50 years serving Clayton County and the southern crescent communities and 5 years as a Prime Healthcare hospital
This year is very special for Southern Regional Medical Center, as the hospital celebrates 50 years of service to the Clayton County and southern crescent communities and 5 years as a member of the Prime Healthcare Foundation hospitals.
“What an incredible journey Southern Regional has been on over the years.” states Charlotte W. Dupré, the hospital’s President and CEO. “From a small community hospital that grew and expanded into our current licensed 331-bed, 52-acre campus with multiple buildings in Clayton County, our hospital has come a long way. A huge part of our continued success is the support of our parent company, Prime Healthcare. And I’ve been honored to be part of this journey, leading our hospital and turnaround initiatives for the past five years.”
Southern Regional opened its doors on April 19, 1971, as a small community hospital. Four years after opening, the increased demand for healthcare services brought Southern Regional to begin its first major construction project that would double the hospital’s capacity. Numerous additions followed:
- The Women’s Center which delivers approximately 2,500 babies a year and boasts a 30-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- a free-standing Child Care Center for employees’ children (re-opening in 2021)
- three Medical Professional Office Buildings – one attached to the main hospital and two behind the hospital
- a Central Energy Plant to provide for the hospital’s mechanical and energy needs
- a medical office building at Spivey Station in Jonesboro, and land to grow and expand
Then in 2016, the hospital faced it’s bleakest of days declaring bankruptcy and nearly closing. Quick action and calls from physicians at the hospital to Prime Healthcare led to the company’s purchase of Southern Regional. Prime leadership not only understood how important the hospital was to Clayton County and the surrounding communities but invested over $50 million back into the hospital which is part of Prime Healthcare’s mission to “Saving hospitals. Saving jobs. Saving lives.”
“Today, our hospital has improved in every way as a result of Prime Healthcare’s support. From new equipment; infrastructure repairs, expansions, and renovations; service line enhancements and additions; and streamlined processes all to best serve our patients,” adds Dupré.
There have been countless changes at Southern Regional over the past five years. A brief sampling of those include:
- 16-bed Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit
- Two completely renovated Cath Labs with top of the line Canon/Toshiba and GE equipment;
- Totally renovated Main Lobby, Outpatient Registration Lobby, Emergency Department Lobby/Waiting Area
- Totally renovated Emergency Department’s Main Patient Treatment Area
- All new LED exterior lighting
- All new patient beds and televisions
- HALO Bassinest® Swivel Sleepers to safely keep the baby close to mom throughout Mother/Baby Unit and new GE Wireless Fetal Monitoring System in Labor and Delivery
- All new GI Scopes – Olympus EVIS EXERA III video endoscopy system
- New 128-slice CT scanner and two new 64-slice CT scanners – one in the hospital and one at The Advanced Imaging Center at Spivey Station; new 3D Mammography; and new X-ray equipment
- New anesthesia machines and laparoscopy towers, and new Cysto Room
- and so much more.
Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 46 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states, providing over 2.6 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems with nearly 50,000 employees and physicians dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare. Southern Regional, is one of the fifteen hospitals that are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity.