Melissa Tymchuk with Northeast Georgia Health System discusses plans for a new hospital in Lumpkin County during a recent meeting in White County. (WRWH News)
(Cleveland)- Around twenty-five, people turned out Friday for an information session conducted by Northeast Georgia Health System to primarily discuss plans for the new hospital facility to be built in Lumpkin County. Health System officials presented information about the design plan, which is currently underway as well as the type of service that will be available at the new facility, that will be constructed on a 57-acre site on the east side of Georgia 400 south of the intersection of Highway 60.
The new facility will use a smaller Community Hospital concept with 30 beds or fewer but will include an emergency room and other health services. The hospital will be built with the possibility of expansion if there’s a need in the future. At this time the new hospital is planned for opening in the fall of 2021.
Melissa Tymchuk spokesperson for the Northeast Georgia Health System said the meeting was twofold, to provide information but also receive input from the public about the type of service they want. Tymchuck said there’s a great opportunity using today’s technology for things such as video consultations with physicians.
Northeast Georgia Health System conducted an online survey of the area with the second-highest of those responses being from White County. The key comments were that respondents are most interested in local access to a hospital with good quality, that offers the most common services they need.
The meeting in Cleveland was one of five community forums the heath system held last week in the area. Other meetings were held in Lumpkin, Dawson, Forsyth, and Hall counties..
By: Dean Dyer/WRWH News
