CHI Memorial moves forward with building new hospital
“We need a hospital, we want a hospital. We will fight for a hospital,” said Jonathan Connell, a Catoosa County resident, Fort Oglethorpe businessman and one of the founders of Northwest Georgia Hospital Coalition, when he appeared on UCTV’S Night Talk last summer.
The goal of the coalition was to stop the efforts of Parkridge Health System in Chattanooga to prevent CHI Memorial Hospital-georgia from building a new hospital on Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold.
But the fight is now over. Parkridge withdrew its appeal to the certificate of need (CON) that the Georgia Department of Community Health approved for CHI Memorial in April 2022. CHI is now ready to move forward with building the new hospital.
Parkridge had claimed there was no need for a new hospital, that Catoosa, Walker and Dade counties were already well-served with hospital facilities, including Parkridge.
“We have learned,” wrote CHI Memorial Communications Manager Karen Long said in mid-december, “Parkridge has notified the hearing officer of its decision to withdraw its appeal of our certificate of need (CON) for a replacement hospital in Catoosa County.”
The dispute over the new hospital dragged on for more than half a year. Parkridge refused to back down, even after receiving more than 100 letters and appeals from officials and citizens in Catoosa, Walker and Dade counties and facing the disapproval of many more in the communities a new hospital would serve.
Parkridge said it decided to focus on developing two freestanding emergency centers it has planned — one in East Ridge, Tenn., at Camp Jordan and one in SoddyDaisy, Tenn.
“The people of North Georgia deserve to receive the care they need close to home,” Long said.
The Georgia Department of Community Health changed its rules in October 2022 so an out-of-state healthcare entity will no longer be able to challenge the certificate of need of a Georgia healthcare facility, but there were questions about whether the rule-change could be applied retroactively. That is no longer an issue.
CATOOSA OFFICIALS’ RESPONSE
The Catoosa County Board of Commissioners issued a prepared statement in midDecember, applauding the decision made by Parkridge.
“We appreciate Parkridge Health System’s decision to remove the barrier to a new hospital that the citizens of Catoosa County deserve,” Catoosa County Commission Chairman Larry Black said. “Our current hospital that is (now) operated by CHI Memorial has served our northwest Georgia community well for 70 years, (but) as our region grows so does the need for a new facility to deliver high-quality health care.”
Catoosa County District 2 Commissioner Chuck Harris said, “This is great news for Catoosa County and Northwest Georgia citizens who want control of their own healthcare system. We believe
Parkridge made the right decision to stop its opposition to CHI Memorial’s plans.”
Vanita Hullander, Catoosa County Commissioner for District 3, said, “It is critical that we continue to have a health care system in our own community. Northwest Georgia citizens have relied on a hospital where several generations have been born and received medical care throughout their lives. We cannot risk having to travel across state lines to seek medical care.”
Hullander, who had a career as an EMT and a paramedic, then served as Catoosa County coroner for 20 years, continued, “Time is critical when you need an emergency room. Anything that frees up ambulance drivers so they aren’t waiting in ER hallways with patients on gurneys helps save lives. We have never had such a team come together to make something like this happen. I’m so proud that three counties stood up and said we’re going to have this.”
“I appreciate,” said Catoosa County District 4 Commissioner Charlie Stephens, “the partnership and hard work from state Sen. Jeff Mullis, state Rep. Dewayne Hill and the Walker County and Dade County Boards of Commissioners to make the dream of a new hospital a reality.”
And Catoosa County Commissioner for District 1, Jeff Long, said, “I look forward to
taking the next steps with CHI Memorial and our community partners in the coming months. A new hospital will help drive continued economic development and quality of life in Catoosa County.”
WALKER OFFICIALS’ RESPONSE
Walker County commissioners have been watching and involved in the process of the certificate of need dispute between CHI Memorial Hospital and Parkridge Health System, too.
Walker County District 4 Commissioner Robert Stultz, a physician assistant who has worked as Walker County deputy coroner, assistant medical director for the Walker County jail and in primary care, says that he was happy Parkridge withdrew its appeal: “Parkridge is a great hospital facility. I’ve referred many patients there, but I think it’s better for the citizens that the conflict is over. Parkridge has projects in the pipeline it needs to concentrate on and now Memorial can work without litigation hanging over its head.”
Stultz said that he wishes Memorial, whose headquarters is in Illinois, would initiate a way local people could have input and more involvement in what healthcare is available to them. “Right now, we’re not sure what services will be available at the Memorial facility when it’s built. We used
to have an active WalkerCatoosa-dade Hospital Authority where people could express opinions.”
“I imagine people will continue to use all the hospitals in the area,” says Stultz. “I wish Memorial the best.”
Walker County District 1 Commissioner Robert Blakemore said he was not a fan of certificates of need for any hospitals but rather supports a free market and free enterprise. He says he’s disappointed in the political games he feels have tainted the fight for CHI Memorial to locate in Catoosa County and would like to see a full-service hospital in the area that can handle almost anything, from childbirth to trauma.
Brian Hart, Walker County Commissioner for District 3, said he believes that everyone is happy the conflict is over and CHI Memorial will be building a new hospital.
More about the new hospital The new hospital will replace CHI’S current hospital building in Fort Oglethorpe, called CHI Memorial Hospital-georgia, which is located at 100 Gross Crescent Circle and is 70 years old, with some portions of the hospital dating back to 1904. The $130 millionplus hospital will feature state-of-the-art inpatient beds, including an intensive care unit (ICU), a fullservice emergency department, and operating rooms
and procedural suites. Plans include 64 medical/surgical beds, an emergency department with support services and related on-site infrastructure. The new hospital will connect to the current CHI Memorial Rees Skillern Cancer Center and CHI Memorial Parkway medical office building at 4750 Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold, creating a single campus and establishing a central location for inpatient and outpatient services.