Lobby at Children’s Hospital of Georgia getting a makeover

AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- Thursday, construction will begin to renovate the lobby at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. The Children’s Hospital was built in 1998 and hospital leaders say it hasn’t been updated since.

The lobby floor is cracked, the ceiling tiles are water stained and there is an old fountain in the corner that hasn’t worked in 15 years. The furniture is old and needs replacing as well.

The project will cost around $2 million and take around 6 months to complete. Crews will work to paint, replace the floor and ceiling tiles and remove that fountain.

Dr. Ralph Turner, President at Wellstar MCG, said the furniture will be replaced with something designed to keep people healthier.

“To limit the spread of infectious diseases, your furniture-can’t be ripped. It can’t be shredded. It can’t– it has to be one continuous cloth. And you buy furniture now that goes in the health care facilities that’s labeled as antimicrobial, meaning that disease material can’t get into the material. So, somebody else come along to sit on it, they won’t risk the opportunity to get infected.”

He added that it is well past time for the changes.

“That’s probably the most precious patient we take care of (children). And parents coming in and a high level anxiety. They don’t want to walk into an environment where they’re not feeling like they’re coming to get the best care. And I don’t think we quite represented that. So, our goal is to deliver world class health care to every person, every time and if you don’t start with the environment that you’re walking into, it can raise anxiety level even higher.”

Construction begins Thursday and they expect it to continue until next Spring.

The lobby, first floor elevator and traffic circle will be closed starting today until further notice.

Instructions for alternate entrance to CHOG and Chick-Fil-A are as follows:

For ease of access, please park in Medical Center Parking Deck 2 at 1461 Harper St.

• From the parking deck, enter the Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center through
  entrance F on Harper Street
• Take the F elevators to the second door.
• Follow signs to the Wellstar Children’s elevators to access patient doors.

Pharmacy Pick-up: Reserved parking for pharmacy pick-up will remain available.

• Enter the Wellstar Children’s parking deck on Harper Street at the ground level.
• Turn right.
• Signs designating the reserved spaces will be straight ahead along the sidewalk.

Chick-Fil-A Access-Chick-Fil-A will remain open and accessible during renovations.

• Enter Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center through the F entrance on Harper Street.
• Follow signs for Chick-Fil-A.

Blue Coat Ambassadors are always available to assist. Find a team member wearing a
blue blazer to answer any questions you have.

Photojournalist: Dania Alawir.

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