Health Centers Serving The Poor Feel Virus Impact, Voice Concern About Effect On Patients

Patient visits are way down. Many children aren’t coming in for vaccinations. Some longtime adult patients are now ‘‘train wrecks,’’ with their diabetes and hypertension out of control.

“I’m pretty tired,’’ says Todd Shifflet, CEO of Georgia Highlands Medical Services, which runs five medical clinics in Cumming and nearby cities, facilities that have seen a range of negative effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has been very, very difficult. The future looks pretty uncertain.’’

The state’s federally funded health centers, including Georgia Highlands, have seen patient visits drop by an average of 40 percent. A recent survey found that 39 of these safety-net medical sites have closed, many of them in rural areas of the state, leaving about 180 still open, according to the Georgia Primary Care Association.