‘People are going to end up dying:’ Neighbors share concerns over AMC’s ER shutting down today

ATLANTA — Early Friday morning, the emergency room at the Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center will close. It’s a big step toward closing the entire hospital on Nov. 1.

“A lot of people are going to end up dying,” said Alison Page.

Page says doctors in the AMC emergency room saved her father’s life in August, when he was victim of the Midtown shootings.

“There’s no question he would have died,” Page told Channel 2′s Justin Wilfon. “He wouldn’t have made it. With the extent of his injuries, he would have bled out.”

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She’s scared about what the closure will mean for future patients. AMC is one of only two, Level 1 trauma centers in Atlanta.

Wellstar told Wilfon shutting down the ER is a needed step toward closing the entire hospital on Nov. 1, helping to minimize the number of patients AMC may need to transfer elsewhere when the hospital shuts down.

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Wellstar told Channel 2 in a statement, “We are working closely with the Department of Community Health and area healthcare providers to ensure a safe and orderly transition of care after the ED’s closure at 7:00 Friday morning.”

Wellstar also mailed out informational cards this week to neighbors of the hospital explaining where neighbors can find emergency care, with both Emory and Grady emergency rooms just about a mile away.

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But some neighbors say the cards came too late.

“We didn’t expect this was going to happen tomorrow,” said neighbor Magdalena Grottendieck.

AMC’s closure leaves Grady as the only Level 1 one trauma center, and Grady officials say they’re ready for more patients.

Grady officials say they’ve hired physicians, nurses and support staff – from AMC – to handle the extra load, and added 41 beds.

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