DPR Construction recently celebrated the completion of Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center’s new patient tower with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The six-story ICU Tower is the newest addition to the healthcare provider’s medical campus in Athens, Georgia.

“At DPR, we believe our people and projects can change the world. This new tower will absolutely change patient experiences and health outcomes in the Athens community for generations to come,” said Brandon Scott, a DPR Project Executive.

The multi-year phased project included a vertical expansion adding a new patient floor in the hospital’s existing Prince 2 Tower, multiple interior renovations to add patient bed units, the demolition of an existing bed tower and the construction of the new 229,000-sq.-ft. patient tower. In addition to 128 state-of-the-art inpatient rooms, the new tower includes staff areas, a retail pharmacy, café and resource center for patients and visitors.

“After four years, over 20 individual enabling projects, and over 40 departmental relocations, we are excited to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new ICU Tower at Piedmont Athens Regional,” said Scott. “This truly integrated team agreed early on the shared goals of the project and never wavered on that commitment through the many challenges we encountered. We didn’t know what the world would throw at us four years ago, but we are grateful we went through it all together in partnership with Piedmont, BDR Partners, SmithGroup, Trinity and all of our many trade partners and design consultants.”

The addition of the new tower will enhance the delivery of patient care, improve operational efficiency, simplify patient arrival and help Piedmont Athens fulfill its goal of making a positive difference in every life they touch.

"As a premier health care destination in northeast Georgia, Piedmont Athens is changing the way patients in our 17-county service area access healthcare,” said Michael Burnett, CEO of Piedmont Athens Regional. “We are empowering our patients to be partners in their healthcare, and creating a hospital that meets the needs of the modern patient is just one way in which we’re changing lives. Within this tower, we have created spaces that provide seamless transitions of care for our community, connect patients and providers, and signify the future of healthcare in Athens, Georgia.”