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.