Report on minority health care questioned

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville area health care providers Tuesday took issue with a state report that rates Hall County minority health care from above average to extremely poor.

At a community meeting hosted by the State Office of Health Improvement no one denied minority health access disparity, but consultant LeTrell Simpson, retired from Northeast Georgia Health Systems, said she was disappointed.

"It's a disservice that that they have co-mingled issues rather than just sticking to the health care access issues," Simpson said. "It's obvious that there are a lot of things going on in Hall County more so than other counties that was not taken into account at all in this report."

The report from the Georgia Department of Community Health's Office of Health Improvement and the Minority Health Advisory Council gave Hall County a 'B' (or above average) on primary care access, but an 'F' on illness events and emergency visits.

Participants said a lack of information to minorities in need of health care might be a major factor in the poor grade, along with poverty and among Hispanics, a language barrier.

Health Office Program Consultant Kristal Ammons said health care disparity is undeniable, but updated reports on Georgia's Health Equity Initiative would include existing health care initiatives.

"Maybe we didn't know that certain programs existed in certain places, but we can grow on those things and move forward," Ammons said.