It’s been almost three centuries since founding father Benjamin Franklin opined that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Although Franklin’s oft-repeated quote was actually in support of fire insurance – recognizing the devastation a house fire…
When Debra Light of Winder was diagnosed with lung cancer for the second time in October 2014, she knew she was in for a struggle – not only physically and emotionally, but also financially. Surgery to remove the tumor on…
Ask a group of women which disease kills more women than any other, and many will likely answer breast cancer. But that’s incorrect. Only half or so – depending on whom you ask – will know the right answer: heart…
Two decades ago, almost a quarter of Americans who reached the age of 85 could expect to spend the rest of their lives in a skilled nursing facility, or nursing home. Today, even as the number of seniors is increasing,…
Healthcare in the U.S. and Georgia has seen radical changes over the past few years, including a number of treatment and technology advances, the advent of the Affordable Care Act, and the consolidation or closure of hospitals. And there is…
Charles “Kelly” Hodges began his battle with back pain in his mid-30s. The pain, which started in his lower back and hip, wasn’t too bad at first, he says, but as it worsened it interfered with his job as an…
From water conservation and reducing our use of petroleum-based fuels to recycling and finding renewable energy sources, Georgia’s environmental successes are impressive. As green practices continue to become more standard in the construction and development industries, Atlanta is ahead of…
When Porsche announced in 2011 it was moving its headquarters south to a parcel of land near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, it was an unusual move. Most of Atlanta’s big corporations are located along a business corridor running from downtown…
At a time when going it alone often means going under, many Georgia hospitals are finding strength in numbers.
When Matthew Reese began an MBA program as a way to advance his business career, the last place he expected to find himself was on a rooftop, nailing on shingles, while his classmates hauled lumber and installed siding. Reese’s work…
When Davidson College senior David Johnston was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a virulent form of the blood cancer, at age 3, statistically speaking he was not expected to live. Today, David’s story of survival is one his…
At Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, an increased focus on education for patients with congestive heart failure means fewer patients will be readmitted. At WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, patients who come to the ER with an acute myocardial…
Each month, on average, 4,524 Georgians are admitted to one of the state’s 359 skilled nursing facilities, more commonly referred to as nursing homes. And for many of those, there is at least one family member who likely struggled with…
Whatever your needs when it comes to healthcare, Georgia is a good place to be. From Rome to Albany, from Douglasville to Savannah, Georgia claims a number of hospitals that are widely regarded as among the nation’s best in their…
In Savannah, a 60-year-old man goes to his laptop instead of the phone to schedule his annual physical. While online, he double-checks last year’s lab results and requests a refill of one of his prescriptions. In Rome, a breast cancer…
Three decades after a motorcycle accident left him with numerous fractured bones and almost took his life, Wade Norton began to experience knee pain that made it difficult to climb stars or enjoy a game of golf. He learned…
When you think of pioneers in laparoscopy, robotic surgery or cutting-edge technologies, which Georgia health system comes to mind? When you think of Georgia’s busiest hospital emergency department or operating rooms, what do you think of? If you didn’t…
When it comes to breast cancer, the bad news is that 8,907 Georgians were diagnosed with the disease last year alone – and the chance of receiving that feared diagnosis has been increasing. In the United States, a woman’s…
In 2010, an estimated 15,435 Georgians died from cancer; 15,987 died from heart disease; and almost 3,762 died from stroke, one of the highest rates in the United States. These and many other common conditions can be treated early,…
Providing good services while being re-sponsible stewards of the public’s money is always challenging, especially in a tough economy. The eighth annual Georgia Counties of Excellence awards program, sponsored by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) in partnership…
The most common cause of disability and death among Georgians is heart disease, but its toll is decreasing. According to a recent study in the journal American Family Physician, just 6 percent of Americans had coronary heart disease in…
When her widowed mother reached a point where she could no longer manage alone in the home where she had raised a family, Nancy Hobby of Valdosta considered different options for her mother’s care. Skilled nursing care – a nursing…
In August, Baxter International Inc. broke ground on a much-anticipated manufacturing facility east of Atlanta near Covington. The $1-billion facility, which will make plasma-based therapies that treat chronic and life-threatening illnesses, is expected to employ 1,500 when it begins…
This month we introduce readers to three more Georgia businesses that have been around for 50 years or more: Stevens & Wilkinson, an architectural, engineering and interior design firm in downtown Atlanta; Hatcher, Stubbs, Land, Hollis, & Rothschild, LLP,…
Obesity is a problem of major proportions in Georgia, costing the state $2.1 billion annually either directly or indirectly for diagnostic and treatment services and reduced productivity. But for far too many Georgians, the ultimate cost of excess weight…
Dr. Jennifer Frum Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, University of Georgia West Virginia native Dr. Jennifer Frum was bitten by the international bug after traveling and living, briefly, in Europe as a teenager. Later, with degrees in…
An improving economy is evident in East Central Georgia as the state’s second largest metro area and several of its smallest rural counties report increasing jobs due to new industry and expansions of existing industries. Other counties continue to…
A law firm in Augusta, a dairy farm in Clermont and a medical center in Hinesville – each one in operation for more than a half century – inaugurate a new Georgia Trend feature, Georgia Gold, that will run…
When it comes to heart disease in Georgia, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that Georgia has the 12th highest rate of heart disease in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. Each year,…
When the cost of round-the-clock homecare had depleted most of her elderly father’s life savings, Rachel Harris knew she had to look for an alternative to in-home care. Her search ultimately led her to Fairburn Health Care Center, a…
Like Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, who emerge from the woods to find the Emerald City, people who need medical care in Southwest Georgia are often surprised to see the gem that is Albany’s Phoebe Putney Health…
An estimated 6,380 Georgia men will learn this year that they have prostate cancer. For some, the diagnosis will be the first they have heard of the disease. While most men don’t know much about prostate cancer, they should, says…
When Allyson Bickers of Flowery Branch gave birth to her second child last summer, via scheduled C-section delivery, she and baby Hudson were instant celebrities. The birth was the first ever at Northside Hospital-Forsyth’s new Women’s Center. The staff was…
More than automobile accidents, lung disease or all forms of cancer combined, heart disease is killing Georgians. Each year, more than 17,000 Peach State residents die from heart disease, and surveys show that at least two-thirds of us have one…
When Ken Baxley was diagnosed with a mitral valve defect last January, he wasn’t sure which frightened him more: the prospect of having his chest opened on the operating table to repair the leaking valve in his heart or the…
As unpleasant as it can be, pain has its place. It’s nature’s way of letting us know there’s a problem – whether a stubbed toe or a heart attack – that requires attention. But such pain – acute pain –…
When Chick-fil-A’s Bureon Ledbetter, Jr. visited Dallas’ renowned Cooper Clinic for an executive physical in 2002, he returned to Atlanta with more than a clean bill of health. He also brought ideas and enthusiasm that would eventually lead to a…
As businesses expand their community service roles, the lines between philanthropy and profit are likely to blur. But experts say everyone benefits when hands-on volunteerism joins traditional corporate giving.
When Joyce Zoller was diagnosed with breast cancer last winter, her doctor at the Tidwell Cancer Treatment Center in Columbus gave her two treatment options – seven weeks of daily treatment that would involve radiating her entire breast and underlying…
Obesity is nudging out smoking as the number one preventable cause of death. Why are Georgians at increasingly high risk for weight-related problems and what can be done to help reverse the trend?
Not all health care heroes hold MDs or wield scalpels. Meet six individuals who work behind the scenes in their hospitals and communities.
Georgia's medical centers are becoming regional - even national - leaders in treating tumors and other problems of the brain.
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