Wellstar is set to build a new hospital in Cobb County, Georgia, that will “address the growing need for hospital beds in Acworth and the surrounding areas.”

In a statement to Newsweek, Wellstar said it has been notified that the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) approved its application to build the new Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center at Acworth.

Why It Matters 

Wellstar said the project would expand access to care across the county, which has a population of more than 766,000, according to the 2020 Census. Cobb County is the third largest in Georgia and is situated in the Atlanta metro area, with Acworth less than an hour’s drive from the state capital.  

The opening of a new hospital would continue Wellstar’s more than $1 billion in charity and uncompensated care annually, more than any health system in Georgia, according to Wellstar.

What To Know 

The health system said that several competing health systems filed objections to Wellstar’s application related to this project.

“However, none of those health systems have the commitment and existing operational abilities to meet the current and future medical needs of residents in Cobb, Paulding, Cherokee and Bartow counties and the future need for improved access to hospital services for the Acworth community,” Wellstar told Newsweek.

Wellstar announced that it filed a Letter of Intent with the department in May 2025 to build a new 230-bed hospital in Acworth. It then filed a detailed Certificate of Need (CON) application around June 23, 2025, that included both architectural rendering and the ways the hospital will address community needs.  

“Wellstar is improving access to care, and this new hospital is the latest in a series of projects that do just that,” said Wellstar Health System President and CEO Candice L. Saunders in a statement announcing the hospital plans. “The area is growing so much that even when our new tower at Wellstar Kennestone opens next year, the region will need more hospital beds. A new hospital in Acworth would fill a crucial need for the region’s medical care.” 

Wellstar said it works to improve access to care for communities across the state with more than $1.4 billion in projects, including building new towers at Wellstar Kennestone and Wellstar Paulding; adding a new oncology center to Wellstar Spalding Medical Center “to help keep cancer care local”; adding primary, pediatric and urgent care and specialty services in the communities Wellstar serves; and partnering with Augusta University Medical College of Georgia Center for Digital Health to provide rural hospitals with access to specialty care.

After filing the Certificate of Need in June, Wellstar detailed the plans for the proposed hospital. The eight-story, 675,000-square-foot facility would have 70 emergency department bays and eight operating rooms. Wellstar said if approved, this hospital would provide easier emergency care access, expand access to care for patients regardless of their ability to pay, enhance healthcare throughout the region, create jobs and economic development and provide broader access to Wellstar’s integrated care network.

What Happens Next  

This new hospital will be located on Cobb Parkway across from the Wellstar Acworth Health Park.  

According to the approval letter, DCH expects the new hospital “will have a positive relationship to the existing health care delivery system in the service area.” Wellstar said it will now commence with further planning for the hospital.

What People Are Saying  

Lisa Cupid, chairwoman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, said in May that this hospital could bring a lot of good to the community.  

“Access to healthcare has been expanding throughout Cobb County, but we still have an unmet need for hospital beds in the northern portion of our county,” she said. “Wellstar is deeply committed to our region, and we’re grateful that they recognized this need and are stepping forward with a solution.” 

Newsweek reached out to Cobb County for comment.  

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