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Erlanger’s new child MRI marks final step in outpatient center construction

Childrens Hospital at Erlanger photo / A nurse prepares a patient for a scan in the MRI. Childrens Hospital at Erlanger announced the opening of the Pediatric MRI and Outpatient Procedure Center at Kennedy Outpatient Center. This center provides the only dedicated pediatric MRI in the region, Erlanger officials said. As part of the original vision for the Kennedy Outpatient Center, the building was designed to be the national standard for pediatric outpatient care, officials said. The new center completes the Kennedy Outpatient Center, which opened in December 2019.
Childrens Hospital at Erlanger photo / A nurse prepares a patient for a scan in the MRI. Childrens Hospital at Erlanger announced the opening of the Pediatric MRI and Outpatient Procedure Center at Kennedy Outpatient Center. This center provides the only dedicated pediatric MRI in the region, Erlanger officials said. As part of the original vision for the Kennedy Outpatient Center, the building was designed to be the national standard for pediatric outpatient care, officials said. The new center completes the Kennedy Outpatient Center, which opened in December 2019. Childrens Hospital at Erlanger photo / A nurse prepares a patient for a scan in the MRI. Childrens Hospital at Erlanger announced the opening of the Pediatric MRI and Outpatient Procedure Center at Kennedy Outpatient Center. This center provides the only dedicated pediatric MRI in the region, Erlanger officials said. As part of the original vision for the Kennedy Outpatient Center, the building was designed to be the national standard for pediatric outpatient care, officials said. The new center completes the Kennedy Outpatient Center, which opened in December 2019.

By Elizabeth Fite 3 min read

The Chattanooga region’s first dedicated pediatric MRI — which is designed to look like a strawberry-iced doughnut with rainbow sprinkles — was unveiled Friday as Erlanger Health celebrated the opening of its new children’s outpatient procedure center.

Completion of the 10,000-square-foot, $11-million project marks the end of planned construction for the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger Kennedy Outpatient Center, which Erlanger officials said represents the largest philanthropic community effort in Chattanooga since the Tennessee Aquarium opened in 1992.

In addition to the MRI, the new procedure center wing features three operating rooms and 14 pre-op and recovery rooms or bays. The operating rooms will serve children in need of dental procedures that require anesthesia.

(READ MORE: Erlanger’s move to private nonprofit complete. Here’s what to know.)

Dr. Haresh Patel, a pediatric anesthesiologist who practices at Erlanger Children’s, said that historically, it’s been a challenge to fit dental cases into the surgical schedule due to limited space at the main hospital. In addition, wait times for a child outpatient MRI could take upward of 12 to 15 weeks because they had to share the machine with adults, he said.