Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston: What Atlanta Families Need to Know

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston is one of Atlanta’s best-known pediatric specialty and hospital campuses, located near Emory University. For families living in or visiting Atlanta, it often serves as a major hub for emergency, inpatient, and specialty care for children and teens.

Below is a practical guide to how Egleston fits into Atlanta life, what services it typically provides, how to get there, and what local families should know before they go.

Where Egleston Fits Into Atlanta’s Pediatric Care Landscape

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (often called CHOA or “Children’s”) is a pediatric healthcare system with multiple locations around metro Atlanta. Egleston is one of its long-standing hospital campuses.

General role of Egleston in Atlanta:

• A full-service children’s hospital serving infants through young adults (age range varies by service).
• A major site for pediatric emergency care, intensive care, and specialty services.
• Closely connected to Emory University and other Atlanta medical centers, which matters if your child needs subspecialty care or a coordinated care team.

If you live in metro Atlanta, your child might receive primary care from a community pediatrician or neighborhood clinic, and be referred to Egleston (or another Children’s campus) for:

• Specialized testing or procedures
• Surgery or intensive care
• Emergency visits that require pediatric-specific support

Location, Address, and How to Get There

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston is generally known to be located in the Druid Hills / Emory area on Atlanta’s east side.

Commonly referenced details include:

• Area: Near Emory University, east of Midtown, north of I-20
• Nearby landmarks: Emory University Hospital, Emory campus, Clifton Road corridor

If you are planning a visit:

• Use a GPS or map app and search for “Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.”
• Confirm the exact address, building, and entrance on Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s official website or by phone before you go, as campus directions, parking decks, or entrances can change over time.

📞 Tip: If you’re unsure where to go once you arrive on the Emory/Clifton corridor, you can call Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s main information line and ask for directions specifically to Egleston and its emergency vs. main hospital entrances.

Emergency Care at Egleston

For many Atlanta parents, the most urgent question is: “Can I bring my child here in an emergency?”

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston typically operates a dedicated pediatric Emergency Department, which is designed for infants, children, and teens.

When Atlanta families might use Egleston’s ER:

• Sudden serious illness in a child (trouble breathing, severe pain, persistent high fever with concerning symptoms)
• Injuries such as possible broken bones, significant cuts, or head injuries
• Worsening chronic conditions (for example, trouble breathing in a child with asthma) when urgent pediatric care is needed

Many families in the city also have access to:

• Other Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta ER sites (for example, at Scottish Rite or Hughes Spalding)
• Adult hospital ERs (Grady, Emory, Piedmont, Wellstar) that can treat children but may not be pediatric-specific

If you’re in Atlanta and need immediate help:

1. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
2. If you can safely transport your child and are choosing a facility, you may ask the dispatcher or your child’s pediatrician which nearby Children’s campus is most appropriate and closest at that moment.

⚠️ Important: Policies, wait times, and what each ER can handle may vary. For non-life-threatening urgent issues, many families also consider urgent care centers within the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta system, which are located in multiple metro areas.

Types of Care and Services Commonly Associated With Egleston

While exact offerings can change, Egleston has long been known in Atlanta as a site for specialty inpatient and outpatient pediatric care. Within the Children’s system, families commonly see Egleston tied to:

• Pediatric intensive care (PICU)
• Neonatal and cardiac intensive care at a specialized level
• Complex medical and surgical care, often for children with serious or rare conditions
• Specialty clinics connected to Emory and Children’s providers (for example, certain cardiology, oncology, neurology, or transplant-related services)

If your Atlanta-area pediatrician or family doctor refers you to “Children’s at Egleston,” they are usually sending you to:

• A specific specialty clinic or provider that practices on the Egleston campus, or
• The hospital itself for admission, procedures, or advanced care

Always check:

• Which campus your child’s appointment is at (Egleston vs another Children’s location)
• Exact building and suite number
• Whether the visit is inpatient, outpatient clinic, day surgery, or testing only

How Egleston Fits With Other Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Locations

Understanding Atlanta’s overall pediatric hospital landscape can help you plan.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta currently includes multiple major hospital campuses (for example, Egleston, Scottish Rite, and Hughes Spalding, plus newer or evolving facilities). The roles of each campus may shift as the system grows and consolidates services.

For families, this often looks like:

If you’re new to Atlanta, it’s common to be confused by the different Children’s names and campuses. When in doubt:

• Ask your child’s doctor: “Which Children’s location is this appointment at?”
• Confirm via appointment reminders or by calling Children’s scheduling.

Navigating Your Visit: Parking, Check-In, and What to Bring

Experiences will vary, but Atlanta families dealing with Egleston often find that planning ahead makes visits smoother.

Getting There and Parking

In the Emory / Druid Hills area, traffic can be heavy, especially:

• Weekday mornings (commuter traffic + hospital/clinic rush)
• Late afternoons around school dismissal and evening rush hour

Plan to:

• Leave extra time for traffic and parking.
• Follow signs to the correct parking deck for emergency, outpatient, or main hospital.
• Bring your parking ticket with you, in case it needs to be validated at a front desk or kiosk.

Check-In and Security

At most Atlanta hospital campuses, you can expect:

• Security or information desks near entrances
• A requirement to show ID for adult visitors
• Visitor badges or stickers
• A process to direct you toward the correct floor and waiting area

To make check-in easier:

• Have your child’s full legal name, date of birth, and insurance card ready.
• Keep emergency contacts handy, including other caregivers and your child’s primary doctor in Atlanta.

What to Bring for Your Child

For Atlanta families making an ER or hospital trip to Egleston, the following are often helpful:

• ID and insurance information (if available)
• A list of medications and allergies
• Comfort items such as a blanket, toy, tablet, or headphones
• Snacks and water for caregivers (within hospital policy)
• Phone chargers (hospital stays often last longer than expected)

For planned procedures, Children’s staff typically provide pre-visit instructions about food, drink, medications, and arrival time—always follow those instructions over anything general.

Insurance, Costs, and Financial Questions in Atlanta

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a nonprofit pediatric system, and many Atlanta families with children receive care there through a mix of:

• Private insurance (employer-based or marketplace)
• Medicaid / PeachCare for Kids
• Self-pay arrangements or financial assistance programs

For Egleston visits, especially ER or inpatient stays, costs can be significant. To prepare:

• Contact your insurance company (the number on your card) to ask:
  • Whether Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Egleston are in-network
  • What your ER co-pay, deductible, or co-insurance might be
• Ask Children’s billing or financial counseling staff:
  • Whether there are payment plans
  • If you might qualify for financial assistance
  • How to handle bills for families visiting from out of state

If you’re new to Georgia or recently moved to Atlanta:

• Look into Georgia Medicaid / PeachCare for Kids eligibility through state agencies.
• Check with local resources, such as Atlanta community health centers, for guidance on enrolling your children in coverage.

Planning for Pediatric Care as an Atlanta Resident

If you live in Atlanta or are relocating here, it helps to think about Egleston as part of your broader pediatric care plan, not your starting point.

Steps many families take:

1. Choose a local pediatrician or family doctor

   • Look for practices in your neighborhood (Decatur, East Atlanta, Buckhead, Southwest Atlanta, etc.) or near your child’s school.
   • Ask if they are familiar with and can coordinate with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta when specialty care is needed.

2. Understand your nearest pediatric-capable ER

   • Know which hospital is closest to your home, daycare, or school.
   • Familiarize yourself with which Children’s campus your doctor usually refers to (Egleston vs others).

3. Keep key information handy

   • Your child’s insurance card
   • The main Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta information / scheduling number
   • Contact details for your pediatrician, urgent care, and local pharmacy

For families staying temporarily in Atlanta (for example, university students with children, business travelers, or visitors staying with relatives), it can be useful to ask your home pediatrician how to:

• Transfer medical records if needed
• Handle referrals to Children’s or other Atlanta pediatric specialists

Special Considerations for Out-of-Town Families Coming to Egleston

Some families travel to Atlanta specifically for complex pediatric care at Egleston or within the Children’s system. If that’s you, you may need to coordinate:

• Lodging near the Emory / Druid Hills area or elsewhere in metro Atlanta
• Transportation to and from appointments, surgeries, or hospital stays
• Schoolwork coordination for your child (remote learning, excused absences)

Many large children’s hospitals, including those in Atlanta, may have:

• Family resource centers
• Social workers or case managers who assist with:
  • Local lodging options (including charitable or reduced-cost housing when available)
  • Transportation resources
  • Emotional support and educational help for siblings

Ask your child’s care team how to connect with social work, case management, or family support services connected to Egleston.

Key Takeaways for Atlanta Families

• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston is a major pediatric hospital campus near Emory University, serving children and teens from across metro Atlanta and beyond.
• It provides emergency, inpatient, and specialty care that is often more advanced than what’s available in general community settings.
• Always confirm:
  • The exact campus (Egleston vs other Children’s locations)
  • The type of visit (ER, clinic, surgery, testing)
  • Arrival, parking, and check-in details before you go
• For emergencies, Atlanta families should call 911 when a child’s condition seems life-threatening and ask where the child should be taken.
• For non-emergency care, start with a local pediatrician or clinic, who can guide you on when a referral to Egleston or another Children’s campus makes sense.

By understanding how Egleston fits into Atlanta’s pediatric system, you can make clearer, faster decisions about where to go when your child needs care.