This artist's rendering shows the proposed Polk Medical Center.
“Polk Medical Center was originally built in 1944 and has only had two modifications in almost 70 years,” said Kim Scoggins, Polk Medical Center administrator. “The west wing was added in the 80s and our emergency department was built in the 90s. Aside from those two modifications, the facility is essentially unchanged.”
In addition to the age of the buildings, DCH also pointed to a number of deficiencies with the current hospital in outlining the need for the new construction. These include the number of semi-private rooms, the lack of a surgical suite, limited waiting areas and no public dining space, among others.
“The new location will provide so much more than just a new building,” Scoggins said. “We’re going to be able to offer new and expanded services for our patients that, until now, have been limited or unavailable.”
With the Certificate of Need in place, the design phase of construction can move forward, paving the way for construction to begin later this year.
“We are in the process of completing rchitectural drawings,” said Dan Sweitzer, Vice President of Market Development for Floyd Medical Center. “Once those are complete we will send out bid packages with the hope of breaking ground this summer. We anticipate the completion of construction and occupancy to take place in the fall of 2014, ahead of the schedule we proposed when we entered into the lease agreement with the Cedartown-Polk County Hospital Authority.”
Scoggins sees the new facility as the next step in a process of care that originated at Polk Medical Center over seven decades ago. “Our goal has always been to provide excellent care for the people of Polk County and the surrounding area,” she said. “This new facility will only enhance that commitment to service and it will be something everyone in our community can be proud of.”
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