Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Looks to Expand
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is asking the state for permission to proceed with a nearly $19 million dollar expansion at its Scottish Rite and Egleston locations.
Before proceeding with the expansion, the health care system has asked the Georgia Department of Community Health for what’s called a letter of determination. The letter would allow Children’s to add 23 beds to each facility. David Tatum is vice president of Government and Community Relations for the health care system. He says the expansion is needed because between February of last year to this March, Children’s reached 79 percent capacity.
“The metropolitan Atlanta area continues to grow and we continue to see greater demand and frankly we’re full and we need to expand.”
Tatum says when a children’s hospital reaches 80 percent capacity it’s actually full because there are different numbers of children being treated on different days. He says if more beds are not added, it could potentially lead to waiting lists for admission on certain days. The state is expected to give its answer about the expansion in less than 60 days.