Atlanta (Sept. 24, 2020) – The Piedmont Healthcare Foundation met its $150 million fundraising goal for the Marcus Tower at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, which completed its Phase I construction and opened on July 15. Phase II of the project’s construction has begun and Piedmont will open the first floors that are part of Phase II in January 2022.

Since 2016, donors including community leaders, grateful patients, physicians and employees have contributed to the Building Better Capital Campaign, which supports the construction of the Marcus Tower. The largest donations came in the form of $75 million from Bernie and Billi Marcus via The Marcus Foundation and $18 million from Brett and Louise Samsky and their son Connor to establish the Samsky Invasive Cardiovascular Services Center and to fund the Brett and Louise Samsky Lobby.

“We are humbled and grateful for all of the gifts that our donors made to the Marcus Tower,” said Piedmont Healthcare Chief Philanthropy Officer Sid Kirschner. “They have made an essential investment in transforming the health and wellbeing of the next generation of families in Atlanta and the entire Southeast – an investment that already has shown how it is serving the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Phase II of the tower has begun with the neurosciences service line and one patient floor will be completed per year, except for 2026 when the final two floors will be built out. By the time the project is complete, philanthropy will have accounted for a significant portion of the entire project’s cost.

“This tower is a testament to the generosity of many, and to the expertise and skill of the caregivers who have made Piedmont a premier destination for patients seeking answers and care,” said Patrick Battey, M.D., CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. “This space enables the critical expansion of cardiovascular and other key healthcare services, giving us the ability to provide one-of-a-kind, patient-centered care for more people than ever before.”