Grady Healthcare System to open outpatient clinics at Ackerman & Co.-owned properties in metro Atlanta to bridge healthcare gap.
Grady Health System is striving to cover gaps in healthcare access, particularly in underserved areas of Fulton and DeKalb Counties.
Two new neighborhood health centers that Grady will open later this year in these parts of metro Atlanta are important steps in that initiative. These centers, located in Ackerman & Co. properties, will provide comprehensive primary care and specialty services.
Grady, which is one of the largest safety net health systems in the U.S., will establish a 16,342-square-foot outpatient center at Lee + White, the popular mixed-use development in Atlanta’s West End community. The health system will also open the Cascade Outpatient Center at 3355 Cascade Road in Southwest Atlanta.
These new centers are examples of Grady taking steps to meet patients closer to where they live to remove barriers to health treatment. In opening the new centers, Grady is seeking locations that are close to dense housing and that provide convenient transportation options.
Lee + White definitely meets those criteria. It’s in the heart of the West End community just south of Downtown Atlanta, walkable from the surrounding residential streets, and it’s less than a half mile away from the West End MARTA rail station, further improving its accessibility. The Cascade Road neighborhood center is conveniently accessible via Cascade Road and I-285 and is surrounded by Cascade Heights and other neighborhoods.
“We conducted research and identified these neighborhoods that have seen significant population growth but have historically lacked access to primary and specialty care,” said John Haupert, President and CEO at Grady in an announcement about the new centers.
He added in an interview with WANF (Atlanta News First): “We care about health improvement and health equity, and to achieve that you’ve got to get services where people live.”
By opening neighborhood-focused health centers, Grady is also able to tailor services to meet the needs of the community. The Lee + White and Cascade Road centers will provide comprehensive primary care and specialty services, including cardiology, HIV services, mammography, rehabilitation, x-ray, lab and pharmacy.
“Based on the communities’ health issues, we custom-design the availability of specialty care to that neighborhood,” Haupert said.
These new outpatient centers at Cascade Road (scheduled to open in July) and Lee + White (targeted for a late 2023 opening) also address the impact of the closures of Wellstar Health System’s Atlanta Medical Center and Atlanta Medical Center South. Grady received federal and state funds from the Georgia Advancing Innovation to Deliver Equity (GA-Aide) program to open the two new centers.
Lee + White’s Diverse Offerings Now Include Medical Services
In acquiring the Lee + White mixed-use development in 2019 and continuing the transformation of the 442,562-square-foot property, Ackerman & Co. and investment partner MDH Partners had a goal of diversifying the offerings by expanding the roster of breweries, retailers and restaurants to include office users and essential services benefitting residents of the West End.
In the past year, the owners have added a number of businesses and service providers, including high-tech companies such as Carbice and JTEC. Healthcare providers Westside Dental and Team Rehab also have recently opened at the mixed-use hub.
“With Grady occupying Building 1000, we are getting closer to Lee + White becoming a one-stop-shop for all dining, shopping, entertainment and practical service needs,” said Jeff Small, CEO of MDH Partners.
Frank Farrell, Ackerman & Co. Senior Vice President, noted that the addition of Grady and other tenants are an important asset to the West End community. Farrell completed the lease with Grady on behalf of ownership at Cascade Road, and Cushman & Wakefield’s Porter Henritze and Melanie Garlock completed the lease with Grady at Lee + White.
“In addition to a shortage of healthcare services, this part of Atlanta has been underserved in retail, restaurants and office space, and Lee + White is helping to fill the void,” Farrell said. “With Grady opening at Lee + White as well as on Cascade Road, residents will be able to travel a short distance instead of having to drive to Buckhead or another part of the city for healthcare services.”
Coming up later this year, Lee + White will also be opening a 19-vendor food hall and more than 100,000-square feet of Class A creative offices in Building 929.