Piedmont Columbus Regional hospital leadership, board members, donors and community supporters cut the ribbon on the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital. The freestanding facility officially opens for patient care on Oct. 14.

The 30-bed, five-story facility in Columbus, Georgia expands Piedmont’s ability to provide high-quality care to children from birth to age 18 across west Georgia, east Alabama and the surrounding areas.

The $28 million price tag for the children’s hospital was mostly covered thanks to philanthropy.

“A generous donation from Bettye and Cecil Cheves, which was followed by an outpouring of community support, has made something that was once a dream now a reality in the heart of Columbus,” said Piedmont Columbus Regional Foundation Executive Director Aline Lasseter.

The hospital is named after Bettye Cheves’ parents, Bill and Olivia Amos. Bill, along with his brothers John and Paul, founded international insurance company Aflac. The Amos’ instilled in their children the importance of giving back to the community and caring for others.

“They would both be incredibly proud of this big day and what it means to families in the city they called home for so many years,” said Bettye and Cecil Cheves. “They loved children and family so much so it warms our heart that this children’s hospital is another piece of their legacy.”

A dedicated, pediatric-trained care team allows parents to take comfort in knowing their child is receiving quality care. Areas of specialty include pediatric surgery, pediatric intensive care, pediatric hospitalists, child life services, pediatric infusion services, pediatric endocrinology and pediatric neurology. Pediatric emergency services are provided at the nearby Midtown hospital.

“The Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital creates a destination pediatric healthcare facility for our region and brings multiple specialty programs and clinics under one roof,” said Piedmont Columbus Regional CEO Scott Hill. “We are blessed to have extraordinary local pediatricians and pediatric specialists that work within our facility and we are looking forward to growing in the future to address the ongoing needs of our community.”

Visit Piedmont.org/BillandOliviaAmosCH for more information on the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital.