Piedmont Fayette Hospital is looking to expand by adding a two-story section on the hospital’s east side. The addition will increase space in the Emergency Department (ED) and add 30 private rooms. Perhaps as significant as the hospital’s presence in Fayette County’s past is Piedmont Fayette’s intention to continue to be a viable participant in Fayette’s future.
Piedmont Fayette CEO Michael Burnett said the addition would add a total of 62,000 sq. ft. to accommodate ongoing needs both in the Emergency Dept. and with the hospital’s ability to provide more patient rooms.
Burnett said Piedmont Fayette has submitted a Certificate of Need (CON) for the nearly $22 million expansion and hopes to receive approval in early 2015.
“We don’t expect any issues from the state’s standpoint,” Burnett said. “We expect to break ground in February and open in May 2016.”
Burnett said the expansion on the facility’s east side will extend the ED and add 18 bays on the ground floor and add 30 hospital private inpatient beds on the second floor. The hospital currently operates 172 licensed beds.
Piedmont Fayette currently operates a total of 491,994 sq. ft. of hospital and office space situated on 67.79 acres. The hospital alone totals 380,803 sq. ft.
The 61,187 ED visits seen in FY 2014 is a far cry from more than a decade and a half ago when, in 1997, the ED saw 14,490 patients.
The hospital’s work with micro-preemies, babies born prior to 26 weeks gestation, will get a boost when an expansion in the neonatal intensive care unit is complete in December. The unit will expand from 15 beds to 20 beds.
Commenting on the upcoming interface with Ga. Military College when its new Fayetteville campus a short distance away opens in August 2015, Burnett said, “We’re really impressed with them. We’ve talked with them about how to partner with things like workforce development.”
Additionally, Burnett said Piedmont Fayette entertains the idea of speaking with other schools that may populate the West Fayetteville area as it continues to expand in the coming years.
Piedmont Fayette has made significant contributions to Fayette County since its opening, both as a medical services provider and an employer. Yet Burnett sees the future as something that can bring the hospital and its services into an area of greater significance.
“We’ve worked with developers and property owners as different plans for the area have evolved over the years. And we will continue to do that into the future,” said Burnett. “We’re a community partner. We have grown with Fayette County and we will continue to grow with Fayette into the future.”
