P arenting can be challenging on a good day . But when your child is unwell , you need an ally , someone you can trust to help you make tough decisions about your child ’ s health . That ’ s why — when the fever is too high , the cut looks too deep or something just doesn ’ t seem right — Georgia families continually turn to Children ’ s Healthcare of Atlanta .
For more than 100 years , Children ’ s has been a pillar of the Atlanta community , providing quality pediatric care that has made them a model of excellence nationwide . They have repeatedly been named a top pediatric hospital by U . S . News & World Report , and were recently ranked in all 10 specialties , with eight in the top 20 nationwide , including cancer and nephrology , neurology and orthopedics .
“ I tell everyone that I hope you never have to come to Children ’ s . But I ’ m glad we ’ re here if you need to ,” says Donna Hyland , CEO , Children ’ s Healthcare of Atlanta . “ Our team accomplishes incredible things each and every day for our patients and their families , and I am grateful to have a community that supports us every step of the way . It ’ s what allows us to do what we do .”
UNITING TO GIVE KIDS THE CARE THEY DESERVE
If there is one thing that ’ s become abundantly clear in 2020 , it ’ s that it takes all of us to keep our communities safe and well . We each have a role to play . For healthcare organizations like Children ’ s , the onus is great , yet so are the opportunities .
“ At Children ’ s , we have an opportunity to improve the lives of children , but to do so , we can ’ t settle for the status quo or be satisfied with what ’ s working today ,” says Hyland . “ The field of medicine is not static . New diseases emerge , procedures change and treatments advance . We have to anticipate how we can best care for kids in the future and adapt to ensure we ’ re always prepared for the next challenge .”
The growing demand for specialty pediatric care across the state of Georgia and beyond is that next challenge . That ’ s why Children ’ s has embarked on its most significant endeavor yet to ready its campus , its providers and its facilities to meet this need .
PLANNING FOR A GREATER PURPOSE
So what does it take to build the hospital campus of tomorrow ? First , it takes a vision , and then rigorous and thoughtful planning ; three years of planning , to be exact . Children ’ s sought input from key stakeholders — patients , families , staff , leadership and community members — so that every need was taken into account . They performed smart testing and even created a model using 10,000-square-feet of cardboard so that they could see and experience every room .
Why ? Because when you ’ re designing a space where lives are saved and cures are made , you have to look beyond aesthetics . You need a state-of-the-art campus that will empower clinicians to deliver better pediatric care , help researchers bring lifesaving cures to patients faster , and help children heal and live healthy lives .
INSIDE THE HOSPITAL OF TOMORROW
By combining inviting and innovative , healing and high tech , Children ’ s has designed a hospital and campus especially for kids and their families . Here are just a few of the highlights :
• More patient beds – 446 total – allowing Children ’ s to treat more kids and be well-positioned as the region grows .
• Family-friendly spaces , including larger , private rooms so parents can comfortably stay with their children during their most challenging times .
• More than 20 acres of greenspace , which allow for exposure to nature , miles of walking trails , games like puttputt and healing views from 70 % of patient rooms .
• More than double the conference and simulation space than at Egleston hospital , to help train fellows and allow clinicians to stay current with best practices .
• Groundbreaking new innovations in the practice of pediatric medicine , such as a 3D printing lab to design lifesaving treatment options , a special care unit for the treatment of patients with highly-infectious diseases like Coronavirus , three cardiovascular operating rooms and an inpatient dialysis unit .
QUALITY PEDIATRIC CARE IS HERE TO STAY
When the doors of the new hospital open to patients in 2025 , Children ’ s will have a solid foundation in place . They will be better equipped to expand their reach , broaden their research capabilities and grow their clinical services to effectively meet the healthcare needs of Georgia ’ s kids for generations to come .
As a community , we recognize the significance of having one of the nation ’ s leading healthcare organizations right in our own backyard . We appreciate the incredible effort that goes into thoughtful expansion in a city of this size . But as parents , we know the new Children ’ s campus is about more than just convenience , state-of-the-art technology and topnotch amenities . It ’ s a beacon of hope . It ’ s a promise that the unwavering support and quality care we ’ ve come to rely on is here to stay . And it ’ s reassurance that no matter what healthcare challenges come our way in the future , someone is looking out for Georgia ’ s kids .
We have proudly partnered with Ansley Atlanta for the past four years . Ansley Atlanta donates a portion of every home sold to Children ’ s and has donated more than $ 245,000 . We know that Ansley Atlanta will continue championing our patients and their families for many years to come .
Learn how you can be a part of transforming the future of pediatric care at choa . org / give .
The most visible sign of their progress : the concrete and steel rising from the Georgia red clay at the intersection of Interstate 85 and North Druid Hills . You may have noticed the emergence of the Center for Advanced Pediatrics , which opened in 2018 . The site of a variety of outpatient services , this was the first phase of what is quickly becoming a new 70-acre campus devoted entirely to the care and treatment of Georgia ’ s kids .