City and hospital officials gathered in Brookhaven’s Executive Park on Thursday to celebrate the official opening of the Emory Musculoskeletal Institute, a new healthcare center focusing on helping patients and supporting research for orthopaedics, spinal care, physical therapy, and more.
Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst was one of the officials who spoke at the Oct. 7 ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility. The institute is part of Emory Healthcare’s $1 billion plan to transform the Executive Park office complex into a health district. The Brookhaven City Council approved redevelopment of the site in November of 2019.
“This is the latest transformation in what is our current southern gateway, and which is now known as Executive Park at Brookhaven,” Ernst said. “Emory’s campus changed our community in a positive way, while [bringing] stability and values to the Brookhaven community to help carry out innovation.”
Emory officials also spoke during the ribbon cutting ceremony, including Emory University President Gregory Fenves. According to Fenves, the institute will work to diagnose, treat, and repair bones, joints, and connective tissue. The institute will also facilitate research to find new ways of treating patients with musculoskeletal issues.
“This is an investment in developing innovative new treatments and establishing a new, even higher level of care for Emory University and Emory Healthcare,” Fenves said.
According to a press release, the institute will serve as the home base for multiple Emory centers in the state, including the Emory Spine Center, the Emory Joint Reconstruction Center, the Emory Foot/Ankle Center, and the Emory Upper Extremity Program. The building is six stories tall, and has a roughly 800-space parking deck with free parking for patients and visitors.
The CEOs for the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, and the Atlanta Hawks were present at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Emory serves as the official healthcare provider for all three teams as well as the Atlanta Dream, Georgia Tech, and other high schools and youth sports programs throughout the city.
Atlanta Braves CEO Derek Schiller talked about the Braves’ relationship with Emory, and the importance of that partnership as the Braves head into their first playoff game on Oct. 8 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He thanked Emory’s team of orthopaedic surgeons specifically.
“When you play 162 games … you have injuries. You have all kinds of things that you face, all kinds of adversity,” Schiller said. “We look to Emory and their team of physicians and medical professionals to help get us to this point in time.”