ATLANTA — It's been two months since Grady Memorial Hospital became Atlanta's only Level 1 trauma center and hospital leaders detailed how the medical facility is meeting the need of those requiring emergency care.
"We sprung into action pretty quickly," Chief Health Policy Officer Ryan Loke shared during the hospital's annual Dekalb/Fulton County community meeting on Tuesday. "We knew we were going to take on a substantial number of patients who had been previously seeking care at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center and AMC South."
Part of that action plan means Grady will no longer go on trauma diversion, a process that happens when a hospital is forced to stop accepting ambulance traffic until more space is available for additional patients.
"As the city's only remaining Level 1 trauma center and the city's only trauma center albeit, it is our responsibility to see those patients," Loke said. "So we will no longer go on trauma diversion and since September have not done so."
The announcement of the closure of Wellstar AMC in September sparked a wave of concern from surrounding hospitals, community leaders and lawmakers worried about a gap in care for patients and the risk of overwhelming other hospitals already stretched thin.
On Tuesday, Loke said Grady has seen a 20% uptick in trauma patients since the summer, an increase the hospital anticipated. AMC's closure also resulted in a 40% increase in obstetrics and NICU care.
"Wellstar [AMC] provided a substantial amount of OBGYN care out there, and a substantial amount of that has come to Grady," Loke explained.
In contrast, the number of emergency room patients, surgeries and inpatient stays remained flat, Loke shared. However, there is a concern about the impact flu season will have on hospital operations.
As the hospital continues to pivot resources, including the addition of 160 staff, three trauma surgeons, five primary care physicians and others from Wellstar AMC, there's also an ongoing operation to expand bed capacity.
Grady received $130 million in American Rescue Plan funding from the state to increase the number of beds, and Loke confirmed construction on more than 180 beds will begin soon.