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Our first session of today's #Insights21 policy conference focuses on equitable health care. Dr. James E. Black of Albany: "There's still a great portion of the surrounding area that feels like they don't have access...access also entails transportation, trust and other factors."
Dr. Black mentions a hospital within 40 minutes of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital that closed down and left more Georgians without access. Immediate Full Medicaid expansion would provide crucial support to rural health systems. https://gbpi.org/fast-facts-on-medicaid-expansion/ #Insights21 #gapol
Rachel Shanklin of @SmlBizMajority discusses the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on businesses and health care among communities of color. "If we don't have a healthy workforce, we're not going to have a healthy economy." #Insights21 #gapol
Rachel Shanklin says full Medicaid expansion is a clear solution, and Dr. Black agrees, saying it would "make all the difference in the world...There's a large amount of people who would not only benefit from health care but also not delay seeking care." #Insights21 #gapol
Dr. Sarah Vinson of Lorio Psych Group cites the mental health needs in immigrant communities. "Today, 1 in 10 Georgians is foreign born and the number is rising. Yet there are very few mental health providers that offer affordable and culturally/linguistically appropriate care."
Dr. Black: "We've always talked about inequities in medicine and sort of accepted as it is what it is. But we have to no longer take that approach, and we have to refuse to accept it. I think Medicaid expansion is the first of a lot of steps that we can take." #Insights21 #gapol
