Last year Wellstar Kennestone Hospital unveiled its expanded Emergency Department (ED) during some of the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ED opened on July 23, 2020, and is celebrating its one-year anniversary.

For more information on Kennestone’s ED, see the press release from Wellstar Health System reprinted below:

MARIETTA, Ga. (July 26, 2021) — The last year has been fraught with challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and frontline healthcare workers have been instrumental in providing vital emergency care for people in need throughout the crisis. Wellstar Kennestone Hospital – the largest Wellstar Health System hospital – officially opened its new Emergency Department (ED) in the first months of the pandemic, on July 23, 2020, and, over the past 12 months, has provided emergency care for adult and pediatric patients across a wide range of medical conditions. The state-of-the-art Level II Trauma Center and ED – one of the largest and busiest in the U.S., with more than 120 team members and able to accommodate up to 220,000 patients annually – marked one year of service last week. 

 Over the past year, the Wellstar Kennestone ED team has offered world-class, personalized emergency and trauma care in the 263,000 sq. ft facility, including: 

·        Landed more than 245 helicopters  

·       Served more than 105,000 patients 

·       Treated more than 10,760 pediatric patients with a dedicated wing and entrance  

·       Performed more than 320 emergency surgeries  

“The Wellstar Kennestone ED team provides exemplary, tailored care for people in our community each and every day,” said Marianne Hatfield, chief nursing officer, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. “Our skilled team is grateful to serve with expertise and compassion, and we stand ready to provide medical care no matter the circumstance or condition. As a non-profit health system, that’s our role and responsibility; As medical professionals, it’s our calling and honor.” 

 World-class medical care as a standard 

In the year since the new ED opened, the hospital was designated a Level I Emergency Cardiac Care Center by the Georgia Department of Public Health, Office of Cardiac Care – the highest level of recognition for emergency cardiac care in Georgia. Wellstar Kennestone Hospital was also verified as one of only four Level II Trauma Centers in Georgia by the American College of Surgeons. This achievement recognizes the trauma center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients. Wellstar Health System offers the largest trauma network in the state, with Level I, II, and III certified Trauma Centers across Georgia. 

Meeting the community’s needs with expanded space and services 

To accommodate an anticipated increase in patient volume and the vital healthcare needs of Georgians, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital is planning a $263-million-dollar tower on its existing campus. The new tower will provide additional beds and services needed to serve the community.   

 “When we conceptualized Wellstar Kennestone Hospital’s new Emergency Department, we also planned for an increase in patient admissions,” said Mary Chatman, executive vice president, Wellstar Health System, and president, Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospitals. “The new tower will provide necessary space for additional patient beds and services, including neonatal care for our youngest patients and medical care for adult patients and families. In addition, we will expand the number of private rooms in response to the voice of our community and people we provide care for.” 

 The tower expansion will add 61 new acute-care beds to the 633-bed hospital. “This construction at the heart of our campus is a natural next step for Wellstar as we continue to offer patient-centered, world-class care,” added Chatman.