A "topping out" ceremony was held on Thursday, Aug. 4, for the newest addition to Emory University Hospital, as construction reached the ninth and final level of the new building.
The 450,000-square-foot, $400 million, state-of-the-art facility joins Emory University Hospital via a two-story bridge crossing Clifton Rd., allowing the hospital to expand its services and expert care, while creating an integrated, welcoming and spacious environment for patients and their families. The bridge concourse will also connect the new addition to Emory Clinic and the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
"Emory University Hospital’s new addition is an important milestone in patient care on Emory’s campus, in metro Atlanta and in Georgia," says Jonathan S. Lewin, MD, president, CEO and chairman of the board for Emory Healthcare. "The topping out ceremony recognizes our success with the progress of this building, while looking toward the future and our mission to serve humanity through integration of education, discovery and clinical care. This kind of innovation is just part of the reason Emory University Hospital has earned U.S. News and World Report’s number one ranking for Georgia and Atlanta five years in a row."
The hospital addition will open its doors to patients in the summer of 2017, comprising 233 patient beds, including 23 critical care beds. Cancer patients, including surgical, medical oncology and bone marrow transplant patients will be cared for in the new wing by physicians and staff from the Winship Cancer Institute, the only National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center in Georgia. Kidney, liver and pancreas transplant patients also will be treated in the new wing, expanding Georgia's most comprehensive transplant program.
Included in the new wing will be diagnostic and treatment spaces, anesthesia pre-operative services and radiology. A food court will offer multiple dining options to patients and visitors. An underground parking deck has been added with 500 parking spaces.
With patient-and-family-centered care top of mind, staff, physicians and patient- family advisors (PFAs) have spent hours designing not just patient care rooms, but all aspects of hospital operations to ensure the best possible patient experience and work environment. Careful planning and detail have gone in to the design of each room, furniture, equipment and the surrounding care environment.
"By involving staff, physicians and PFAs in the design of this new facility, patients, families, and providers can expect advancements in their care and work environment that have been intentionally designed with the utmost thought," says Bryce Gartland, MD, CEO of Emory University Hospital. "The design reflects an emphasis on exceptional care and high efficiency. From the best location for a light switch to innovative spaces like a demonstration kitchen where patients can learn tips on healthy cooking for their specific conditions, the time and effort we put into creating this facility will make a big difference."
"The new hospital expansion will not only add space for our patients. We will create over 500 new jobs for nursing staff, radiology and surgical technicians and many other hospital staff," says Gartland. "We want to attract the best and brightest employees and physicians to our facility to work in a market-leading, growing and innovative environment."
Approximately one-third of these new jobs will be nursing jobs.
"Recruitment is already underway to begin filling the nursing positions for the outstanding new hospital addition," says Nancye Feistritzer, DPN, RN, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at Emory University Hospital.