Health Care in the North Georgia Mountains
After watching The History Channel’s portrayal of the Appalachians, I decided to do some informal interviews of some of my friends that have several generations of family ties to the area. Ironically, most of the conversations blended with our current national health care debate – an important topic that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. On this blog, where most of the visitors are seeking information about moving to the mountains of Georgia, it seems appropriate to discuss this topic in the context of our local community. I’m not interested in debating the health care topic here (as of today, there’s not really a bill to debate), but I would like to point out the state of our local health care community.
Historically, Appalachian health care has fallen behind the rest of the country. Our past is plagued with stories of poor dental, high rates of infant mortality, and bad eating habits. Speaking for our immediate north Georgia mountain area, this reputation has unfortunately been earned. The causes are fairly obvious; low income levels and significant isolation. The proud yet private culture has also lent itself to poor health, although I suspect that attitude is not exclusive to our area- I’ve got relatives in south Georgia and Alabama that are just as stubborn about preventive health care. The author of this blog has, on occasion, been accused of avoiding the doctor.
But what a change we have experienced! With our population growth and unlimited and easy access to universal communication tools, we have turned the corner. Although our medical infrastructure cannot rival that of a metropolitan area, our hospital can certainly take care of 90% of what ails us. We are within a 10 minute chopper ride to Chattanooga and 20 minute to Atlanta, which boast some of the most advanced medical facilities in the nation. Our local providers are aggressively recruiting doctors and nurses to our area to meet the demand of our steadily growing population of retirees.
And another interesting yet little known fact; our doctors want to be here. They’ve selected Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Blairsville, and the other small communities scattered through the mountains for a better working environment. I’ve had the privilege of working with a few doctors searching for a home and, in the process, have made several friends in the local medical field. Although they have forgone a larger salary in a bigger city, they justify their decision with a balance of cheaper living, shorter hours, healthier environment, and most important, less “rat-race”. This equates to our area attracting some top-notch medical staff. Instead of buying a vacation home, they live and work in their vacation.
Whatever happens with our national health care, I feel confident that our local needs will be met and that our medical professionals will continue to help the southern Appalachian community rise from it’s past to a new day of healthy living.
