Construction of New Pediatric-Focused Facility Officially Complete
ATLANTA – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta officially opened the doors of the newly renovated and revitalized Children’s at Hughes Spalding Aug. 22. Made possible by the support of the community, the $43 million facility serves Atlanta’s pediatric population in a hospital built just for kids. Among many notable guests, Mayor Kasim Reed, Congressman John Lewis, Doug Hertz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Donna Hyland, President and CEO of Children’s were present to join in the celebration of the new facility.
“We are honored to bring this dream to fruition,” said Julia Jones, Vice President of Operations of Children’s at Hughes Spalding. “As part of our pediatric health care system, Children’s at Hughes Spalding is aligned with our two other hospitals and 16 neighborhood locations. The new facility raises the level of care we are able to provide to those patients
and families who count on us in some of their most vulnerable times of need.”
Originally opened in 1952, the facility — then known as Hughes Spalding Pavilion– was a private hospital for African-American patients. For more than 35 years, the Hughes Spalding Pavilion continued to serve the city’s health care needs as a general, broad-based hospital and was later reopened by Grady Health System as Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital. In 2006, Children’s and Grady Health System jointly announced that Children’s would assume responsibility for the management of services at Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital, which would become known as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding.
A pediatric-focused facility contributes to successful outcomes and faster healing times in children. Children’s recognized that the hospital’s original structure did not meet the criteria to best serve the children as it was not built to care for such a population. The new Children’s at Hughes Spalding now features child- and family-friendly amenities. The structure houses child-friendly inpatient beds, an enhanced and expanded Emergency department and vital specialty clinics including sickle cell, asthma and child protection. Children’s at Hughes Spalding also provides primary care services with extended and weekend hours to cater to patient family needs. In addition, Children’s at Hughes Spalding is currently striving for LEED certification, which will make it the first hospital in Georgia to achieve this distinction.
About Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 16 neighborhood locations, Children’s is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the country. Children’s offers access to more than 30 pediatric specialties and is ranked among the top children’s hospitals by Parents magazine and U.S.News & World Report. With generous philanthropic and volunteer support, Children’s has made an impact in the lives of children in Georgia, the United States and throughout the world. Visit www.choa.org for more information.
