AJC exposes how weak oversight made Georgia a hub for unproven medical treatments

A new, exclusive three-part investigation from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution finds that limited oversight and enforcement by Georgia’s medical board have allowed hundreds of practitioners to promote treatments that run counter to established science and federal guidance — often with minimal consequence. The first installment is published now, with additional parts publishing June 8 and June 15.

The investigative series is led by longtime and award-winning investigative journalists Carrie Teegardin and Danny Robbins and draws from months of exhaustive reporting, including analysis of regulatory records, practitioner activity and interviews with practitioners, patients and experts.

Key findings from the investigation:

• Hundreds of practitioners in Georgia offering treatments that lack scientific support
• Limited disciplinary action from one of the nation’s weakest medical oversight systems
• A system where patients may face misleading claims and limited recourse
• Growing urgency as federal oversight evolves

The AJC continues its track record of ambitious investigative journalism in the South. Earlier this year, the AJC published “Forever Stained,” a sweeping months-long investigation with the AP, FRONTLINE, AL.com, and The Post and Courier looking at how a group of compounds known as forever chemicals that have been used for decades to make carpets stain-resistant have also polluted swathes of the South.

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