Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center was a hospital in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

operated by

Wellstar Health System Wellstar Health System (formerly WellStar) is a non-profit system founded in 1993 providing comprehensive care in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It includes: * Center for Health Transformation * Spalding Regional Hospital * Sylvan Grove Hos ...

. It had 460 beds and over 700 physicians. The hospital was a

Level I Trauma Center A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emergenc ...

, and an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. It housed a Neurointensive Care Unit and a Level III

Neonatal ICU A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as kn ...

. It was formerly known as Georgia Baptist Hospital.

History

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...

1901, the pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Len G. Broughton

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

, created a small infirmary as a new program for his church, operating it out of a rented house. The Tabernacle Infirmary started with only five beds and Broughton as the only doctor, but quickly grew. By 1910 it had 75 beds and a staff of physicians and surgeons, and its own building on Luckie Street (adjacent to

The Tabernacle The Tabernacle is a mid-size concert hall located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Opening in 1911 as a church, the building was converted into a music venue in 1996. It is owned and managed by concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment and has a c ...

). Broughton also founded a Nurse Training School associated with the Infirmary. After Broughton left Atlanta for

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1912, the hospital suffered somewhat. It was sold to the

Georgia Baptist Convention The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is an association of Baptist churches in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Formed in 1822, it was one of the original nine state conve ...

for $85,000 in 1913 and was managed by Rev. James Long as Georgia Baptist Hospital. The Baptist organization was not enthusiastic at first about running a hospital but Long overcame that and the business was self-sufficient by 1916. In 1921 the hospital purchased the former Levi B. Nelson home site at Boulevard and East Avenue (which was destroyed in the

Great Atlanta fire of 1917 The Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 began just after noon on 21 May 1917 in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, Georgia. It is unclear just how the fire started, but it was fueled by hot temperatures and strong winds which propelled the fire. The fire, ...

), which is the present location east of

downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county, s ...

. The hospital moved from its former Luckie Street location to here late in 1921. A building program was undertaken starting in 1948 to expand the hospital. In 1956, office space for medical professionals was added. In 1981,

air ambulance Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and cri ...

service was initiated via heliport. On September 5, 1997, the hospital was sold to

Tenet Healthcare Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a for-profit multinational healthcare services company based in Dallas, Texas, United States. Through its brands, subsidiaries, joint ventures, and partnerships, including United Surgical Partners International (U ...

and was subsequently renamed Atlanta Medical Center. Effective March 31, 2016, the hospital was sold to

along with four other Atlanta-area hospitals. On August 31, 2022, Wellstar Health System announced that Atlanta Medical Center was expected to end operations on November 1, 2022. Atlanta Medical Center permanently closed at 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2022.

References

External links

Official Web Site
{{authority control Hospitals in Atlanta Defunct hospitals in the United States Hospital buildings completed in 1921 Hospitals established in 1901 Old Fourth Ward Trauma centers Hospitals disestablished in 2022