It was in early summer that representatives of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) met with government and business leaders from across Coweta County at Newnan City Hall to announce the city’s selection as the site of the company’s first hospital in the Southeastern United States. Earlier this week CTCA received a Georgia Dept. of Community Health Certificate of Need (CON) necessary to move ahead with the the 200,000 square-foot hospital in the Ashley Park commercial area.

Over the next several months, CTCA will complete building drawings, secure necessary building permits and commence construction activity, said CTCA Public Relations Manager Kristin Schaner, adding that the all-digital Newnan facility will offer new a choice in cancer treatment.

As outlined in June, the hospital will have more than 200,000 square feet and 50 inpatient beds and will generate a large impact on the local economy.

“With more than two-thirds of its patients expected to come from outside the state of Georgia, patients and their families will contribute to the growth and vitality of the local economy,” Schaner said. “CTCA expects the new facility to generate 500 news jobs and $500 million in economic activity over the first five years of operation.”

That local economic activity is music to the ears of the Coweta County Development Authority (CCDA). The organization worked with CTCA throughout the company’s selection process that had considered a number of other sites around the metro Atlanta area before deciding on Newnan.

“We are very pleased to welcome CTCA to the community,” said CCDA Chairman David Brown. “They’ll provide access to high-quality cancer care for patients close to home and across the southeast, significantly fuel our economy and bring much-needed new jobs to the area.”

Having only a few hospitals across the United States means that patients are drawn from large geographical areas to receive treatment. In the absence of such a facility in the southeast, patients such as Senoia resident Ginny Walley had to travel long distances to access CTCA services.

“I am so excited to welcome CTCA to our local community,” said Walley, who travelled to the CTCA facility in suburban Chicago for her treatment. “The new hospital in Newnan will provide easier access to this unique, patient-centered model of care for patients across the southeast battling this disease.”

CTCA, a national network of destination cancer hospitals, offers cancer patients a fully integrated care model combining the best traditional medical care to treat the cancer with scientifically supported complementary therapies to help manage side effects, strengthen the immune system and improve each patient’s quality of life, Schaner said.

“On behalf of the entire CTCA family, I would like to thank the many members of the state and local community who have supported our entry into this area and recognized the value of a CTCA location in Georgia for cancer patients and their families,” said Bob Mayo, CTCA vice chairman. “Cancer patients throughout the southeast asked us to build a facility closer to them and with the support of the Georgia General Assembly, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Coweta County Development Authority, Coweta County Board of Commissioners and the City of Newnan, we’re one step closer to making that a reality. Ultimately, we have even found new friends in the Georgia hospital community and we are excited to partner with them to enhance patient care and the business of health. We look forward to becoming a valued member of the community.”

CTCA serves advanced cancer patients from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix.