Marietta WellStar opens new tower creating more space for patients

Georgia’s WellStar Kennestone Hospital, located in Marietta just opened its new $48 million addition to extend more space and privacy for patients and their families. The Blue Tower West was designed to give patients more privacy. Kennestone currently has only have 51 semi private rooms which can be doubled up in when there are necessary situations. It has been a longtime request that the hospital would make more private rooms. Although they have not reached the point where all rooms are private, this is a large step for them.

The building also offers the ability to group rooms by patient need. Each floor will be designed and equipped with special staff to meet a specific patient group’s needs. Each room is also designed for patients who require special equipment. With almost double the floor space this tower is almost twice the size of the other towers at Kennestone.

Other great new features of the rooms include bathrooms with no thresholds for patients to trip over and fold out sofas for families that stay overnight. Patient Denice Ann Marek, a 56 year old patient who suffers from stage 4 ovarian cancer shares her experience in the move to the new building. “I had no complaints with the other rooms. They were just a little smaller, but there’s more privacy here. You can have discussions with doctors, nurses and your family. It’s so clean; words cannot explain how I feel about being here.”

Source: The Marietta Daily Journal, “Well Star Kennestone’s new $48-million addition affords patients more space, privacy.” Geoff Folsom, January 19, 2013.