The East Point City Council is putting the brakes on developers looking to transform the closing Wellstar East Point Health Center, as council members passed a moratorium on the sale of the property. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the move is a preemptive strike to ensure the clinic site remains zoned for medical purposes to serve an area reportedly underserved in terms of access to emergency health services.
"I’m extremely disappointed about the decision to close the urgent care and remove all levels of services," East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham remarked, echoing residents' worry over the healthcare void. Wellstar plans to shut down the AMC South and has pledged $5 million over five years to Southside Medical Center to help cope with the closure. However, the council is seeking to make it difficult, if not impossible, to repurpose the property for non-healthcare uses in hopes of maintaining some level of care for the community.
The sense of urgency felt by the City Council is reflected in the sentiments of long-time East Point resident Barbara Cummings who, in a statement obtained by WSB-TV, said, "Now, they are going to close everything, but the people are still here." Her concern mirrors that of City Council members, who emphasize the distance for South Fulton County residents to a nearby emergency room as the area loses another crucial healthcare facility.
"Imagine having a car accident south of I-20 at 5 p.m. on Friday. You may not be able to safely make it to Grady," Councilman Joshua Butler IV told WSB-TV, illustrating the critical need for local emergency services. The council stands firm in its decision, enacting the moratorium around 10:50 p.m. with the clear intention to "protect healthcare here in East Point by making sure that the property is not rezoned or resold for any use other than a hospital," Butler IV warned.
Councilman Butler IV even suggests the formation of a hospital authority to raise the estimated $200 million needed for the hospital's operation, though such a move entails significant financial outreach. Whether Wellstar will reconsider its decision in light of the moratorium remains unknown, but East Point city leaders are staking a claim on their community's health rights with strategic legislative action.
