BRASELTON – Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Braselton opened for its very first day of operation at 7 a.m. on April 1 and promptly admitted the hospital's first two patients.
According to a press statement, NGMC Braselton’s first surgery patient, 51-year-old Lisa Baker, registered for surgery at 7 a.m. She underwent an advanced hip replacement surgery – called anterior approach hip replacement – that allows patients to walk again, and potentially go home, the same day. Charlie DeCook, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with The Longstreet Clinic, performed the successful procedure.
The first Emergency Department patient arrived via ambulance at 7:10 a.m. Hall County EMS transported Mary Forman after shefell at an assisted living community. She was examined by Todd Jordan, MD, an emergency medicine physician and medical director of NGMC Braselton’s Emergency Department. Forman underwent a CT scan, and she was treated and released around 8:45 a.m.
NGMC Braselton is the state's first net-new hospital in almost 20 years, according to hospital officials. The 100-bed facility has been in the works for the south Hall area for more than a decade.
At an open house on Sunday - and event the hospital said attracted close to 5,000 visitors - NGMC Braselton President Anthony Williamson said one of the features that most people in the area were excited about was the emergency room facilities.
"I've heard a lot of comments about just how nice it's going to be to have a hospital here with an emergency room that can take care of the community in their own neighborhood," said Williamson.
And even though everything is brand new at NGMC Braselton, hospital officials already are looking toward the future.
"We are 100 beds, but we are also going to be adding obstetrics, so we will be undergoing construction starting in May," said Williamson on Sunday. "We're adding a 10-bed labor/deliver, recovery and post-partum unit...and that will open around the end of 2016 or early '17."
“This is an exciting time for the people in south Hall, Barrow, Gwinnett and Jackson Counties and beyond,” said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System.
“And it’s already been a banner year for our Health System, with one hospital – NGMC Gainesville – rated #1 in the state and #2 in the nation, and now our second hospital opening its doors. We can’t wait to see what happens next.”
