Atlanta, GA

Change Healthcare cyber attack: Metro Atlanta therapists suffer financially

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2024

Change Healthcare cyber attack: Metro Atlanta therapists suffer financially

Change Healthcare cyber attack affects Georgia

After the Change Healthcare cyberattack shut down reimbursement systems, many metro Atlanta providers say they have struggled to stay afloat.

ATLANTA – Metro Atlanta therapists say many mental health professionals are struggling to stay afloat after the recent Change Healthcare cyberattack shut down reimbursement systems and left a lot of them unpaid.

Shaketa Robinson-Bruce, the founder of Open Arms Counseling Center, LLC, says many mental health professionals are struggling as they fail to get reimbursements from insurance companies.

“My practice is 98% insurance,” she explained. Robinson-Bruce says many in her industry are facing a financial mess. “It’s affecting our ability to keep our doors open, and it’s affecting our ability to take care of our own families.”

Leaders at Clinicians of Color in Private Practice, a Facebook group of over 22,000 members, say many members are facing tough financial decisions.

“It has caused me tremendous amounts of emotional distress, and I’m not sleeping at night because of the anxiety and stress of me worrying. How am I going to make payroll?” said Lisa Savage, co-founder of Clinicians of Color, LLC.

Some members say they may have to stop accepting insurance. Robinson-Bruce says she is scared about what that would do across the industry, especially among patients of color and the LGBTQIA+ community.

“[We] Help them feel like they’re not alone, help them feel like they’re understood. We provide that space for clients, specifically for people from marginalized communities,” she said.

Change Healthcare is owned by UnitedHealth Group, which is offering a temporary funding assistance program.

“We are currently engaged with several thousand provider organizations to help them with their cash flow challenges, from large regional health systems to small, rural independent physician practices,” said a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group.

Savage says the program has been hard for providers to qualify for, and successful providers were offered low amounts.

“From what I’m hearing, and I’m talking about hundreds of other people, the loan process has just been a disaster and not helpful at all,” she added.

She says she wants other providers to know there is emotional and mental support in their group and welcomes others to join, so they know this struggle is not an isolated one. Click here to join.

Officials at UnitedHealth Group say they are working aggressively on the restoration of their systems and services, and provided FOX 5 with the following information.

Pharmacy services: Electronic prescribing is now fully functional with claim submission and payment transmission also available as of today. We have taken action to make sure patients can access their medicines in the meantime, including Optum Rx pharmacies sending members their medications based on the date needed.
Payments platform: Electronic payment functionality will be available for connection beginning March 15.
Medical claims: We expect to begin testing and reestablish connectivity to our claims network and software on March 18, restoring service through that week. While we work to restore these systems, we strongly recommend our provider and payer clients use the applicable workarounds we have established—in particular, using our new iEDI claim submission system in the interest of system redundancy given the current environment.

“We are committed to providing relief for people affected by this malicious attack on the U.S. health system,” said Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group. “All of us at UnitedHealth Group feel a deep sense of responsibility for recovery and are working tirelessly to ensure that providers can care for their patients and run their practices. We are determined to make things right as fast as possible.”

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Atlanta, GA

Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta

Published

23 hours ago

March 27, 2026

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Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta

Updated on: March 27, 2026 / 9:48 AM EDT
/ CBS Atlanta

Thousands of people are without power in Midtown Atlanta as crews work to restore service following an equipment failure, according to Georgia Power.

The outage affected nearly 5,300 customers, stretching from Currier Street Northeast to 11th Street.

Georgia Power said the outage was caused by an equipment issue, and crews are on-site making repairs.

Officials added that, thanks to smart grid technology, service is expected to be remotely restored to more than half of affected customers soon.

An estimated restoration time was listed at 10:15 a.m.

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Atlanta, GA

The Best Vintage Shops in Atlanta

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

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Vogue’s guide to the best vintage stores in Atlanta is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the world, curated by editors from all over. Whether you’re traveling and searching for some superb stores to visit on your trip or are curious about your local vintage treasure chests, Vogue’s directory has you covered.

Come to Atlanta for its southern charm and lush greenery, stay for its vintage. The Hollywood of the South has a lot more than on-set locations and an upcoming roster of FIFA World Cup games, and whether exploring shops along the Beltline, losing your voice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, or itching for the eccentric pleasures of a roadside antique mall, these vintage gems make the journey to the A more than worth it.

Photo: Courtesy of The Clothing Warehouse

Dutch field pants, netted shirts, prairie dresses, and a floor-to-ceiling selection of cowboy boots are a few of the many goods awaiting your search at this Atlanta mainstay. Opened by Jim Buckley in 1992, the Clothing Warehouse now calls the hipster Little 5 Points home. Its redbrick exterior is hard to miss—head upstairs for womenswear and union-made dresses, then downstairs to a room of seriously color-coded tees—it’s likely you will find plenty of Atlanta history in the form of 1996 Summer Olympics shirts. Plus, its wholesale location is a 15-minute drive away in West Midtown, if you’re up for an afternoon dig.

Address: 420 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta

At the vintage and makers market Mother Lode, there’s something for every lover of old things. Founder Lindsay Short’s estate sale background is well-reflected in the shop’s range of garments, decor, and wares. Find 1930s beach pajamas beside bowling shirts and Edwardian tunics at Fellows Vintage’s booth, or ’60s wedding dresses that seem more Factory Girl than bride-to-be from Iron Pony. The hunt continues at Mother Lode’s sister location in college town Athens, which opened in 2023.

Address: 3429 Covington Hwy Ste B, Decatur

Monet Brewerton-Palmer first got her love for bridal from her grandmother, who was a shop seamstress. Then, after shopping for her own wedding dress in 2014 and ending up with four, her interest (and personal collection) only grew. Now, Brewerton-Palmer offers brides an array of dresses by Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Catherine Rayner, and more. Standout pieces include a 1959 one-of-one from Jacques Heim, a silk rose-covered Christian Dior for the romantic, and a fur-accented Muriel Martin for the nontraditionalist.

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Atlanta, GA

Former Atlanta principal back at his old school as its new handyman:

Published

2 days ago

March 26, 2026

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Former Atlanta principal back at his old school as its new handyman:

Retirement did not last long for one Atlanta school principal.

After 10 years leading Burgess Peterson Academy, David White is back, and this time he’s making sure everything inside the school’s building runs smoothly.

White retired last September from being the school’s principal, but home didn’t suit him for long.

“I found myself really kind of lonely and disconnected,” White said. “I had lost my sense of community, for sure, so when this position became available, I kind of laughed because I used to say that it would be the perfect retirement job.”

Retirement didn’t suit former principal David White, so now he’s back as the handyman at the Atlanta school he led to make sure everything runs smoothly.

CBS News Atlanta

White applied for the open site manager position and got the job. Now he enjoys being back in the same halls that bring him joy.

He is six weeks into the new job.

“I find myself now always looking to see if there are lights that are burned out, if there are issues that need to be addressed,” said White. “There’s always the need for touch-up painting, right? Because kids have dirty little hands, and they love to pick paint.”

During CBS News Atlanta’s visit, White was repairing a broken lightbulb in the boy’s bathroom.

“The light started flickering, like, just blinking off and on, and so of course the kids were saying it was haunted,” he said.

Around the school, his impact hasn’t faded.

Students and staff light up when they see him.

“It’s been really great to see their excitement to be here every day and to see Mr. White,” said principal Dr. Holly Brookins. “I really feel that having him back has added so much value to our community, and it’s really been a joyful thing for all of us.”

With a tool belt and new titles, White proves that no matter the role, some people never stop showing up for the places they love.

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