Erlanger won’t appeal N. Georgia decision

Officials with Erlanger Health System say they will not appeal a March decision by the Georgia Department of Community Health denying a request for a certificate of need for radiation oncology services in North Georgia.

Erlanger wanted to build a $ 9.8 million surgery center on Battlefield Parkway next to Erlanger South Family Medicine in Ringgold. The plan was contested by CHI Memorial, which bought its own surgery center along Battlefield Parkway from the former Hutcheson Medical Center. But Erlanger argued Memorial’s right to offer surgical services in Catoosa County had lapsed.

State regulations prohibit health care facilities from expanding services into areas where they’re not needed. In denying the certificate of need in March, the department said there was “no numerical need” for the project based on population and the presence of multiple outpatient surgical services providers in the area.

In a statement Monday, Erlanger officials said the hospital system would seek out other plans to serve the area.

“Erlanger has always had a major presence in this community and we have reassured local officials of our plans to provide even greater access to world class care in Catoosa County and North

Georgia,” said Tanner Goodrich, Erlanger vice president of operations and market CEO, in a statement released Monday.

Steven Henry, chairman of the Catoosa County Commission, said its members support “Erlanger’s continuing and growing presence in Catoosa County.

“We look forward to continuing to work with their leadership team to provide additional medical services to our residents, to support our tax base and economic development,” he said.