Author: Mary Anne Dunkin

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…

At a time when going it alone often means going under, many Georgia hospitals are finding strength in numbers.

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…

  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,…

  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…

  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…

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…