ATLANTA – Sunday marked a significant milestone for pediatric health care in the Atlanta area as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta transferred 202 patients from its Egleston campus to the newly opened Arthur M. Blank Hospital. The state-of-the-art facility off I-85 at North Druid Hills Road has been in the works for more than four years and officially opened Sunday.

Construction of the 19-story building, which spans 70 acres, began in February 2020 following the implosion of an old hotel that previously stood on the site. The hospital, which will care for the region’s youngest and most vulnerable patients, was made possible by the largest donation in the hospital’s history – $200 million from its namesake Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons.

“This hospital is 10 times larger than the Egleston campus and we desperately needed more capacity,” said a Children’s Healthcare representative. “There used to be many days when we had no available beds, but now the new hospital has 446 beds, 116 more than the Egleston campus.”

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The move, which was completed around 7 p.m., required 65 ambulances and even a helicopter to safely transport patients from the old facility to the new one.

Given the massive transfer effort, authorities warned drivers in the area to expect delays, particularly on Uppergate Drive, Starvine Way, Clairmont Road and the I-85 frontage road. Commuters were advised to take alternative routes to avoid traffic jams.

Fortunately, weather conditions did not impact the transfer, making for a smoother process as Atlanta’s tiniest patients settled into their new home at Arthur M. Blank Hospital.

Eight-year-old Brithany Morales was the first patient to be moved into a room.

The new hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology, ensuring it can provide state-of-the-art care for Metro Atlanta’s youngest residents.