From The Press of Atlantic City — The era of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s Satellite Emergency Department, Kessler Campus, has begun.

AtlantiCare took over Kessler Memorial Hospital’s emergency department at 7:05 p.m. Thursday – five minutes after the 45-year-old facility closed its doors.

“We are looking to make a significant investment into the Kessler campus to guarantee that it will be up to our high standards,” said Rene Z. Bunting, AtlantiCare’s vice president of marketing and communications.

Lori Herndon, AtlantiCare’s chief operating officer, said AtlantiCare is leasing the existing emergency department and some space around it. Kessler’s board is still responsible for the rest of the property, she said.

The transition took less than 24 hours, after Kessler officials terminated an agreement Wednesday night for cardiovascular surgeon B. Reddy Dandolu to buy the hospital for a reported $7.5 million. Hospital officials claim Dandolu failed to send an agreed-upon $300,000 down payment.

“I’ve been told that most times it takes weeks, if not months, to (make this kind of transition),” said Herndon, adding this is AtlantiCare’s first foray into operating a satellite emergency department. “I was notified about it at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, and we were open by 7:05 p.m. Thursday.”

The state Department of Health and Senior Services praised the officials from AtlantiCare, Kessler and Hammonton on the relatively seamless transition, according to spokeswoman Dawn Thomas.

“Even the other health care facilities worked together really well to find a place for the patients to go,” said Thomas, adding 17 patients needed to be transported to other facilities when Kessler’s regular hospital operations closed. “Everyone stepped up to the plate and worked together quickly to help provide the public continued access to health care.”

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