Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s seven-story Blue Tower houses 32 (ICU) beds, 96 surgical beds and offers patients new options for surgery. Designed with large windows, soothing colors from nature and zoned areas for staff, patients and families, the Blue Tower rooms feature “best practice” elements for patient care and healing. The Tower also includes new surgery suites, a dedicated endovascular suite and new space for endoscopy, imaging and other support services.
Many of services and special amenities in the Blue Tower would not have been possible without more than $6 million in signature donations to Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) Foundation. Those features include:
- Dawn McKibbon Memorial Chapel– a quiet place of prayer and meditation for patients, families and visitors
- Resource Center and Health Sciences Library– home to medical information that’s available to physicians, staff, family members and the community
- Anne’s Garden– a place of retreat, healing and solace provides patients, families and visitors with a nearby escape from the stresses of the bustling hospital environment
- da Vinci Surgical System– robotic instrumentation works by mimicking the motions and movements of a surgeon’s hands and fingers using only a few small incisions as ports for instruments that allow access to the heart, lungs and abdomen; will be used by surgeons on staff at Northeast Georgia Medical Center for cardiac, bariatric, general, gynecologic and urologic surgeries
- The Nathan-Schrage Art Gallery– located on floors one through six of the NPT, featuring many artists from Georgia
- Auxiliary Love Light Garden– the Love Light garden features terraced green space, accent lighting, a permanent Love Light tree and paring on the lawn to host the annual tree lighting ceremony.
“I have always said that philanthropy is the difference between a good hospital and a great hospital,” says Woody Stewart, chairman of NGHS Foundation Board of Trustees.
“The Blue Tower is the perfect example of how the generosity of others can take something wonderful and turn it into something extraordinary.”
The Blue Tower solves one of the most critical problems facing NGMC by giving the hospital room for future expansion. The Tower’s configuration allows for a second tower to be developed alongside the initial Tower, and a conceptual design for a connecting medical office building has been developed.
The Blue Tower is located off Downey Boulevard on NGMC’s Main Campus.