Piedmont has recently made a press release announcing their April 3 opening date.

After numerous delays and obstacles Piedmont is ready to open its doors for Gilmer County care. Along with their announcement, Piedmont offered the following release.

Piedmont Mountainside Hospital today announced the opening of Georgia’s first freestanding emergency room. The ER opens on April 3 in a space previously occupied by North Georgia Medical Center, which closed in June 2016 due to financial hardships.

“It is imperative patients have access to emergency care, especially for life-threatening conditions like heart attack or stroke where every minute matters,” Denise Ray, CEO of Piedmont Mountainside, said. “That’s why this agreement is so important for the community. With the nearest hospital 20-30 minutes away, the health and well-being of many depend on it.”

The freestanding ER, publicly known as Piedmont Mountainside Emergency Services at Ellijay, will house emergent medical equipment, including a 64 Slice-CT scanner, X-ray, and pharmacy and laboratory equipment. Piedmont Mountainside has hired an additional 35 employees to support the location, including nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and radiology and lab technicians.

“Without a nearby hospital, Gilmer County residents were left completely without immediate medical care,” added Ray. “As a community-focused hospital, Piedmont Mountainside recognized their immediate need and acted. We are proud to expand our services in Gilmer County and will strive to deliver the same level of patient-centered care expected of the Piedmont name.”

Freestanding emergency departments operate as an extension of an ER in a hospital, providing 24-hour access to emergency physicians, nurses, labs and radiology technicians. They offer similar services as emergency rooms attached to the hospital, like moderate-complexity blood testing and advanced imaging, and they care for most emergent illnesses (heart attack, stroke and minor trauma).

Patients requiring admission or transfer will follow the same process as they would if they were entering Piedmont Mountainside Hospital’s emergency room in Jasper. For more information, visit piedmont.org.