Cancer Treatment Centers of America Selects Site in GA for Proposed Hospital Serving Patients in Southeast

/PRNewswire/ -- Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) announced today that it has selected Newnan, Ga., as the site of a proposed cancer treatment hospital that will serve patients in the Southeast and provide 500 new jobs in metro Atlanta.

"I'm excited that CTCA will now be closer to home," said Valerie Yurchuk, a cancer patient who treated at CTCA. "I could have gone to any cancer treatment program in the nation, but I came to CTCA because of its unique, patient-centered approach."

CTCA President and CEO Steve Bonner said the company chose Georgia as a gateway to better serve cancer patients throughout the Southeast.

"We are pleased to propose a new cancer treatment facility in the Southeast and thrilled to select Coweta County, one of the most sought-after destinations in metro Atlanta and Georgia," said Bonner. "Cancer patients living in the Southeast will have easier access to the high-quality, individualized, comprehensive care for which CTCA is known."

CTCA expects the new facility to generate $500 million in economic activity over the first five years of operation. With more than two-thirds of its patients expected to come from outside the state of Georgia, patients and their families will contribute to the growth and vitality of the local economy. The proposed fully digital Georgia facility will mark the fifth CTCA hospital to offer cancer patients a fully integrated care model, which combines the best traditional medical care to treat the cancer with scientifically supported integrative therapies to help manage side effects, strengthen the immune system and improve each person's quality of life.

The company will now file a notice of intent to apply for a certificate of need with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), whose approval is necessary before CTCA can build and operate the facility. The Georgia hospital, if approved by DCH, will have 50 inpatient beds and more than 200,000 square feet.

"We're pleased to have CTCA here in Coweta County," said Bill Harrison, of the economic development authority. "They'll provide much-needed new jobs - and bring a vitally important service as well as hundreds of patients and family members to our region."

But more importantly, said Yurchuk, is proximity to the comprehensive care CTCA provides.

"CTCA didn't look at treating just my cancer, but looked at me as a whole person," she said. "My treatment plan was based on my individual needs. Everything was explained to me and I was the one making the decisions. That's the difference at CTCA - I was at the center of my care, from the very beginning."

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Piedmont Newnan Hospital Receives State Approval Of Certificate Of Need For New Hospital Facility

Piedmont Newnan Hospital has received approval on its Certificate of Need (CON) Application for a replacement hospital facility from the Georgia Department of Community Health, Division of Health Planning. The application was submitted in late January, and no opposition was filed against the application.

“We are so pleased and excited about this approval," said Michael Bass, president and CEO of Piedmont Newnan Hospital. “We know how anxious the community is for this new facility and appreciate the support of many who have helped in this process.”

“We plan to develop a technologically advanced, healing environment capable of adapting to the growing and ever-changing healthcare needs of the community,” Bass continued.

The facility will be located on approximately105 acres on Poplar Road near Interstate 85. The application defined a 362,376-square-foot, 136-bed hospital facility on nine floors to improve patient access and wayfinding; provide flexibility for changing clinical, technology and community needs; increase operational efficiencies; and accommodate future growth. Private, inpatient rooms will be adaptable to varying acuity needs of patients and will include 14 post-partum beds, 18 critical care beds and 104 general medical/surgical patient beds. The facility will feature 8 operating rooms and 23 patient rooms in the Emergency Department. The new hospital will be designed to provide an optimal setting for efficient, quality patient care.

The hospital will also utilize sustainable building strategies – such as energy efficiencies and water reuse and conservation technologies – in an effort to reduce future operating costs, provide a healthier work environment, and reduce the overall environmental impact of the project. It has been designed to comply with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

Designated green spaces and natural areas will serve to organize the overall campus and provide restorative spaces for patients, visitors and staff. These “green belts” will be used to facilitate wayfinding, extending from public parking to the lobby and along the public mall. The public mall will simplify access to many of the clinical services and destinations for patients and visitors, such as radiology, laboratory, cardiopulmonary and respiratory therapy services.

Phase I of the campus development includes the hospital as well as a support services building to house areas such as human resources, cardiac rehabilitation and education. Plans call for approximately 1,000 parking spaces to accommodate patients, visitors and staff.

Gregory A. Hurst, PNH board chairman and chief operating officer for Piedmont Healthcare, said, “We are appreciative of the State's review and approval of our application as we know how important this hospital is to the entire community. In addition, we value the community for its ongoing support of Piedmont Newnan Hospital during this transition time."

Project costs are $193,680,000. With regulatory approvals in place, construction will begin in October 2008, and the new hospital will open to serve the community by early 2011.

NEWNAN FIRE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES IN BURN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

February 3-9, 2008 is Burn Awareness Week, and the Newnan Fire Department has joined in the efforts with Shriners Hospitals for Children in using this week to kick-off a year-long campaign designed to help prevent gasoline burn injuries. Kids ages 13 and older are in the highest at risk group for gasoline and other flammable substances.

This year’s theme to the campaign is “Gasoline has only one use: to fuel an engine. Any other use is misuse.”

“We want to let the public know about the misuses of gasoline; especially our youth. The result could end up being fatal or a 3rd degree burn to the face and or body. This is a public awareness campaign and when someone in the community approached me about joining I did not hesitate. This is what the Newnan Fire Department is here for,” said Newnan Fire Chief Whitley.

Here are a few tips of what not to do with gasoline. Do not use near a barbecue grill or to start a fire. Do not siphon gasoline. Do not store in an unapproved container or in a house or vehicle. Do not store gasoline near a source of heat or sparks, such as a hot water heater, furnace, clothes dryer or any other appliance that uses a pilot light.

Most gasoline injuries are avoidable through proper use and storage of gasoline. The Newnan Fire Department will have coloring books, stickers and other educational material pertaining to Burn Awareness. For more information please contact the Newnan Fire Department at 770-253-1851 or log onto www.shrinershq.org.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children specializing in burns have treated more than 800 children since 2002 for acute burn injuries resulting from ignition of highly flammable materials such as gasoline. For more info please or log onto www.shrinershq.org.