New WellStar Paulding Hospital Opens April 1

MARIETTA, Ga., March 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 1, WellStar Health System will open a new hospital in Hiram, Ga., approximately 25 minutes from Atlanta.  The new WellStar Paulding Hospital is an eight-floor, 295,000-square foot facility that will replace the existing 55-year-old Paulding Hospital.  The new hospital, and adjoining medical office building, will bring 500 new jobs to the area.

The new WellStar Paulding Hospital will bring expanded patient care space to Paulding County, opening with 56 beds and the ability to expand to 112 beds. It will house four state-of-the-art surgical suites and 40 emergency exam rooms—double that of the current hospital. Additionally, the hospital will provide new services such as a dedicated pediatric emergency department and cardiac catheterization center.

Major technological advancements will provide additional safety features for patients at WellStar Paulding Hospital.  New technology, such as UV Air Handlers and a water re-disinfectant system, will ensure that WellStar Paulding Hospital stays on the forefront of infection prevention.

"For more than 50 years, we have cared for our friends and neighbors in Paulding County," said Mark Haney, president of WellStar Paulding Hospital.  "While designing the new hospital, we have focused on three areas: family, energy and safety.  Each plays a major role in helping patients heal.  WellStar Paulding Hospital is a state-of-the-art facility that the people of northwest Georgia and Paulding County can be proud of."

During construction, WellStar Paulding Hospital incorporated innovative green technology and building practices.  Among these, construction firm Brasfield & Gorrie installed a geothermal heat pump system to heat and cool the building.  WellStar Paulding Hospital is the first hospital in Georgia to use this cost saving, efficient and renewable energy source.

  Other features of WellStar Paulding Hospital include:

• Spacious, private inpatient rooms with nearby comfortable family areas, as well as a retail pharmacy and café
• A beautiful, eight-story atrium is the hub of the campus, connecting the hospital with a new four-story medical office building and the existing 7-year-old medical office building to form the Paulding Outpatient Pavilion
• Sunlight is used as an environmentally friendly tool to help patients heal.  From the soaring glass atrium to the large window in each patient room, natural light is visible nearly everywhere in the hospital.
• An electronic medical record system connects all WellStar facilities and physicians
• A loop road allows easy visible access to all three main entry points while minimizing traffic in parking areas
• "No bump"– all floor transitions are carefully detailed to provide level/flush conditions and eliminate trip hazards (no thresholds or even small bumps)

"WellStar Paulding Hospital was designed with the guiding purpose of being the safest hospital in the world for patients, families, team members, the community and the environment," said Reynold Jennings, CEO of WellStar Health System.  "WellStar is committed to serving the people of northwest Georgia and metro Atlanta.  We are always keeping an eye on innovation and forging new partnerships that will benefit our community and further our vision to deliver world-class healthcare."

The hospital's planning team, including nursing and other clinical staff, spent years collaborating on design elements to ensure the new facility was safe for patients and staff, while also creating a peaceful, healing environment.  For example, 80 percent of items nurses commonly use are within six seconds of reach from the bedside; the other 20 percent is centrally located on each floor.

"When I think of the new hospital, I stand in awe of how far WellStar has brought healthcare in our community," said Loran Wills, 36-year Paulding County Hospital Authority member.  "Paulding County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and the new hospital not only keeps up with the growth but provides innovative care close to home."

Nursing home residents in Paulding County will get a boost from the new hospital.  WellStar Paulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a highly regarded and award winning facility, is adjacent to the current hospital.  When the new facility opens on April 1, the nursing center will expand to use much of the existing hospital, transitioning many of the rooms from semi-private to private.

About WellStar Health System

Recognized as the fifth most integrated healthcare delivery system in the country, WellStar Health System is the largest not-for-profit health system in Georgia and serves a population of more than 1.4 million residents in five counties. The vision of WellStar is to deliver world-class healthcare. A national leader in the transformation of healthcare delivery, WellStar launched the Center for Health Transformation and the Georgia Health Collaborative that will have far-reaching effects on healthcare both locally and nationally. WellStar includes WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital) and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, Paulding and Windy Hill hospitals; the WellStar Medical Group; Urgent Care Centers; Acworth Health Park; Health Place; Homecare; Hospice; Atherton Place; Paulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; and the WellStar Foundation. For more information, call 770-956-STAR or visit wellstar.org.

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SOURCE WellStar Health System