Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Athens Regional Health System have announced a formal affiliation agreement under which Children’s will collaborate with Athens Regional to better serve children and families in the Athens area. The affiliation will support Children’s and Athens Regional’s commitment to providing high-quality pediatric care, and expanding access to specialized pediatric care in Georgia.

“Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Athens Regional share a commitment to the children and families of Georgia,” said Donna Hyland, President and CEO, Children’s. “This affiliation is another key step that allows us to extend our reach and serve even more children in Georgia, while building a partnership with a respected hospital system and its doctors. We are grateful to Dr. Peck, the pediatricians, and the pediatric leaders for reaching out to us and being so committed to impacting the care of children in their community.”

Children’s is providing tools and pediatric best practices to Athens Regional to help improve its pediatric quality and patient safety program, and working together to provide training for pediatric doctors and nurses. Athens Regional will deliver care informed by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s pediatric quality and patient safety program, training for pediatric staff and pediatric clinical guidelines developed by best practices. The affiliation will also promote enhanced care coordination between Athens Regional and Children’s, as well as access to Children’s specialists via telemedicine in certain specialties and areas of the hospital.

Children’s will work with Athens Regional’s pediatricians on best practices designed to enhance the evaluation and assessment of kids who present in Athens; on quality protocols for pediatric patients cared for at Athens Regional; on building additional infrastructure to monitor quality and improve patient safety; and on methods for enhancing care coordination and clinical integration. Children’s is a teaching hospital for pediatrics, has physicians with years of specialized training in pediatrics and sees among the highest volumes of patients in the country.

“Athens Regional is honored to be currently the only affiliate hospital of this kind with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, “ said Dr. Charles Peck, CEO and President of Athens Regional Health System. “We truly appreciate that Children’s leaders and physicians share our same commitment to quality care. This serves as the foundation of our affiliation. We are growing stronger together so that the children of our region can access specialized medical care and stay close to home.