbacks afterward. (The survey respondents could choose multiple factors that contributed to their bankruptcy.) That was more than the percentage who cited home foreclosure or student loans. According to a survey published this month in the American Journal of Public Health, nearly 60 percent of people who have filed for bankruptcy said a medical expense “very much” or “somewhat” contributed to their bankruptcy. Medical debt is a uniquely American phenomenon, a burden that would be unfathomable in many other developed countries. Lockett was about to join the ranks of Americans who live with crippling amounts of medical debt. “But at the same time, that was really scary to me, not being able to talk.” “Dang, I knew I shouldn’t have gone to the hospital,” she remembers thinking. Lockett had been charged $26,203.62 total for “observation,” which the bill instructed her to pay within 20 days. The hospital performed tests and sent her home, where she recovered fully. It turned out that she had suffered a transient ischemic attack, or a mini-stroke. Paramedics sped her a few miles to Emory University Hospital Midtown, where she was held overnight. Lockett, who was 57 at the time and uninsured, didn’t know whether she could or should refuse the ambulance ride or decide which hospital it would take her to. A few people, noticing that something wasn’t right, walked Lockett to another room and called an ambulance. She tried to speak into the mic, but the words that came out didn’t make sense.Ī friend walked up and grabbed Lockett by the arm. ![]() As she stepped up to the podium to give her remarks, she noticed that her words were slurring. The previous night, she had stayed up late making her presentation, and then deleted it by mistake. In 2017, Grady earned the prestigious Stage 7 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model, becoming Georgia's first adult acute care hospital to earn the highest rating for improving patient care and safety through health information technology.In April 2016, Venus Lockett was about to give a speech at an event she’d volunteered for near her home in Atlanta. Grady is one of an elite group of hospitals to earn the Baby-Friendly USA international recognition as a Baby-Friendly Designated birth facility. Other key services/distinctions include Grady's Regional Perinatal Center with its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Georgia's first Cancer Center for Excellence, The Avon Comprehensive Breast Center, the Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, and the Ponce de Leon Center - one of the top HIV/AIDS outpatient clinics in the country. And the Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center is a Joint Commission designated Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. Grady's American Burn Association/American College of Surgeons verified Burn Center is one of only two in the state. With its nationally acclaimed emergency medical services, Grady has Atlanta's premier Level I trauma center - Metro Atlanta's only nationally verified Level 1 center - and serves as the 911 ambulance provider for the city of Atlanta. Grady consists of the 953-bed Grady Memorial Hospital, six neighborhood health centers, Crestview Health & Rehabilitation Center, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, which is operated as a Children's affiliate. Grady Health System is one of the largest safety net health systems in the United States. The health system is anchored by the 953-bed Grady Memorial Hospital and is nationally and internationally known for its trauma, burn and emergency services. ![]() Grady EMS is a division of Atlanta-based Grady Health System, one of the largest safety net health systems in the nation. "With the opening of this new facility, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing the highest level of service possible to the residents of the communities we serve." "We are excited to be part of the South Georgia community," said Bill Compton, Senior Vice President, Grady Emergency Medical Services. ![]()
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