Wellstar Health System Breaks Ground on New Emergency Department

Wellstar Health System broke ground this week on a new emergency department at one of its Metro Atlanta hospitals that will more than double current treatment bay capacity, addressing years of overcrowding that hospital officials say has led to lengthy wait times during peak hours.

The expanded department will include 85 treatment bays, up from the current 36, along with a dedicated fast-track wing for lower-acuity cases and an expanded behavioral health crisis unit. Hospital leadership says patient volume at the emergency department has grown nearly 32 percent over the past six years without a corresponding increase in physical capacity.

"We've been running an emergency department built for a hospital half our current size," said Wellstar's Chief Medical Officer for the facility. "Patients have been boarding in hallways during peak hours, which is stressful for them and for our staff. This expansion isn't a luxury, it's catching up to demand that already exists."

The $130 million project is being funded through hospital system bonds and a state healthcare infrastructure grant. Construction is expected to take approximately three years, with hospital officials planning to keep the existing emergency department fully operational throughout the build using a phased construction approach.

Wellstar Health System says the expansion is part of a broader capital investment plan that includes similar, smaller-scale emergency department upgrades at two of its other Metro Atlanta hospitals over the next five years.