Science

Grady closes three Women, Infants and Children program offices

April 12th, 2012

Grady Memorial Hospital is closing three Women, Infants and Children offices Friday. The offices delivered services for the WIC program. The federally-funded program provides breastfeeding support and healthy food benefits for low income women and their children.

Grady is closing offices located on the hospital’s 12^th floor and at its Lindbergh and Ponce De Leon health centers. In a statement, the hospital says approximately 4,300 participants will now receive services at community health centers, clinics and other locations. The hospital says it’s working the Georgia Department of Public Health to make the transition.

Grady says it’s making the change due to increased client volume at its 12^th floor location that started last year after the closing of a WIC office in a nearby Atlanta healthcare center. The hospital says the heavy volume was in space housing critical care and other inpatient services not intended for high levels of traffic.

Grady says closing the 12^th floor office will result in a significant loss in grant funding. The hospital says due to that loss in funding, some staff members will stay at Grady’s remaining WIC offices, and the Georgia Department of Public Health has indicated the need for some transitional staff as clients are moved to community facilities. Grady officials did not say exactly how many employees will be affected.