Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is announcing it will undertake a significant logistical feat on Sunday, September 29 – moving all patients from Egleston Hospital to the new Arthur M. Blank Hospital in a single day. Arthur M. Blank Hospital is a 19-story, 2-million-square-foot facility with 446 beds; that’s 116 more beds than the current number at Egleston Hospital.

The Egleston Hospital Emergency Department will close its doors at 7 a.m. and, simultaneously, the Arthur M. Blank Hospital Emergency Department will open for patients at 7 a.m. In total, Children’s anticipates moving 340 patients, using 56 ambulances from community groups as well as the Children’s ground and air transport. City of Atlanta, Emory University Police, DeKalb County, City of Chamblee, City of Brookhaven, Sandy Springs Police and Georgia State Police will help ensure patients travel safety during the move. Children’s is asking for the public’s help by yielding to ambulances along the move route from Egleston Hospital to Arthur M. Blank Hospital on Move Day. The route includes Uppergate Drive to Starvine to Clairmont Rd to 1-85 Frontage Road. Approximately 30 patients from the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Scottish Rite Hospital will move to Arthur M. Blank Hospital. They will travel from Meridian Mark to Johnson Ferry Road to Peachtree Dunwoody Road to GA-400 to I-85N to Arthur M. Blank Hospital.

In preparation for this day, clinical teams have conducted multiple simulations and dress rehearsals within the hospitals over the past two years. During these rehearsals, 1,200 participants from teams including clinical ambassadors, department leaders, hospital planning, Information Systems and Technology, facilities services and more, ran through various scenarios to test and refine workflows for Move Day. Child life specialists, hospital chaplains and interpretive services, along with an approximate 1,000 support staff volunteers, will be on-site at the hospitals to assist with patient family needs. 

Designing and building a comfortable, welcoming place for kids and families to receive care was a key consideration in the design of the new hospital. Specific feedback from Family and Youth Advisory Councils helped inform decision making around patient rooms. All rooms are larger and private, with a double sofa bed and desk, so parents can more comfortably stay with their children. Every floor has washers and dryers, family lounges and kitchenettes to make it easier and more convenient for patient families who experience extended stays. Additionally, the hospital offers 20 acres of green space easily accessible and visible from patient rooms to promote mental and physical wellbeing.

As the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in Georgia, the Arthur M. Blank Emergency Department will operate 24/7 to provide the highest quality trauma care. The facility will also house the Marcus Cellular Therapy labs, enabling physicians to manufacture cells for cutting edge treatments and therapies, while also providing great promise for the future.

“Arthur M. Blank Hospital is more than a new facility providing essential capacity to serve all the kids who need us,” said Donna Hyland, Chief Executive Officer at Children’s. “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. This hospital is a beacon of hope for healthier children, and I am grateful to so many in our community who helped make this vision a reality, especially Arthur Blank.”

Arthur M. Blank Hospital is expected to bring up to 4,500 additional workers to the North Druid Hills campus, which will soon employ a total of more than 8,000. Many of these employees will transfer from Egleston Hospital, but around 1,000 of these workers will fill newly-created positions. Spanning 76 acres, the North Druid Hills campus also includes the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, its outpatient, non-emergency facility, and its Support Center, which houses its administrative offices. Arthur M. Blank Hospital is conveniently located at the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and Interstate 85 in Brookhaven.