Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital is set to open in September when critical care patients will be transported from Egleston Hospital and Scottish Rite to the new hospital on North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven.
“We have planned that day minute by minute to make sure all staff know exactly what’s expected of them and what their role is to ensuring we transfer and transport every patient safely,” said Chief Nursing Officer Linda Cole.
The Egleston Hospital emergency department will close its doors at 7 a.m. on Sept. 29 as Arthur M. Blank emergency department opens simultaneously.
The cities of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Sandy Springs, and their police departments along with DeKalb County Police, Emory University Police, and Georgia State Troopers will ensure the safety of 340 patients being moved to Arthur M. Blank Hospital that day. Fifty-six ambulances will be there to help.
“We have back up plans upon back up plans. We even have, for the most critical things, a backup plan for the backup plan,” said Cole. “We are ready.”
Inside the five million square foot facility, the environment is bright, simple, and calm with family-friendly murals, play spaces, and gardens. There are 446 beds in the 19 floor-hospital. Outside, North Druid Hills Road and Interstate 85 are bustling with traffic.
The new campus features an emergency department, a special care unit for treating highly infectious diseases, the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Marcus Center for Pediatric Advanced Cellular Therapy, Center for Advanced Pediatrics, an administrative support center, and more.
Working with families, clinical teams, and professionals, the hospital offers some comforts and conveniences of home like laundry facilities, kitchens, classrooms, and rentable bedrooms for caregivers to get rest without leaving the campus.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital is the only Level 1 pediatric trauma hospital in the state of Georgia.
“Arthur M. Blank Hospital is more than a new facility providing essential capacity to serve all the kids who need us,” said CEO Donna Hyland. “It is also a giant leap forward for Georgia’s kids, and it’s an open door for progress and discovery that will help transform pediatric care nationally.”
