The Tennessee attorney general’s approval is the last remaining step before Erlanger Health System becomes a private nonprofit organization following a vote by Hamilton County commissioners Wednesday.
Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp to transfer the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority — the formal name for Erlanger Health System — to a newly formed Tennessee private nonprofit corporation called Erlanger Health organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
“We began this journey over a year ago to create a sustainable, stronger future for our health system,” Sheila Boyington, chairwoman of the Erlanger Board of Trustees, said in an emailed statement. “Becoming an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization will give us the flexibility we need to sustain and grow our services, better support and invest in our people, improve quality and safety, optimize finances and, ultimately, enhance our ability to care for our patients and communities now and for decades to come.”
Boyington in her statement thanked the commission along with the county and city mayors, Hamilton County’s legislative delegation and Erlanger trustees — who have worked together since February 2022 to come to an agreement and facilitate Erlanger’s transition from a government entity to an independent nonprofit.
Commission Chairman Chip Baker, R-Signal Mountain, who worked as an administrator at Erlanger in the 1990s, voiced his support for the move and the Erlanger board during both this week’s and last week’s commission meetings.