Some lawmakers criticize consulting deals

A metro Atlanta consultant has signed up to work for about threefourths of the rural hospitals eligible to receive taxpayer-subsidized donations under a new program, much to the consternation of some leading lawmakers.

Legislators say that could mean hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars that the General Assembly meant for small-town hospitals will be paid to the consultant’s business instead.

“It was all of our intentions that all of those dollars go to help rural hospitals,” said House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn, one of several top lawmakers to criticize the consulting deals.

Jim Kelly, who heads the Georgia HEART Hospital Program and also founded a state tax-creditfunded organization for private school scholarships, said that in the past few months he has signed up 32 of the 49 eligible rural hospitals.

Read entire story: on-ajc.com/ rural_health_care

Chairwomen hope to provide dental care

The chairwomen of the state House and Senate health committees joined forces Tuesday to push legislation aimed at providing basic dental care to hundreds of thousands of children and elderly Georgians who have limited access to a dentist.

They said it is the type of legislation the politically powerful Georgia Dental Association has fought in the past.

Under the legislation, dental hygienists would be allowed to do basic cleaning and preventive care at so-called “safety-net settings,” qualified health centers, schoolbased health clinics and dental offices without a dentist present.

The work would have to be authorized by a dentist. Currently, Georgia law requires that a dentist actually be present in the facility for a hygienist to do such work.

Georgia Dental Association officials said earlier this year that they were concerned about the safety of patients. Supporters of the legislation say dentists may fear it will open the way for legislation allowing dental hygienists to open their own practices and do dental care outside the supervision of a dentist.

Read entire story: on-ajc.com/ GAdental_kids

Travelers less satisfied with Atlanta airport

The Atlanta airport fell in the rankings from its No. 8 ranking last year in the recent J.D. Power North American airport satisfaction study. Hartsfield-Jackson’s score declined 9 points this year to 733 on a 1,000-point scale.

The more than 100 million travelers that pass through Hartsfield-Jackson

Outside agency to look into incorrect water bills

An outside agency is being hired to look into the root causes of why DeKalb County can’t get its water bills right.

The county’s chief auditor, John Greene, ordered the independent inquiry to determine the reasons for the county’s persistent problems with issuing inaccurate bills, which have skyrocketed to more than $1,000 for some households.

Greene said the examination will evaluate the county’s water billing procedures, identify flaws and recommend solutions. Read entire story: on-ajc.com/DeKalb_ water_bills_audit