Atrium Health Floyd expanding, rebranding
North Carolina-based Atrium Health announced a merger with Illinois based-Advocate Aurora Health last week, nearly a year after Atrium acquired three hospitals in the Floyd Healthcare system.
What does that mean locally? Not a whole lot.
Healthcare systems overall have been in the process of acquiring additional hospitals and merging with other systems over the past few years and Floyd County has certainly seen its share.
The rebranding effort since Atrium acquired Floyd, which includes Polk Medical Center, has been slowly working its way toward fruition. The ambulances have shifted toward the Atrium teal and new Atrium signs at Floyd are currently hidden under temporary Floyd Medical Center tarps on the hospital.
It’s not just Atrium. AdventHealth acquired Redmond Regional Medical Center during the same time period. Looking south, Piedmont picked up Cartersville Medical Center from HCA as well.
Looking forward, these changes appear to be the rule rather than the exception.
“The world of healthcare as we know it is changing at warp speed — and it is rapidly becoming more digital, personalized, scientific and complex,” said Eugene A. Woods, president and chief executive officer of Atrium Health.
The combined entity will be known as Advocate Health, with “Advocate Health and Atrium Health brands continuing to be used in their respective local markets.” That means once Floyd Medical Center’s rebranding is done, it will remain Atrium Health Floyd.
The overall picture means that the combined entities will cover Illinois, Wisconsin, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. A release stated Advocate Health will serve 5.5 million patients, operate more than 1,000 sites of care and 67 hospitals, employ more than 7,600 physicians and nearly 150,000 teammates, and have combined annual revenues of more than $27 billion.
ALL A’S
Other, fairly notable news this week concerning Floyd Medical Center was somewhat overshadowed with the announcement of the merger.
This week the Leapfrog Group awarded Floyd Medical Center and 12 other Atrium Health hospitals with top-rated “A” grades on its spring 2022 patient safety report card.
“This award is a testimony to the outstanding care and attention to detail that are hallmarks of Floyd Medical Center,” said Kurt Stuenkel, president and CEO of Atrium Health Floyd. “It is also appropriate that it is being announced during Nurses Week, since they play such a large role in our success.”
In addition, the hospital recently completed the helipad along Second Avenue. The $4 million project allows direct elevator access to the emergency department’s trauma bays as well as allows ambulances to pass and park beneath.
EXPANDING EMERGENCY SERVICES TO CHATTOOGA COUNTY
Atrium Health Floyd — the title for the management company over Floyd Medical Center, Polk Medical Center and Cherokee Medical Center — is also moving to provide emergency care to Chattooga County.
Chattooga County residents will have faster access to emergency care after Atrium Health Floyd opens a freestanding emergency department there. The Georgia Department of Community Health approved a Certificate of Need for the project, which will provide emergency care to residents of Summerville, Trion, Lyerly, Menlo and surrounding communities.
The facility will be located next to Walmart on U.S. 27.
“This will provide convenient and easy access to residents traveling from any point in the county,” a release stated. “The facility will provide emergency care services 24-7 and include six treatment rooms along with onsite laboratory and imaging services, including X-ray and a computed tomography scanner.”
The investment overall has a $18.4 million price tag and will create 44 jobs in Chattooga County.
Atrium Health operates seven free-standing emergency departments in North Carolina. Floyd has an option to purchase the 26 acres where the facility will be built.
“We are elated that the Department of Community Health has given us approval to proceed with this important rural health project, and we are grateful for the community support we have received,” Stuenkel said. “Blake Elsberry, Chattooga County’s sole commissioner, recognized the need for emergency care in his community and championed our CON. His voice, together with the voices of Summerville Mayor Harry Harvey and Trion’s former mayor Larry Stansell, along with others who wrote letters of support, helped us to communicate to the decision makers that the citizens of Chattooga County need and deserve 24/7 emergency care.”