MACON, Ga. — Sue Mattix comes to the Medical Center, Navicent Health at least once a month. When she heard the McDonald's inside will be closing, she said she didn't understand why.
"We have to eat something. All the people in the hospital, they come down there to eat, too -- the nurses, the doctors -- it's full all the time."
The Medical Center announced it will not be renewing the contract with McDonald's. The doors will officially be closing and one group is glad.
"Today, we found out that they did not renew that contract with McDonald's, so that's great news, we're very excited," says Susan Levin, a registered dietitian and the director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. She says two years ago, the group started lobbying Navicent to shut down the McDonald's.
"We started our efforts two years ago in 2017 by doing billboards and then direct asks," she recalls. Those billboards were on bus stops around the hospital, and the group says there are more coming leading up to the end of the McDonald's contract.
The physicians group says they'll put up two billboards within a mile of the hospital with the words, 'Not lovin' clogged arteries.'
Levin says it's all part of their "fast food-free" campaign to educate patients on healthy eating.
"Right now, a lot of hospitals unfortunately missing that opportunity and probably making it worse for the patients."
Levin says the Physicians' Group will continue pushing for healthier food options in hospitals.
RELATED: Will Navicent McDonald's stay or go?
Navicent says McDonald's lease runs out June 11, but they're not sure when the restaurant will close.