Tired of wearing a mask in public places? Do you ever forget to take one along when you go out? Are you weary of social distancing with friends and family members? Is your hand-washing getting less frequent and a little less thorough? These may be signs that weariness with COVID-19 guidelines is setting in. This…
The five support centers for people with mental health problems provide a good financial return for Georgia, their leaders say. The centers, funded by the state, prevent hospitalizations in state facilities, which can cost $600 a day, and offer other services for thousands of Georgians, says the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network. The peer support,…
“The safety net is stretched to the max.’’ Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the agency that oversees mental health and substance abuse services, gave that stark assessment in January to state legislators who were considering budget cuts to her department. Now, even deeper cuts are on the table. Georgia’s budget plans of just a few months…
By Naomi Thomas and Andy Miller Becca loved her job in the travel-and-tourism industry, but few industries have been so thoroughly decimated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 31-year-old metro Atlanta resident, Becca watched helplessly this year as the devastation deepened, and it eventually reached her company. She was furloughed in March. There’s no word when…
There’s no question that the COVID-19 emergency is getting on people’s nerves. They’re worried and often scared, uncertain of what will come next. Bernard In a new GHN Commentary, Jack Bernard and Dr. Doug Skelton remind us that the psychological pressure we feel is understandable. Big disruptions in life cause stress, and you can’t just shrug off…
By Jack Bernard and Dr. Doug Skelton Government policies on “lockdown” and “reopening” are controversial, sometimes political. But however one feels about such specific issues, there is a real scientific basis for people’s anxiety during this time of COVID-19. For ordinary people, the fear of the virus itself produces stress. People also feel a sense of loss, because…
By Naomi Thomas A bus mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing behavioral health care to two rural counties. The mobile health unit, run by CarePartners, a local agency, has been traveling through Emanuel and Candler counties in east Georgia to bring services to people in need. Since the virus appeared in the state, the…
Gov. Brian Kemp’s tough budget plan spares two giant health care programs from cuts: Medicaid, and the Georgia health plan covering teachers and state employees. But in a Thursday hearing, state lawmakers were briefed on funding cuts in other state health programs, including behavioral health services and physician training programs. State agencies are tasked to meet Kemp’s directive to…
Not getting enough exercise? It’s not just you. More than one in four Georgians report that they are physically inactive, among the highest rates in the country, the CDC reports. Physical inactivity for adults is defined as not participating in any leisure-time physical activities over the last month – such as running, walking for exercise,…
Gov. Brian Kemp pushed for a legislative remedy for the problem of surprise medical billing in his Thursday address to Georgia lawmakers. Kemp, a Republican, also touted his waiver proposals, passed last year by the General Assembly, as solutions to lower health care costs and add a pathway for uninsured Georgians to access medical services….