Northeast Georgia Health System broke ground June 23 on a new hospital in Dahlonega, Ga. The project has been in the planning stages since 2019, when the previous hospital owner closed its doors.
NGHS president and CEO Carol Burrell said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project. "If things had gone according to the original plan, we’d be opening this year, not just breaking ground."
Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin provides around-the-clock emergency care to Lumpkin County, Ga., and surrounding communities. The hospital also provides inpatient care and supports imaging, lab, and pharmacy services. Plans call for the future 66,000-square-foot building to be home to:
- 16 private inpatient rooms.
- 10 state-of-the-art emergency treatment rooms, four dedicated observation rooms, a fast-track area, and a separate entrance and exit.
- Three operating rooms and one procedural suite to support orthopedics, sports medicine, general surgery and other services.
- Café and dining area.
The medical center is an economic driver for the county and surrounding areas. According to a study by the Georgia Hospital Association in 2020, the hospital employed about 150 people, and it supported more than 500 other jobs across the state, generating an overall economic impact of $66 million.