ATLANTA-The Medical Association of Atlanta has done its bit for the Olympics, or vice versa.
The MAA has given up its offices, located in a historic building near the Olympic Village, to South Africa’s Olympic delegation, which won a bidding war with the Italian team. For the four-week rental, the MAA will receive $27,000. MAA’s six employees were working from home.
But instead of a windfall, internist Jacinto del Mazo saw the games more in terms of a JCAHO site visit-as a giant disruption. He estimates a reduction in revenue of 75% to 80% in his downtown practice because of a month-long traffic gridlock.
He says his older patients, who make up the bulk of his practice, were in dread of the traffic. After a deluge of last-minute pre-Olympics appointments, his book is nearly bare.
MAA also saw major disruptions for doctors and patients, noting that four hospitals are in the Olympics zone-Grady Memorial, Crawford Long, Georgia Baptist, and Piedmont.
If speed is important, patients, particularly pregnant women, have been advised to use an ambulance, which is given the right of way. Doctors have been advised to schedule elective patient visits before 7:30 a.m. and to bypass elective surgery.
Many physicians decided to take vacations during the Olympics, and Dr. del Mazo was worried about a shortage in case of emergencies.
But scores of local physicians have donated their time to care for visitors. International physicians accompanying their teams have been exempted from Georgia licensing requirements, allowing these doctors to treat their athletes here. -Thomas Novembre
ATLANTA-The Medical Association of Atlanta has done its bit for the Olympics, or vice versa.
