August 8, 1997, was an exciting and historical day for children's health care in Atlanta. That was the day when Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center and Egleston Children's Health Care System signed a memorandum of intent to merge the two pediatric health systems. The merger enabled Scottish Rite to remain true to its mission of preserving and improving the health of children and adolescents. The decision also allowed both institutions to focus on one priority—children and families—and to better meet the needs of the community.

Six months later on February 1, 1998, Egleston and Scottish Rite officially merged and set forth to provide the highest quality care for children. Since that time—one year later—the combined pediatric health system has realized some tremendous accomplishments, for example:

Integration Savings—By combining existing services, eliminating unnecessary expenses, and identifying appropriate opportunities for growth and development, Egleston and Scottish Rite have identified $23.7 million in savings. More than $7 million of this was achieved in the first year.

Accreditation with Commendation—Both Egleston and Scottish Rite have received "Accreditation with Commendation" from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). This is the highest level of accreditation awarded by JCAHO, and only 15 percent of organizations surveyed in the same time period received "Accreditation with Commendation."

AFLAC Cancer Center—The dream of a comprehensive children's cancer center became a reality last summer with the opening of the outpatient unit of the AFLAC Cancer Center at Egleston.

Call Center Consolidation—The resources of Egleston On Call and Scottish Rite's RiteCall were combined last fall into one center. The new Call Center provides community services such as the 24-hour nurse advice line, physician referrals, and audio health library.

The new organization clearly combines the strengths of Egleston and Scottish Rite, two well-established children's health systems based in Atlanta. These two institutions have cared for children in the community, state, country, and even across the world for more than 80 years and are now working together as a team to ensure that children have access to quality pediatric care now and in the future.

Looking Back

Scottish Rite began humbly in 1915 in two small, wood-frame cottages in Decatur, Georgia. The 18-bed facility, known as Scottish Rite Convalescent Home for Crippled Children, provided indigent, crippled children a place to recover after having surgery at other hospitals. By 1919, Scottish Rite opened a new, 50-bed building and changed its name to Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children, honoring the Masons who helped raise money to build the facility.
 

Whether it’s offering a special toy or simply sharing a storybook, doctors and nurses at Egleston and Scottish Rite help children to feel as comfortable as possible.

The institution supports 165 beds, 41 pediatric specialties, 645 physicians, surgeons and dentists, and more than 2,000 employees. Last year, 161,336 patients visited Scottish Rite and 45,300 children received financial assistance totaling $39.2 million.

Egleston's history also reflects continuous growth and change. In 1916, Egleston was formed by Thomas R. Egleston as a memorial to his mother, Henrietta Holmes Egleston, who lost four of her five children to early childhood disease. The original hospital had 52 beds, and 605 children were treated in the first year.

Today, Egleston is affiliated with Emory University School of Medicine and part of Emory Egleston Children's Research Center. Focusing on all aspects of care from prevention to the most highly sophisticated technologies, Egleston meets children's total health care needs in the most convenient and cost-effective manner. Its main campus and satellite locations support 225 hospital beds, 600 physicians, and more than 2,000 employees. Last year, 360,000 patients were treated by the institution.
Together, Egleston and Scottish Rite have combined their resources to form one of the country's largest pediatric health systems, with a combined 400 beds in two children's hospitals, over 300,000 patient visits, 22 satellite locations, more than 4,000 employees and 800 physicians.

The merger blends Egleston's teaching and research strengths and Scottish Rite's successful private-practice model. And, with an expanded network of facilities as well as primary-care physicians and pediatric specialists, the unified system gives improved access to health care for all children.

In light of current reductions in Medicaid and managed care reimbursement, the merger also allows Egleston and Scottish Rite to save on the cost of providing medical care to children. Through combined operations, the alliance will produce cost savings of between $26 and $40 million annually within three to five years. These cost savings coupled with increased community support are invaluable.

Over the years, Georgians have generously opened their hearts and wallets to ensure that Egleston and Scottish Rite can provide the best care for children. The merger streamlines these fund-raising, marketing, and community outreach efforts. It also centralizes partnerships with businesses, corporations, and other providers.

With Egleston and Scottish Rite combining their rich histories and working together as a unified health care system, children will continue to receive the specialized care they need, whether they live in Atlanta, Georgia, the Southeast, or across the country.