Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital

In 1952, the Hughes Spalding Pavilion officially opened as a private hospital for black and African-American patients. After numerous transformations, the Hughes Spalding Pavilion shut its doors in 1989. The facilities re-opened in 1992 as Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital, an 82-bed, freestanding facility dedicated to serving Atlanta’s inner-city pediatric population.

Today as part of an agreement between Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and by Grady Health System who owns Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital, Hughes Spalding managed by HSOC Inc., an affiliate of Children's. For now Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital name has changed to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding.^[1]

It is now a part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

History

Hughes Spalding Pavilion

In 1952, the Hughes Spalding Pavilion officially opened as a private hospital for wealthy black and African-American patients. Then in 1964 Asa Yancey, M.D., Chief of Surgery at Hughes Spalding, developed the first accredited surgical training program for African-American physicians in Georgia and Alabama. Dr. Yancey later served as Medical Director of Hughes Spalding from 1972 to 1989.

In the 1980s Hughes Spalding began to see drop in its number of patients. At the same time Hughes Spalding's neighboring hospital Grady Memorial Hospital began seeing a increase in the number of patients especially children. With Grady Memorial Hospital's increasing numbers of patients the hospital become more and more unequipped to take care of its pediatric patients among its large number of adult patients.

Grady Memorial Hospital a public hospital funded through local county taxes and donations, sees some of the largest number of uninsured patient in the Atlanta, Georgia. Grady did not want the added burden of incises expenses of running pediatric unit since it was already beginning to have problems finding the money to cover the increasing number of uninsured adult patients. Hughes Spalding Pavilion's number of patients had dropped, the hospital figured if their number of patient looses continued in the future they would face having to closure.

In 1989 Grady Memorial Hospital and Hughes Spalding Pavilion came together to find ways to solve both hospitals’ problems. The solution was Grady Health System. Grady Memorial Hospital would take over the operations of Hughes Spalding Pavilion. Hughes Spalding Pavilion would no long face permanent closure but would only close for a short time to be converted into a children's hospital, taking on the responsibility of Grady's pediatric patients.^[2]

Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital

In 1992 after three years of being closed the Hughes Spalding facilities reopened as Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital—an 82-bed, freestanding facility featuring Georgia's only Poison Center and hospital-based dental service.

After serving large numbers of pediatric patients who seem to be behind in their educational development Hughes Spalding 1994 launched the Ready-Set-Read program. This program educated parents to the importance of reading to their children early and often and provided free books to children 6 months to 5 years old who visited Hughes Spalding pediatric clinics.

In 1998 with increased number of patients with Cerebral Palsy Hugh Spalding opines a cerebral palsy clinic to meet the specialized need of those patients. Also Ready-Set-Read program that year was recognized by the state which has made a significant improvement to the well-being of Georgia’s children by contributing to school readiness and enhancing the opportunity for academic success.

During the year of 2002 Hugh Spalding opens an autism clinic as a response to its growing number of patients diagnosed with autism. Also that year the hospital implements a computerized tracking system designed to send checkup reminders to parents and ease the appointment setting process. This system improved well-child visits by more than 20 percent.

Launched in 2004 'Focus on 4 is a literacy program was designed to help 4-year-olds with mild learning or language difficulties to better prepare for preschool.

Prier to 2004 The Grady Health System and Grady Memorial Hospital serves a large proportion of low-income patients. The hospital is supported almost entirely by Fulton and DeKalb counties, with little help from the suburbs or state, despite serving all of metro Atlanta's several counties. Grady Health System unable find the money to cover their operating expenses.^[3]

As part of cost cutting solution to the money deficient Hugh Spalding had closed its Intensive care unit, sending pediatric patients who need intensive care to other area children's hospitals. With Hugh Spalding's intensive care unit closed the remainder of the pediatric intensive care units become over crowded. Before being closed Hugh Spalding's Intensive care unit saw the largest number of patient out of all Atlanta’s children’s hospitals. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta who operated Scottish Rite and Egleston, Atlanta, the areas other children's hospitals became concerned about the over crowding of its pediatric intensive care units.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding

During 2004 Children's Healthcare of Atlanta approaches Grady Health System the operator of Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital about the their concerns over Atlanta’s growing pediatric population and the gradually dwindling services at Hughes Spalding. Grady Health System concerned about the fate of Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital future entered into negotiations with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. As a result of the negotiations Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Grady Health System jointly announced the evaluation of a plan for Children’s to provide pediatric services at Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital.

The following year of 2005 a An anonymous donor made an $18 million challenge grant to The Campaign for Children's Healthcare toward the Hughes Spalding initiative. The next year 2006, after much discussion and agreements with Children's Healthcare, Grady Health System relinquishes all operations and oversight of Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital to Children's Healthcare as part of a restructuring plan to solve their money crises problems. With Children's Healthcare agrees to the total takeover of Hugh Spalding, Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital becoming the third hospital in the Children's Healthcare network beginning in February of that year.^[4][2]

Timeline history

• 1952 - Officially opened as a private hospital for paying African-American adult patients.
• 1964 - Asa Yancey, M.D., Chief of Surgery, developed the first accredited surgical training program for African-American physicians in Georgia and Alabama.
• 1989 - Hughes Spalding Pavilion temporarily shut its doors for renovation.
• 1992 - The Hughes Spalding facilities reopened as Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital
• 1994 - The The Ready-Set-Read program launched
• 1998 - The cerebral palsy clinic is opened
• 2002 - The autism clinic opens
• 2002 - A multicultural pediatric clinic is opened
• 2003 - Focus on 4 literacy program is launched
• 2004 - Emergency department awarded the Five Star Patient Satisfaction Award by Professional Research Consultants (PRC)
• 2004 - Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Grady Health System form a partnership to improve services at Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital.
• 2005 - $18 million grant giving by a anonymous donor to The Campaign for Children’s toward the Hughes Spalding initiative.
• 2006 - Children's and Grady Health System jointly announce Children's total takeover of Hughes Spalding
• 2008 - Children's Healthcare breaks ground on new facility at Hughes Spalding
• 2010 - New facility at Hughes Spalding opened becoming first hospital in Georgia to achieve LEED Gold status.^[2][5]

References

External links

• Grady Health Systen
• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta