Grady confirms plans to build new south Fulton hospital, CEO to retire
Grady Health System announced on Wednesday plans to build a medical center campus in Union City, a complex that addresses a hospital desert that has existed for years in south Fulton County.
Grady is partnering with Fulton County to add a more than $1 billion hospital facility to Union City, designed to fill a gap in health care after Wellstar Health System closed two hospitals in the county in 2022.
Grady will build the campus near a standalone emergency room being constructed on Campbellton Fairburn Road. The campus will include a 200-bed acute care hospital with critical care services, a new medical office building with imaging services, a surgery center and rehabilitation facilities. A floor of the medical office building will be dedicated for pediatric care though Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Fulton County Commissioners voted to approve planning and predevelopment activities for the campus on Wednesday.
The campus will open in phases, beginning with a new medical office building scheduled to open in 2028. The acute care hospital is expected to open in 2031, which Grady anticipates will serve as a Level 3 verified trauma center. The ER will be integrated into the hospital.
The Morehouse School of Medicine, which helped conduct a study in 2023 that identified a health care desert in central and south Fulton, also confirmed students will receive clinical training at the new facility.
Funding for the project will include $300 million in bond financing from Fulton, along with contributions from Grady and philanthropy, according to a news release.
“We are proud of this latest partnership with Grady,” Fulton Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said in the release. “South Fulton County is both a rapidly growing community and a recognized health care desert. For the people of South Fulton, improved access to health care is not a luxury, it is a necessity. No longer will families be forced to travel long distances or lose critical time seeking emergency or basic medical services. Closing this gap will save lives.”
A spokesperson for the city of Atlanta told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday the hospital plan under county consideration is not connected to a proposed $800 million health venture dubbed “Project Robin,” about which little is known. The AJC reported in October the city has considered a plan to put $115 million of Beltline tax allocation district revenue toward that project.
Grady said demands for its services continue to grow. In 2022, Wellstar closed Atlanta Medical Center in Old Fourth Ward and Atlanta Medical Center-South in East Point.
“At Grady, world-class care extends far beyond our hospital walls,” John Haupert, Grady president and CEO, said in the release. “For generations, we have been a cornerstone of Atlanta’s health care system by strengthening the region’s infrastructure, advancing economic stability, and empowering communities to not just survive, but thrive.”
Longtime Grady leader to retire
During Wednesday’s commission meeting, Haupert announced his plans to retire at the end of the year, bringing a 15-year tenure at the helm of the hospital system to an end.
Anthony Saul, who now serves as president and chief operating officer, will succeed Haupert in January. Saul joined Grady more than seven years ago as chief financial officer, and brings with him more than 25 years of experience leading health systems.
Saul will assume the role during a period of expansion for Grady, which consists of the 953-bed Grady Memorial Hospital; 10 neighborhood health centers; Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding; the Correll Pavilion outpatient specialty care center; and Crestview Health & Rehabilitation Center.
Haupert has worked in health care administration for more than 20 years. He began his role at Grady Health System in October 2011, a turbulent period for the Atlanta hospital system brought on by local and federal funding cuts.
In the news release, Larry Gellerstedt, chair of the Board of Directors of Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, said Anthony is the right leader for Grady as it prepares for the future.
“Anthony’s experience, values, and vision align squarely with where Grady is headed, and we are confident in his ability to lead the organization through its next phase of growth while preserving the mission that has defined Grady since 1892,” Gellerstedt said in the release.
As part of the transition, Haupert will serve Grady in an advisory role through 2027.
— Staff writer Jason Armesto contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comment from Morehouse School of Medicine.
Correction
This story has been updated to show that Grady Health System will be working in partnership with Fulton County.
About the Author
Savannah Sicurella is an entertainment business reporter with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
