NGMC Braselton: New 180,000-square-foot emergency department opens

BRASELTON, Ga. - Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton opened its expanded 180,000-square-foot emergency department on Saturday, doubling its capacity to treat patients across the region.

Braselton medical center expands

What we know:

Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton opened its expanded emergency department at 7 a.m. Saturday. The new space spans more than 180,000 square feet, doubling the size of the waiting room and the number of treatment rooms to care for patients across south Hall, Gwinnett, Jackson and Barrow counties. 

The project added 27 treatment rooms, including two trauma rooms, four resuscitation rooms, six behavioral health rooms and a dedicated stroke assessment room. The expansion also features an additional CT scan suite, four new operating rooms, a new ambulance bay, and a helipad with a direct route to trauma services. 

Regional health care demand

The backstory:

The hospital and its surrounding area have experienced extreme growth since the Braselton location opened in 2015. Officials said the previous emergency department was never intended to handle the volume of patients seen in recent years, forcing staff to provide care in cramped quarters. 

Over the years, the hospital has expanded to offer interventional cardiology, advanced surgical technology and a dedicated cancer treatment center. The broader health system operates more than 1,000 beds across its locations in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega and Demorest.

Regional care capacity

What we don't know:

Officials have not released total financial cost figures for the campus expansion project. Health system leaders have also not specified the exact number of additional medical staff hired to run the expanded space.