Certificate of Need granted by State

Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) was granted formal state approval today to establish an open-heart surgery program that could be operating as early as 2010.  The official green light came in the form of an approved Certificate of Need from the Georgia Department of Community Health for the new service, which clears the way for the hospital to construct new operating facilities and finalize plans for a collaborative relationship with Saint Joseph’s Health System, the premier provider of cardiac services, including open-heart surgery, in Metro Atlanta.

“An open heart program for this community has been a critical component of Project PATH, GMC’s strategic initiative,” said Phil Wolfe, president and CEO of Gwinnett Medical Center.  “This is not only a point of pride for our organization; it should serve as a point of pride for Gwinnett.  Our community rallied around this cause with over 1,000 letters of support and resolutions from leaders throughout the county.”

GMC launched its campaign for open heart last October with a dedicated website, www.openheartgwinnett.org and a massive community outreach effort.  The community quickly responded with letters of support demonstrating the need for advanced cardiac care in our community.  Clyde and Sandra Strickland of Lawrenceville went a step further by committing $1 million for the program.  In early January, GMC submitted its CON application to the state, which began an intensive review process to confirm that the project is in the public interest.  In April, GMC and St. Joseph’s announced the formation of Gwinnett Cardiovascular Services, an entity jointly owned and managed by GMC and St. Joseph’s that will infuse the new heart program with the highest quality of clinical care from day one. 

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