Piedmont Fayette Hospital opened its doors on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997. It was the culmination of over a decade of persistence and hard work from engaged community members, local officials and interested parties.
The two-story, 57-bed facility opened with fewer than 200 employees and more than 250 volunteers. There were some who questioned the need for a hospital in Fayette County and wondered if the facility would ever have enough business to survive.
Above, the first employees of Fayette Community Hospital in 1997. Photo/Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
On Monday. Sept. 18, 2017, a day after the official anniversary, the hospital celebrated 20 years as an integral part of the community. Piedmont Fayette now has over 1,700 employees, a campus that includes two patient towers with five floors each, and a tremendous economic impact on Fayette County and the state.
In the most recent report from the Georgia Hospital Association, Piedmont Fayette generated more than $203 million in revenue for the local and state economy in 2015 and provided more than $16 million in uncompensated care while sustaining 3,003 full-time jobs throughout the county and state.
While the importance of the economic impact of the hospital cannot be overstated, the citizens of Fayette County would likely argue that the far more important impact is on the services that Piedmont Fayette provides. While the hospital was growing in size, it also grew in scope.
Piedmont Fayette now offers comprehensive cancer care, where everything from imaging, treatment and wellness is offered under one roof. The hospital’s cardiovascular services now include an electrophysiology program, a third catheterization lab and award-winning services for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treatment.
Perhaps the largest, and certainly the cutest, addition to the hospital was when they added maternity services in 2006. Local families could now have their babies in their community and, should it be necessary, also have access to a Level III neonatal intensive care unit.
Piedmont Fayette brought world-class healthcare to Fayette County and they continue to aspire to greater things.
“We’re proud of everything we have accomplished in the last 20 years, including being named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades for the last three years and being named the Large Hospital of the Year last year by the Georgia Association of Community Hospitals, but we’re even more proud of our focus on ensuring that high quality, world class healthcare is closer to home for our patients,” said Piedmont Fayette CEO Michael Burnett.
“Last year, Piedmont Healthcare put our purpose into words that truly resonate with me and the rest of the staff at this hospital; To make a positive difference in every life we touch. I hope that we have made a positive difference in the lives the people we serve in the Fayette communities in the last 20 years. I know that they have made a positive difference in ours,” Burnett said.
For more information on Piedmont Fayette Hospital, visit piedmont.org.
