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Business & Tech

Kaiser Permanente Expands Medical Facility

The $47 million, 78,000-square-foot expansion opened on Friday.

An expanded medical facility in Kennesaw will allow for specialty and advanced care services.

Kaiser Permanente TownPark Comprehensive Medical Center opened on Friday on TownPark Lane. The healthcare organization invested $47 million in the expansion project.          

“We’re thrilled that our efforts to improve access to Kaiser Permanente’s integrated health care delivery system are helping this community thrive,” said Kerry W. Kohnen, president of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia. “Our members appreciate the added convenience of having a wider variety of health care services available under one roof, and we’re excited to be a part of the economic growth in Cobb County.”

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A key component of the outpatient medical facility is the TownPark CMC’s 24/7 Advanced Care Center.

“If our members break an arm over the weekend, suffer a serious cut while cooking dinner or wake up in the middle of the night with difficulty breathing, the Advanced Care Center has board-certified physicians available around the clock to provide high-level care,” said Dr. Rob Schreiner, executive medical director of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia. 

The Advanced Care Center can help Kaiser Permanente members avoid unnecessary trips to hospital emergency rooms for non-life-threatening conditions.

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“The hospital emergency room is the right place for major trauma and other life-threatening conditions, but it’s not the appropriate setting for treatment that can be provided faster and more efficiently in locations such as the Advanced Care Center,” Schreiner said. “Members who use the Advanced Care Center also benefit from treatment delivered by doctors with access to their electronic medical records." 

Kaiser Permanente added 78,000 square feet to its existing medical center in Kennesaw to create the TownPark CMC. The facility, which already offered internal medicine, pediatrics/adolescent medicine, obstetrics/gynecology and behavioral health services, added five new specialties. Those specialties include cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, as well as oncology and infusion. Pharmacy, laboratory, and high-end imaging and diagnostic services are also available on-site.

The TownPark expansion created 100 new jobs, ranging from registered nurses to customer service associates. To support Kaiser Permanente’s expansion in metro Atlanta and Athens, which included 12 new medical offices, The Southeast Permanente Medical Group has added more than 100 physicians in the past three years. The medical group, which cares exclusively for Kaiser Permanente members, plans to continue growing through 2014. 

“I am very excited to have Kaiser Permanente in Cobb County,” Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said. “Having this one-of-a-kind facility is truly an asset. Considering that Kaiser Permanente also brought new jobs, they are a welcome addition to our thriving business community in the Town Center area. 

In honor of the TownPark CMC’s grand opening, Kaiser Permanente donated $10,000 to the Kennesaw State University Community Clinic. This “Good Neighbor Grant” will fund a patient education program focused on obesity, asthma and breast health—key areas of concern for the clinic’s patient population. 

“The KSU Community Clinic serves patients who have no other access to health care,” said Beverly Maddox, the clinic’s administrative director. “Without funding from Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, we would be unable to provide the resources necessary for a formal patient education program.” 

The Kennesaw Teen Center, which provides after school and summer programs for middle and high school students from single-parent, low-income families, also received a “Good Neighbor Grant” for $5,000.

“This grant will allow us to focus on the importance of an active lifestyle and learning to make healthy choices early in life,” Miranda Jones said.  “We look forward to incorporating wellness education into our daily programming.” 

Kaiser Permanente operates 29 medical offices in Georgia and serves more than 235,000 members. 

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