Hospitals strained by Atlanta Medical Center closing, doctors say
Emory University Hospital Midtown and Grady Memorial Hospital have seen more emergency and trauma patients since Atlanta Medical Center closed in 2022.
ATLANTA — At Emory University Hospital Midtown in downtown Atlanta, two mobile pods have been stationed outside the emergency room. Doctors have been called in during extra busy “surge” times, and an administrator described patients on stretchers lining the halls.
“Overcrowded is probably par for the course,” said Dr. Nataisia Terry, the medical director of the emergency department, adding that the volume of ER patients grew by 20% over the last budget year.
Nearby, Grady Memorial Hospital is so packed that ambulance traffic is sometimes routed to facilities miles away. Both Emory and Grady are often listed as “severely” or “dangerously” overcrowded on a statewide hub used to monitor capacity.
These are the aftershocks from the closing in 2022 of Atlanta Medical Center in a city that already struggled to meet demand for services and provide accessible care. From 2022 to 2023, the metro area population swelled by 66,730 residents, adding to the challenge. While comprehensive data isn’t yet available, interviews with 16 doctors, patients, residents, advocates, local officials and experts reveal growing strains on Atlanta’s health care system, which many fear would be overwhelmed by a disaster.
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