Erlanger hospital has closed its burn unit, hospital officials said.

The unit lost its medical director in February and the hospital has been unable to find a replacement, according to an e-mailed statement from Erlanger spokeswoman Jan Powell.

“After careful consideration and consultation with the local plastic surgeons providing coverage for the unit, Erlanger officials have determined that closing our burn unit is in the best interests of major burn patients,” the statement said.

Erlanger spokeswoman Nancy Poston said today that no one at the hospital is available for comment on the burn unit, which closed Tuesday.

Erlanger remains a Level I trauma center, hospital officials said in the statement. The burn unit’s employees have been absorbed into other areas of the hospital.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.