Healthcare access expands in metro Atlanta
A strategic approach to health policy and technology in Metro Atlanta is expanding access to healthcare, offering new solutions for bridging long-standing gaps and ensuring that more communities receive care.
By Sam Kim
In Metro Atlanta, health disparities have long been a challenge, particularly among Hispanics, Pan-Asians, and African Americans populations. However, recent advancements in health policy and technology are showing promise in addressing these inequities.
According to a 2023 report from the Georgia Health Policy Center, 14.7% of adults in Georgia, including those in Metro Atlanta, reported not having access to a regular healthcare provider, a significant indicator of ongoing disparities. This gap is especially pronounced among minority groups, with 19.3% of African American adults and 23.8% of Hispanic adults lacking access to consistent healthcare.
In response, policy changes such as the expansion of Medicaid and the Georgia Telehealth Act have been implemented and are playing pivotal roles in enhancing healthcare accessibility for low-income families and marginalized communities. The Georgia Telehealth Act, passed in 2021, expanded the scope of telehealth services in the state. It enabled healthcare providers to deliver care across greater distances, thereby reducing the need for in-person visits and reaching those in rural or underserved urban areas.
Jongku Kim, a deputy director at the Ministry of Health and Welfare in South Korea and now a health communication expert at the University of Georgia, said that strategic communication is especially important in this evolving landscape.
“Strategic health communication campaigns are no longer limited to traditional media channels. With the rise of Telehealth, there’s a need for a multi-faceted approach that includes digital platforms, personalized messaging, and real-time interaction,” she said. “In Metro Atlanta, where the population is incredibly diverse, Telehealth can serve as a bridge to reach communities that historically have had limited access to healthcare. For these campaigns to be effective, they must be tailored not only to the technological abilities of the target audience but also to their cultural values and beliefs.”
Mayor Brandon Hembree of Sugar Hill underscored the importance of addressing mental health care, particularly for minority and low-income populations.
“There still exists, in our society, a misconception and stigmatism around mental health challenges,” Hembree said. “For me, learning about it and having the opportunity to talk about it through [a National Alliance on Mental Illness] course helped open my mind about mental health in our community.”
Hembree said he sees a critical need for better-resourced mental health services, such as school counselors .
“For minorities, particularly those that are low-income citizens, access to mental health care is an essential topi,” he said. “School counselors provide a great resource to a population in our community that has really been struggling since COVID, but I have learned that school counselors are underfunded in our schools. The ratio of school counselors to students is really high, and hiring more counselors could help increase the resources available to disadvantaged populations in our schools and community.”
Maliha Javed, a Pakistani-American citizen residing in Metro Atlanta, said that rising insurance prices have made paying for healthcare difficult.
“With the new technology, communications, and policy, it will definitely help me have a better chance for healthcare access for me and my family,” she said.
As Metro Atlanta continues to grapple with healthcare disparities, the intersection of health policy, technology, and effective communication offers a promising path forward. By leveraging advancements like telehealth and expanding Medicaid, and by ensuring that health communication strategies are culturally and technologically attuned, there is potential to significantly reduce gaps in healthcare access and outcomes.