Parkridge expands East Ridge hospital
In one of the biggest additions in its 50-year history, Parkridge East Hospital is expanding its women’s services to add more birthing beds, treatment rooms and support facilities.
HCA said Thursday it has begun a nearly $9.8 million expansion and modernization of its East Ridge hospital on Spring Creek Road. The 4,366 square-foot project will add five postpartum beds and one labor and delivery bed. Additionally, the hospital is upgrading the waiting room, 24/7 nursery and all rooms in The Birth Place at Parkridge East, which includes labor and delivery, a level three Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and postpartum services.
“The Birth Place at Parkridge East has a longstanding reputation of supporting and empowering expectant mothers and families throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum care,” Parkridge East Hospital CEO Will Windham said in an announcement of the hospital addition. “Through this expansion project, we are reaffirming our promise to expectant mothers in the Chattanooga region by investing significantly in the facilities in which they receive care.”
More than 2,000 babies are delivered at Parkridge East every year, second in the Chattanooga market only to Erlanger hospital and its Erlanger East affiliate.
The phased expansion project, which did not require a state certificate of need because Parkridge East already was authorized for the hospital beds, is already underway. Upon completion, The Birth Place will offer 23 postpartum beds, nine labor and delivery rooms, and 22 NICU beds.
The Birth Place at
Parkridge East offers a full complement of labor and delivery services, including 24-hour nursery, trained lactation specialists, expectant mother education and support classes, and a level three NICU capable of caring for babies born at 24 weeks gestation or more and those who have severe or complex conditions.
“Parkridge East is known for providing high-quality care in a community hospital environment,” said Tom Ozburn, president and CEO of Parkridge Health System. “We’re investing in the excellence of our physicians, nurses and support staff and designing the future of labor and delivery care in Chattanooga.”
Parkridge also recently purchased the twostory medical office building adjacent to the Parkridge East Hospital for $2.3 million.
The Spring Creek Physicians Building, which was originally built in 1985, was previously owned by the Georgia limited liability corporation, Chattmac LLC. The office building currently houses 11 physicians and has 27,770 square feet on a 2.4-acre site at 929 Spring Creek Road.
“When we had the opportunity to make the purchase, we did so, knowing it is a natural addition to our campus,” said Michael Ferguson, a communications specialist for HCA Parkridge hospitals in Chattanooga.