Hammes celebrates final move phase of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's new bed tower

MILWAUKEE, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hammes, a national real estate consulting, development, investment and management firm, is proud to celebrate the final move into Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's approximately 300,000-square-foot, nine-story patient tower in Marietta, Georgia. Hammes has served as Wellstar's project manager for the new tower, which represents a major investment in expanded hospital capacity, specialty care and the patient experience.

The new tower adds 241 patient beds and strengthens key service lines, including cardiology, neurology, oncology, surgery, and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Designed with state-of-the-art technology and spaces that support healing, the tower includes dedicated units for cardiac critical care, surgical care, neurological care and medical oncology. These purpose-built environments will allow care teams to deliver advanced treatment in spaces designed around the specific needs of each specialty.

The new tower has opened through a carefully coordinated phased patient move with multiple patient units relocating from different areas of the campus. The phased move strategy was designed to support continuity of care while bringing the new tower online in an organized and efficient manner. Patients began to receive care in the new tower in April, and the final transitions were completed on July 22, marking the final major milestone for the tower to become fully operational.

The final move included the hospital's current NICU, as well as patients from the intermediate care unit (IMCU) and oncology. A central feature of the expansion is the new 49-bed NICU, which includes advanced monitoring technology to support newborns who need intensive care. As part of Wellstar Kennestone's enhanced neonatal services, the NICU will help expand care for the hospital's smallest patients and their families. The tower also includes a dedicated Women's and Children's entrance, improving access and reinforcing Wellstar's commitment to family-centered care.

Another unique aspect of this project was a new 23,000-square-foot central kitchen that serves the entire campus, supporting Wellstar's new "on-demand" delivery model to serve patients, visitors and staff. 

"The size, scale and complexity of this project required extensive planning, coordination, and collaboration across construction, operations, clinical teams and patient move logistics," said Hammes Healthcare Regional Vice President Wade Milligan. "Hammes is honored to have served as Wellstar's project manager to bring this important new tower into operation."

JEDunn served as the construction manager with HKS and CDH Partners as the architect.

About Hammes

Founded in 1991, Hammes is a vertically integrated real estate solutions platform specializing in healthcare real estate strategy and planning, project management, development, investment, and property management. As a testament to our deep healthcare industry experience, Hammes has been recognized as one of the nation's leading healthcare developers by Modern Healthcare's Construction & Design Survey for 28 consecutive years—including 22 years as No. 1— and by Revista's Outpatient Healthcare Real Estate Development Report. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hammes provides services through a network of regional offices strategically located across the United States. www.hammes.com

SOURCE Hammes