Atrium Health Floyd’s new stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County – the first of its kind to be built from the ground up in the state of Georgia – opened Monday morning at 7 a.m.
The Atrium Health Floyd Chattooga Emergency Department, a facility of Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, will fill a crucial need for emergency care in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Board-certified physicians specializing in emergency medicine or family medicine will staff the emergency department 24/7, providing the same level of care found at all Atrium Health Floyd emergency facilities.
“This is a significant milestone in Chattooga County and the region’s history,” said Kurt Stuenkel, Atrium Health Floyd president. “This stand-alone emergency department is the first of its kind in the state. Atrium Health Floyd is proud to be the leader in expanding access to quality health care in rural communities. We will improve health, elevate hope and advance healing with this new stand-alone emergency department. We will save lives.”
The $18.4 million emergency department will serve residents in Chattooga County and portions of Walker County and northeast Alabama. It features six treatment rooms, an onsite laboratory and imaging services, including X-ray and computed tomography.
An on-site helipad can provide quick access to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, the only ACS-verified, Level II Trauma Center in northwest Georgia.
A second Atrium Health Floyd Mobile Mammography Coach eventually will be headquartered at the 10,884-square-foot site to ensure more women have convenient access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings.
“I want to thank Kurt and the entire team for the great work they have done to get this project completed. They have gone above and beyond expectations,” said Blake Elsberry, sole commissioner of Chattooga County. “I also want to thank the legislators, supporters and all the people who worked behind the scenes to make this happen.
“This is an innovative project, and it is going to save lives. It will be a blueprint for other communities in rural Georgia and is a testament to what can be done when strong partners come together to solve a problem in the community.”
The Chattooga Emergency Department is an important addition to the emergency and trauma care Atrium Health Floyd already provides.
Award-winning Atrium Health Floyd Emergency Medical Services, which began in 1966, provides emergency ambulance and non-emergency transport services to residents of Floyd and Chattooga counties in Georgia and Cherokee County in Alabama.
Floyd Medical Center is also the Region C Coordinating Hospital for Health Care Preparedness. In this role, the hospital spearheads regionwide initiatives when responding to health care-related crises. Region C includes the counties of Bartow, Carroll, Chattooga, Coweta, Floyd, Haralson, Heard and Polk.
The Chattooga Emergency Department, located on U.S. 27 North in Trion, features modules that were pre-assembled by Bessemer, Ala.-based BLOX. The modular units that make up the facility began arriving on-site in Chattooga County during the first week of May. This type of construction accelerated construction time, allowing the facility to open much sooner than possible with more traditional builds.
In September 2022, Atrium Health Floyd EMS became the official ambulance service provider in Chattooga County, positioning five ambulances across the county with 35 teammates. The service represents more than a $1 million investment in new vehicles and equipment.
