ATLANTA — As Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital nears completion, WSP today congratulated Children’s on achieving the critical milestone of certificate of occupancy.
Though the hospital will not officially open until Sept. 29, 2024, the certificate of occupancy enables Children’s to begin installing equipment and training staff. A leading engineering, environment and professional services consultancy, WSP was honored to play a role in key elements of the 19-story, two million-square-foot facility, designed to provide specialized care that can improve outcomes for children from across the state of Georgia.
Part of an expanded North Druid Hills campus, the pediatric space incorporates innovations that will serve the immediate needs of patients and their families while anticipating tomorrow’s healthcare challenges. The 446-bed facility will house 19 general operating rooms, the Heart Center and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, an inpatient dialysis unit, transplant services, infusion center, emergency department, outpatient lab and radiology, in addition to a Special Care Unit for the treatment of patients with highly infectious diseases.
“It has been a privilege to help one of the top children’s hospitals in the country quite literally lay the foundation for its next hundred years,” said Douglas Lacy, PE, senior vice president and senior director Property and Buildings at WSP. “We have been inspired by patients and staff to create inviting and innovative spaces that better enable parents and caregivers to comfortably stay with their child throughout the entire care journey. We hope kids will feel like kids in the specially designed play spaces, libraries, child life and school support spaces – while adults should know that the care environment provided for their loved one is world-class.”
The new Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant cell and gene therapy facility at Arthur M. Blank Hospital offers pediatric patients biologic drug products (cell therapies) as innovative treatment options for medically unmet needs. This facility will support a shorter time to treatment for the patients as it is a point-of-care facility. Notably, the manufacturing facility provides cell and gene therapy products for treatment of many childhood diseases. This premier facility includes multiple pre-manufactured clean rooms designed to meet the high standards required for ISO 5, ISO 7 and ISO 8 environments. The GMP compliant facility upholds stringent Quality Management protocols to help ensure the quality and safety of all manufacture cell and gene therapy products. In addition, the facility counts with a fully equipped analytical laboratory to test the critical quality attributes (safety, identity, purity and potency) of their manufacture biologic drug products.
About WSP in the U.S.
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering, environment and professional services firms. Recognized in 2023 on TIME’s list of the world’s best companies and Fortune’s Change the World list, WSP is driving social impact and commitment to ESG. WSP in the U.S. brings together engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals who are dedicated to collaborate in the best interests of serving local communities. WSP designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With approximately 14,000 employees in 300 offices across the U.S., WSP partners with its clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
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