Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta plans to close its Egleston Hospital on Sunday and move more than 300 patients to the brand-new Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
The healthcare system says thousands of employees have been rehearsing for the move, a logistical challenge, for two years. It will involve 56 ambulances, many police officers, and what hospital officials expect from the public: patience from drivers on the route between the Emory and Druid Hills campuses on Sunday.
Designed by clinicians
The new 446-bed children’s hospital is on the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) 70-acre North Druid Hills campus. Chief Nursing Officer Linda Cole said at a press conference on Aug. 6 that clinicians designed the 2-million-square-foot facility for their patients.
“We brought in hundreds of front-line staff and providers to a hospital made with cardboard,” Cole said. “And although it may have been a fake hospital, we learned a lot of really good lessons.”
As construction neared completion, more than 1,200 staff and providers participated in dress rehearsals, where they ran multiple simultaneous scenarios — just like what happens on an average day in the hospital, Cole said. They tested their workflow, the new facility, and its technology to be ready for Sept. 29.
Moving day
Cole said a minute-by-minute rundown for moving day is prepped and ready to go. At 7 a.m., Egleston closes and Arthur M. Blank Hospital opens.
“We’ll also transfer patients from the Scottish Rite Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center,” she said, “because we’re going to consolidate our inpatient hematology services at Arthur M. Blank.”
Staff expect to have all of the patients settled within 10 hours.
“It will take about 56 ambulances,” Cole said, some of which will come from community partners in Georgia and surrounding states. CHOA will use their own transport vehicles and, weather permitting, helicopters.
About the new hospital
The Arthur M. Blank Hospital has 116 more beds than Egleston. It features private patient rooms with double sofas for family members to stay and sleep nearby.
For added comfort, kitchenettes, washers, and dryers are accessible on every floor. Multiple gardens, games, and getaway play centers are also available.
When it opens on Sunday, Children’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital will be the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in Georgia with a 24/7 emergency department.
