History
The Atomedic Hospital concept was developed by Dr. Hugh C. MacGuire in 1953 to improve health care and to lower the cost of medical care. The concept was brought to reality in collaboration with William R. Streed through a prototype Atomedic Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama in 1963. The construction of the prototype required the passage of special legislation (Act No. 35, s.34, Regular Session 1963)1 to exempt the unique hospital from historical, restrictive building codes.
The prototype Atomedic Hospital led to a consortium of 64 manufacturers that supported the new health care concept and funded the second unit. This second unit was the official hospital of the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.
The prototype unit in Montgomery, AL was dismantled, transported, and re-erected in Woodstock, GA where it operated for more than 20 years. The relocation proved one of the primary design criteria set forth by the founders, it also provided valuable operating statistics and as well as proof of concept for cost of operations.