A new chapter in the history of WellStar Kennestone Hospital began Feb. 15 with the groundbreaking of a state-of-the-art, four-story emergency department designed to serve the healthcare needs of Marietta and metro Atlanta residents. The 162,825 square foot, $126 million world-class facility will increase capacity and access for incoming patients, and include technology that will allow physicians to treat emergency room patients more efficiently. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2019 and patient care will begin in early 2020.
 
The existing ED, designed to treat 60,000 patients a year, has been serving the surrounding community for nearly 50 years. The ED currently provides healthcare to more than 142,000 people annually, seeing more patients than any other hospital in Georgia and currently ranked fifth in the nation the number of patients treated.
 
Kennestone Hospital’s new ED, which will be connected to the existing hospital by a two-level bridge crossing Church Street, will accommodate up to 185,000 patients in the initial phase and up to 220,000 annually upon completion.
 
“As a not-for-profit health system, WellStar is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of its community and this project is a testament to how we reinvest in the communities we serve,” said Mary Chatman, interim president, WellStar Kennestone Hospital. “Kennestone’s physicians, surgeons and nurses save lives every day through world-class emergency care for even the youngest patients and the new ED will allow us to treat additional individuals in need.”
 
Technological advancements will include four CT scan machines that will be used solely for emergency patients. The ER will also have its own MRI, ultrasound and X-ray departments, instead of having to share equipment with the rest of the hospital.
 
As the only Trauma Network in the state, a major feature of the facility will be improved access for cars and ambulances delivering patients daily. The design will rely on major, high-traffic city roads, rather than local neighborhood streets. Five separate vehicular access points, two for emergency vehicles and three for civilians, will separate ambulance traffic from walk-in patients. Additionally, an onsite underground parking garage allows for quick parking after patient drop-off.

Additional features unique to the modernized facility include a dedicated area on the second floor for treating patients with behavioral health needs and the ability to expand medical services into the parking lot to treat mass casualties, if needed. In the event of a hazardous material spill, tents would be erected outside to decontaminate patients before moving them into the ED.
 
Construction of the new WellStar Kennestone Hospital Emergency Department is being funded through a combination of bonds, capital funds and donations from the community.