About Buckhead reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2020)
6 | Commentary ■ 2042 Johnson Ferry Rd NE (at the corner of Ashford-Dunwoody Rd. in Brookhaven) $8 OFF Lunch or Dinner Minimum $20 purchase Hours: 11am to 10:30pm Not valid with any other | offers. Not valid on Fridays, _ must present newspaper • ad to redeem. Expires | 3/31/20 ttoiJUr OH fa Bundtinis* and "Celebration Hat" Bundtini Toppers available only bythe dozen. NOTHING CAKES purchase of $25 or more Sandy Springs 5975 Roswell Rd, Suite A-103 Sandy Springs, GA 50528 (404) 256-2114 NothingBundtCakes.com Expires 3/31/20. Limit one (1) coupon per guest Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Valid only at the bakery(ies) listed. No cash value. Coupon may not be reproduced, transferred or sold. Internet distribution strictly prohibited. Must be claimed in bakery during normal business hours. Not valid for online orders. Not valid with any other offer. Atlanta's Favorite Restaurant for Brunch Every Saturday and Sunday HOBNOB NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN Dunwoody 1221 Ashford Crossing in Perimeter Place Brookhaven 804 Town Blvd in Town Brookhaven Midtown 1551 Piedmont Ave NE at Monroe Drive www.hobnobatlanta.com Facebook.com/TheReporterNewspapers ■ twitter.com/Reporter_News ty/orfk ICnAwCnj Carol Niemi is a marketing consultant who lives on the Dunwoody-Sandy Springs line and writes about people whose lives inspire others. Contact her at worthknowingnow@gmail.com. A Sister of Mercy returns home to healthcare service The Sisters of Mercy, founded in Ireland in 1831, were often called “walking nuns.” Instead of staying cloistered, they walked the streets, caring for the poor. Today they “walk” the world, includ ing Atlanta, where in 1890 four Sisters of Mercy founded Atlanta’s first hospital, known for years as St. Joseph’s Hospital, currently Emory St. Jo seph’s. Though the hospital is now secular, the Sisters of Mercy have long held leadership roles. One of them is Sister Jane Gerety, Ph.D., who was senior vice president at St. Joseph’s for 17 years (1992- 2009) before leaving to serve as president of Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. Last year, she retired from academia and an swered the call to return to Atlanta as chief mis sion officer of Mercy Care Atlanta, a network of community healthcare centers offering compre hensive care for the poor. “I didn’t want to retire-retire,” she said. “Atlan ta had been home for me, and I had friends here. It seemed natural to come back.” It was also natural for her to join Mercy Care, as it had been part of St Joseph’s Hospital during her tenure there. Incorporated as a nonprofit in 1985, Mercy Care was an outreach of St. Joseph’s that sent teams with tackle boxes of medical supplies into the streets to treat the homeless. Since 2012, when St. Joseph’s joined Emory Healthcare, Mercy Care has paid its own way with funding from Emory Healthcare; public and corporate grants; private dona tions; and patients, who pay on a sliding scale based on their income. Despite having to regroup and build its own internal systems from scratch, Mer cy Care has grown into 10 primary care locations throughout metro Atlanta, includ ing six freestanding locations, four mobile clinics and multiple Street Care teams. It of fers services for both children and adults, including primary, specialty, mental, vision and dental care, along with financial counseling, pastoral and recuperative care and much more. Like God’s mercy, Mercy Care is for everyone. In 2018, 75% of its patients were unin sured and living below the Federal poverty line; 60% were homeless. Medicare, Medic- Top, Mercy Care Chamblee, a comprehensive healthcare clinic, was paid for entirely by grants and donations. Above, Sister Jane Gerety, chief mission officer of Mercy Care Atlanta.