Grady to Build Freestanding Emergency Department in South Fulton County

The 20,000-square-foot facility will bring emergency care to communities south of I-20

As part of its ongoing mission to meet the growing need for emergency services in metro Atlanta, Grady Health System will build a freestanding emergency department in south Fulton County. This freestanding emergency department, built in partnership with Fulton County, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and fully staffed by board-certified physicians, nurses, and other clinicians.

Grady's freestanding emergency department will be south of I-20 in Union City. The community in south Fulton County continues to experience an increased demand for access to health care following the closure of Wellstar's Atlanta Medical Center South and Atlanta Medical Center. In 2023, Grady treated nearly 138,000 patients in its emergency department at its main campus in downtown Atlanta.

"As metro Atlanta's population grows, so does the need for medical care, specifically emergency care in South Fulton," said John Haupert, Grady's president and CEO. "The freestanding emergency department will allow us to serve this community by bringing exceptional care to patients right where they live. The residents in this area deserve the same level of quality care available in other areas, and Grady is proud to take this major step toward fulfilling that need."

The 20,000-square-foot emergency department will have 16 bays and provide care to adult and pediatric patients who need emergency care for serious injuries or life-threatening conditions. The facility will include imaging and laboratory services, a pharmacy, and patient and staff support areas. It will also feature a dedicated ambulance entrance for patients brought in by emergency medical services. A helipad will be on-site for flight transfers to area hospitals.

Currently, residents in South Fulton must travel up to 40 minutes to receive emergency care. The freestanding emergency department is Grady's latest investment in meeting the needs of this community. A new Grady outpatient center opened on Cascade Road in July 2023. Another will open this summer at Lee + White, a mixed-use development in Atlanta's West End. Both locations are south of I-20.

Funding for the freestanding emergency department is a combination of financial support from Fulton County and federal funding secured by Grady to increase access to health care.

"Everyone in Fulton County deserves access to health care, and no one should die early because of their ZIP code. We are pleased to see Grady is taking action to address the healthcare desert in South Fulton," said Chairman Robb Pitts, Fulton County Board of Commissioners. "We look forward to seeing this facility get started so it can begin serving the community in the near future."

Pending certificate of need approval, construction on the freestanding emergency department is expected to begin in the fall of 2024, with a projected opening date in 2026.

For a complete list of Grady's locations, visit https://www.gradyhealth.org/locations/.