The American Red Cross is asking donors to roll up their sleeves after declaring an emergency blood shortage caused by a sharp decline in donations during June. The organization says its blood supply dropped nearly 25 percent, creating a growing gap between available blood and hospital demand. The shortage is especially critical for platelets, O-positive blood, and B-negative blood.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a major milestone in processing disability claims, with the backlog of veterans waiting for benefits dropping below 70,000 for the first time in more than six years.
According to the VA, the number of disability compensation and pension claims pending longer than 125 days—the department’s definition of a backlog—has fallen below the 70,000 mark for the first time since February 2020. The agency says the backlog has been reduced by more than 74 percent since January 2025.
The VA also reports that it is processing claims faster than at any point in its history. The average time to complete a disability compensation or pension claim is now 77.7 days, a record low. Since the beginning of 2025, the department says it has completed more than one million claims in fewer than 30 days.
VA Secretary Doug Collins said the improvements mean faster decisions, better service, and quicker access to benefits for veterans and their families.
The agency also highlighted several additional accomplishments over the past year, including opening 38 new VA health care facilities, processing more than 3 million disability compensation and pension claims during Fiscal Year 2025, offering veterans more than 3 million appointments outside normal business hours, and permanently housing 51,936 homeless veterans, the highest annual total in seven years.
Veterans who have not yet applied for benefits or health care are encouraged to visit VA.gov or Choose.VA.gov to learn more about available programs and begin the application process.
U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock are again urging the Defense Health Agency to abandon plans to significantly reduce services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, warning the proposal could negatively affect thousands of active-duty servicemembers, veterans, military families and civilian employees.
In a letter to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Keith Bass, the senators expressed concern over the agency’s plan to eliminate all inpatient services and transition the hospital into an ambulatory care center. The proposal would also convert the facility’s emergency department into an urgent care center. The lawmakers said the Defense Health Agency has not provided a clear plan explaining how patients would continue receiving care or how the changes would affect the surrounding healthcare system.
Ossoff and Warnock wrote that reducing services without a comprehensive transition plan could create confusion and make it more difficult for servicemembers, their families and veterans to access the care they need. They urged the agency to halt implementation of the plan, withdraw its congressional notification and provide additional information before moving forward.
The senators noted that Eisenhower Army Medical Center serves an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 active-duty servicemembers, retirees, military families and Department of Defense civilians in the Central Savannah River Area. Senator Ossoff first began pressing the Defense Health Agency for answers about the proposed reductions last year and has continued to oppose the changes
Patients in Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia who require emergency air transport may now benefit from faster treatment thanks to a new medical technology added to Erlanger’s LIFE FORCE Air Medical helicopters.
LIFE FORCE has announced that it has equipped its entire helicopter fleet with the LifeFlow® PLUS portable rapid fluid and blood resuscitation system. The hand-operated device allows flight crews to deliver blood, blood products and intravenous fluids more quickly to critically ill and injured patients suffering from conditions such as severe blood loss, shock and sepsis.
According to LIFE FORCE, the new system is designed to provide faster, more controlled fluid delivery than traditional methods, helping stabilize patients while they are being transported to the hospital. Officials say the upgrade is especially valuable in emergency situations where every minute can make a difference.
LIFE FORCE serves a large region that includes North Georgia, East Tennessee, Northeast Alabama and Western North Carolina, with helicopter bases in Calhoun and Blue Ridge helping provide emergency air medical coverage for Northwest Georgia.
Thousands of Georgians may now have easier access to medical cannabis under a new state law that took effect July 1, marking the largest expansion of Georgia’s medical cannabis program since it was created.
Families of children with special needs across Georgia are raising concerns after proposed Medicaid payment reductions could make it harder to access critical therapy services.
The American Red Cross is urging blood and platelet donors to make appointments now as hospitals work to maintain a reliable blood supply during the busy summer season.
AdventHealth Redmond will celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new Cancer Pavilion in Rome on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
The event will take place from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the AdventHealth Cancer Pavilion Rome, located at 641 Braves Boulevard NE in Rome.
The new facility represents a significant investment in expanding access to advanced cancer care services for patients and families throughout Northwest Georgia. According to AdventHealth, the pavilion is designed to provide compassionate, whole-person care while bringing specialized cancer treatment closer to home.
The program will include welcome remarks, special recognitions, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a prayer of dedication for both the care team and patients.
Following the ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to tour the new facility and enjoy light refreshments and beverages.
Community members, healthcare partners, and local leaders are invited to join AdventHealth in celebrating this milestone and the expanded cancer care resources now available in the Rome area.
Candidate Holly Chaney recently spoke at a meeting of the Chattooga County Democratic Party, where she answered questions from members and outlined her objectives as a representative for Georgia House District 12.
The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to schedule blood donation appointments as an alarming decline in donations threatens to impact the nation’s blood supply heading into the busy summer months.
