It was a busy first quarter of Piedmont’s Fiscal Year 2024 at Piedmont Columbus Regional, with years of planning coming to fruition and nurturing the next generation of employees to continue providing patient-centered care to the community.

The Rehabilitation Hospital of Columbus officially opened with the first patient being admitted on Sept. 12. The 40-bed freestanding facility is an expansion of the joint venture partnership between Piedmont and Encompass Health. The joint venture also includes Encompass Health of Newnan, Rehabilitation Hospital of Henry, Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Phenix City and a hospital-in-hospital concept currently under construction inside Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. There are also plans for a future hospital in Athens.

The 29-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit that was at Piedmont Columbus Northside was converted into a Med/Surg unit for Surgical Services and Emergency Department patients.

"We have great things going on here to better serve our communities, including the opening of the new Piedmont Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital and construction starting on the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital," said Piedmont Columbus Regional CEO Scott Hill. "In addition, our Midtown hospital was designated a Primary Plus Stroke Center. “We are working hard to improve access and provide high-quality, patient-centered care close to home for the residents of the twenty-one counties we serve."

Construction on Phase I of the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital began in early August. The former Doctors Hospital facility is being converted into a 30-bed freestanding children’s hospital thanks to a generous donation from the Bettye and Cecil Cheves family. The hospital is projected to open in fall 2024. For more information on this project, visit Piedmont.org/BillandOliviaAmosCH.

Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown received three American Heart Association/American Stroke Association achievement awards for ensuring stroke and diabetes patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

“Our Midtown hospital is also designated a Primary Plus Stroke Center,” said Piedmont Columbus Regional Stroke Program Manager Alexis Smith. “We continue to meet specific scientific guidelines featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

The future is now as Piedmont Columbus Regional recently welcomed 70 new registered nurses into its nurse residency program, the largest group since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first group of paid student employees entered our workforce through a special program that launched in February 2023.

“The Transition to Practice Nurse Residency Program is an evidence-based 12-month program designed to foster committed nurses,” said Piedmont Columbus Regional Nurse Residency Program Coordinator Amalia Acevedo-Sanic. “The goal is to enhance the onboarding and residency experience of our new graduate nurses beyond just skill acquisition to address the variety of challenges in the transition from student nurse to competent, confident practitioner.”

The Piedmont Futures Program welcomed the first group of paid employees into the organization on Sept. 18. The 10 new employees will be working in Environmental Services, Nursing, Nutrition Services and Pharmacy.

“Just like across the nation, health care is in high demand in Columbus and offers a large number of job openings every year,” said Piedmont Columbus Regional Community Outreach Manager Melonese Close. “In partnership with the Muscogee County School District, the workforce development initiative hopes to encourage students to pursue careers within the healthcare arena.”

For more information on Piedmont Columbus Regional, visit piedmont.org/columbus.