Grady to build freestanding ER in south Fulton County

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - What's now a field in Fulton County will soon be home to a new lifesaving resource for those south of Interstate 20.

Grady Memorial Hospital plans to build a freestanding emergency department in partnership with the county.

The department will be located in Union City and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts called the partnership the first step in "providing quality affordable, accessible healthcare to the residents of south Fulton County."

The new development is meant to help fill a gap and bring relief to what officials call a "healthcare desert."

The closures of Atlanta Medical Center and Atlanta Medical Center South left the area struggling to handle healthcare needs. Right now, those south of the city must travel up to 40 minutes for lifesaving treatment.

The site of the future emergency department.

"Union City is smack dab in the middle and decided geographically, that’s where that emergency department needed to be," said John Haupert, the president and CEO of Grady Health System.

The 20,000-square-foot ER will have 16 bays staffed by board-certified physicians, nurses and other clinicians ready to help with serious or life-threatening conditions.

The building will also offer imaging, lab services, a pharmacy, and more.

Funding for the campus will come from Fulton County and the federal government.

"The dream is and the need is for a freestanding hospital in south Fulton County, but this is a major step in the right direction," Pitts said.

The main difference between a freestanding ER and a hospital ER is what happens if the staff needs to admit you to the hospital. A hospital ER has direct access to inpatient admissions. At a freestanding ER, an ambulance or chopper will need to transport you to the hospital.

Construction on the freestanding emergency department is expected to begin this fall, with a projected opening date in 2026.