Piedmont Healthcare has received a certificate-of-need from the state of Georgia to build a $603 million patient tower to replace older rooms on its main campus in Atlanta.
The seven-hospital, not-for-profit system plans to open the tower in phases beginning in 2020, Piedmont said in a release.
Metropolitan Atlanta hospitals are seeing rapid consolidation with WellStar of Marietta, Ga., this year buying five Tenet Healthcare hospitals in the market and academic giant Emory Healthcare competing with Piedmont and Northside Hospital for Atlanta's growing population.
“As our community grows, we have to adapt and provide adequate space and amenities to our patients,” said Dr. Patrick Battey, CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.
The new 16-story tower also will house the Marcus Heart and Vascular Center supported by donations from the Marcus Foundation.
The hospital's plan is to finish the first 10 floors to open the tower, then complete a floor each year starting in 2022 until it is built out with the completion of the final two floors in 2026, the release said.
Separately, five of Piedmont's seven hospital recently earned accreditation from Chest Pain Centers from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.
The hospitals are Piedmont Atlanta, Piedmont Fayette, Piedmont Henry, Piedmont Mountainside and Piedmont Newnan.
“Cardiac patient care always has been among our top priorities at Piedmont and this achievement demonstrates that,” said Dr. William Blincoe, chief, Piedmont Heart Institute.
Piedmont's revenues will exceed $2 billion in 2016 with the addition of Athens Regional Health in Athens, Ga., this year. Athens Regional had revenue of about $425 million last year, while Piedmont's was $1.86 billion.
