‘Full gut renovation’ of flooded Grady Hospital floors underway

The Dec. 7 burst pipe that flooded the 4th, 5th and 6th floors of busy Grady Hospital in Downtown will require a “full gut renovation” expected to last until October.

Grady officials announced Jan. 13 that it had hoped to have repairs completed in just a few months, but an assessment of the damage revealed that a much larger renovation would be necessary.

The statement reads in part: “As Grady continued assessing the damage, with the numerous consultants involved, including the state fire marshal and the City of Atlanta, it became clear that the scope of the remediation and repair project was significantly greater than originally assessed. These assessments led all parties involved to conclude that the most effective and efficient process for remediation and repair necessitates “full gut renovation.” This means the patient care areas adversely affected will be totally demolished and reconstructed. As a result, it is now anticipated that the total restoration project will be completed in October of this year.”

Grady is accepting EMS trauma, stroke, STEMI, burn, and behavioral health patients, as well as medicine patients, which may require a periodic diversions to other hospitals.

The hospital is currently handling approximately 80 percent of the number of ambulance transports it cared for prior to the burst pipe. A 30-bed mobile hospital brought in from North Carolina has helped Grady expand its emergency room capacity and increase the number of medicine patients transported there via ambulance.

The hospital has worked out agreements with other area hospitals as well, per the statement:

“Since the event, we have worked with other metro Atlanta hospitals on an ongoing basis to care for some patients we have not been able to accommodate. We are pleased to announce we have formalized arrangements with Emory Healthcare who is making patient care spaces available at two of its hospitals. Beginning Jan, 13, Emory Decatur Hospital will assist with obstetrics patients. Additionally, Grady will transfer approximately 30 inpatients to Emory Hillandale Hospital. This partnership allows Grady to continue providing the highest level of trauma, stroke, burn, behavioral health, and other specialty care the community depends on, as we undertake the renovations that will bring the hospital back to full service.”