Solving for Growth: WellStar Golisano Children’s Hospital Expands to Aid More Families
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – WellStar Golisano Children’s Hospital of Georgia is making significant progress on two major construction projects that will enhance mental health services and increase the capacity for pediatric intensive care.
The Kisner Foundation and Friends Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness is expected to open in June, just four months from now. This new facility represents a major step forward in addressing the growing need for mental health support among children in the community.
Construction on the mental health center began last April and is currently 75 percent complete. Dr. Valera Hudson, pediatrician-in-chief of WellStar Golisano Children’s Hospital of Georgia, expressed her gratitude for the support from the Kisner Foundation.
“We’re very grateful for that trust and initial investment on the Kisner’s part to work with us in trying to solve a very challenging, but important health care need for children in our community,” Hudson said.
Combined services under one roof
The new center will bring together behavioral health, neurology, and rehabilitation services in one location. This co-location is designed to improve the patient experience by consolidating services that are currently spread across the hospital campus.
“Creating this center with co-locating all of those services will provide a better experience for patients and families because it will allow them to get a variety of services in one location because right now the services are scattered across our campus,” Hudson explained.
Travis Burroughs, director of planning design and construction, noted that space constraints have required staff to be flexible during the construction process.
“Being tight on space, it has been a big effort with the staff here in terms of being flexible and being willing to move around to get the work performed without disturbing patient care,” Burroughs said.
ICU expansion adds eight beds
In addition to the mental health center, the hospital is also expanding its pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) by adding eight beds, bringing the total to 22. This expansion involves converting eight intermediate care rooms into ICU beds and is scheduled to be completed this spring.
Hudson emphasized the importance of this expansion, noting that the hospital sometimes has to transfer children when beds are full, which can add to the stress for families already dealing with intensive care situations.
“The trauma of having a child in the intensive care unit is only worsened by being moved to another location, and we only aspire to have the capacity to care for all the children who need us in this area to say yes, we have a bed,” Hudson said.
Both projects are funded by donors, including the Kisner Foundation. Burroughs highlighted the motivation behind the construction teams’ efforts.
“They’re never going to know our names or the role we play, but we are playing a role in changing the health of a lot of young people and improving their quality of life,” Burroughs said.
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