ATLANTA — The countdown is on. In just 52 days, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta will open the doors to the brand new Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
The opening, set for September 29, will also require the delicate movement of hundreds of young patients as hospital operations transition from Egleston to the new 19-floor facility off of North Druid Hills Rd.
"It's a real exciting moment for us at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta as we officially present Georgia's new pediatric hospital," Chief Administrative Officer Linda Matzigkeit said.
The new Arthur M. Blank hospital marks an effort to serve even more children in the region. The facility will have more than 440 beds, which is more than 100 beds currently available at Children's Egleston.
"Our physicians, nurses, therapists, and other clinicians have been involved in the design of this hospital from the very beginning," Linda Cole, Chief Nursing Officer, said Thursday. "It is truly a hospital designed by clinicians for their patients."
56 ambulances will be required for move day as hospital staff transport 340 patients to the new site. The Egleston Hospital Emergency Department will close at 7 a.m. on Sept. 29, and the Arthur M. Blank Hospital Emergency Department will simultaneously open its doors for operations.
According to Children's, support for the move will include the City of Atlanta, Emory University Police, DeKalb County, City of Chamblee, City of Brookhaven, Sandy Springs Police and Georgia State Police. Drivers are asked to yield to ambulances along the route from Egleston Hospital to Arthur M. Blank Hospital on Move Day. The route includes Uppergate Drive to Starvine, to Clairmont Rd, to 1-85 Frontage Road. Approximately 30 patients from the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Scottish Rite Hospital will move to Arthur M. Blank Hospital. They will travel from Meridian Mark to Johnson Ferry Road to Peachtree Dunwoody Road to GA-400 to I-85N to Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
With the opening of Arthur M. Blank Hospital, all clinical services at Egleston Hospital will move to the new hospital. The future of Egleston’s campus has yet to be determined. According to Children's, Scottish Rite and Hughes Spalding Hospitals will remain key care facilities within the Children’s System.
Arthur M. Blank Hospital is expected to bring up to 4,500 additional workers to the North Druid Hills campus, which will soon employ a total of more than 8,000. Children's also shared the following updates families can expect at the new hospital:
- 116 more patient beds than currently at Egleston Hospital, helping us treat more kids and be well-positioned as the region grows and our approaches to treatment change over time
- Larger, private rooms so parents can comfortably stay with their children during their most challenging times
- Convenient amenities for families: washers and dryers, family lounges and kitchenettes on every floor, with child life activity rooms throughout
- More than 20 acres of green space, which allow for miles of walking trails and healing views from patient rooms, as research shows exposure to nature reduces the need for some medications and improves outcomes
- More than double the conference and simulation space than at Egleston Hospital to help train fellows and allow our clinicians to stay current with best practices
- A Special Care Unit (SCU) within the new Emergency Department for the treatment of patients with potentially highly infectious disease cases
- The use of sustainable materials has been prioritized in the planning and design process for energy and water efficiency. Our Center for Advanced Pediatrics is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified, our Support Center is LEED Silver certified, and the future Arthur M. Blank Hospital is on track to earn LEED certification