Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta made history yesterday when it moved 202 patients from Egleston Hospital to the new Arthur M. Blank Hospital in fewer than 12 hours, culminating one of the largest single-day pediatric hospital moves in the country. Egleston Emergency Department is now closed, and all clinical services have been moved to Arthur M. Blank Hospital. The 19-story, 2-million-square-foot facility with 446 beds expands Children’s ability to provide advanced pediatric care to children across Georgia and the Southeast.

Children’s kicked off the historic weekend with a private ribbon-cutting ceremony at Arthur M. Blank Hospital on September 27. The celebration date was specifically chosen to take place on Mr. Blank’s birthday and included special guests and family of Arthur Blank and Children’s Honorary Construction Managers, who have been the face of the four-year construction project.

The official hospital move began on September 29, when 8-year-old Brithany Morales who is awaiting a kidney transplant, was the first patient to be admitted to Arthur M. Blank Hospital.

In total, Children’s moved 202 patients, using 65 ambulances. The transport of patients relied on coordination with more than 15 state and local agencies, including Georgia State Patrol and the following four police departments that helped along the move route: Brookhaven Police, DeKalb County Police, Emory Police and Sandy Springs Police. Religious organizations along the move route held virtual services throughout the weekend to help ensure the safe transport of all patients.

Additionally, child life specialists, hospital chaplains and interpretive services, along with an approximate 1,000 support staff volunteers, were on-site at the hospitals to assist with patient family needs and ensure a smooth transition of all clinical services.

Designed with the comfort and security of patients and families in mind, the new hospital offers larger, private rooms, washers and dryers, family lounges and kitchenettes on every floor as well as 20 acres of green space easily accessible and visible from patient rooms to promote mental and physical wellbeing. Additionally, clinicians and support staff will utilize state-of-the-art technology to provide the best care possible.

As the only dedicated Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in Georgia, the Arthur M. Blank Emergency Department will operate 24/7 to provide the highest quality trauma care. The facility will also house the Marcus Center for Cellular Therapy, a good manufacturing practices (GMP) lab. This will enable Children's to manufacture cells for cutting edge treatments and therapies in-house which is a gamechanger for patients who previously had to wait for cells to be delivered from other pediatric centers. In fact, Arthur M. Blank Hospital will be one of the only pediatric hospitals in the nation to have a GMP lab that supports cell therapy outside of just cancer.

“The opening of Arthur M. Blank Hospital is a giant leap forward for Georgia’s kids, offering a beacon of hope for patients and their families,” said Donna Hyland, Chief Executive Officer at Children’s. “We needed a pediatric healthcare campus that could give every child in Georgia access to the care they deserve. It wasn’t easy, and the asks were big. But this community, led by Arthur Blank and our Board of Trustees, didn’t shy away.”

Arthur M. Blank Hospital is expected to bring up to 4,500 additional workers to the North Druid Hills campus, which employs a total of more than 8,000. Many of these employees will transfer from Egleston Hospital, but around 1,000 of these workers will fill newly-created positions. Spanning 76 acres, the North Druid Hills campus also includes the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, the Children’s Support Center. Arthur M. Blank Hospital is conveniently located at the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and Interstate 85 in Brookhaven.