By Michael Motes

The approval of a $23 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) has given the green light to the relocation project of St. Joseph's Infirmary, Atlanta's oldest hospital.

Rawson Haverty, chairman of the hospital's board of directors, made the announcement of the loan guarantee at a press conference at the hospital and also told newsmen that HEW has also approved a $750 thousand grant to St. Joseph's.

"We're not moving from the center of Atlanta," Haverty explained of the Catholic hospital's move from its almost 100-year-old location in downtown Atlanta. "Rather, we're moving to the city's new center, to the fastest growing area of metropolitan Atlanta both in residences and commercial growth."

The new St. Joseph's will be located on Peachtree-Dunwoody Road at I-285 and will be part of a carefully coordinated complex of three hospitals which includes Northside Hospital and Scottish Rite Hospital.

Relocation does not add to the number of hospital beds in the metropolitan area, however, Sister Mary Brian Anderson, administrator of St. Joseph's, said.

“We're simply relocating beds to make them more accessible to both patients and medical staff,” she commented.

She explained that the new medical complex is being carefully coordinated to avoid duplication of costly medical services. St. Joseph's will continue to offer its highly respected general surgical and medical services, with emphasis on major specializations in cardio-thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedic and neurological surgery.

"A good example is the complex open-heart surgery, which St. Joseph's helped pioneer," Sister Brian explained. "And the three medical facilities see a combined goal of offering complete, comprehensive medical care -- from one medical center -- to the metropolitan area and to the entire state."

Need for relocation came with St. Joseph's being "hemmed in by expensive downtown commercial property," and not being able economically to expand and modernize either its medical or parking facilities, Sister Brian added.

Started by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880 with 10 beds and 50 cents in Operating Capital, St. Joseph's new facilities promise to become one of the most modern medical centers in the South. Its radial town architecture will allow patients to see the centrally-located nursing staff at all times and vice-versa.

Architects are Atlanta's Abreu and Robeson, specialists in medical design. Ground breaking is set within 30 to 45 days with completion estimated at the end of 1977.

Local financial support of the relocation will come from the Trust Company Bank, First National Bank of Atlanta, Fulton National Bank and National Bank of Georgia.