Officials with Erlanger Health System released on Wednesday an artistic rendering and details of their proposed Level IV trauma center and freestanding emergency center in Bradley County.
The proposed site is located at Exit 20 off Interstate 75 and U.S. 64, 27 miles from the downtown Erlanger Medical Center and Children's Hospital campuses.
"Our goal is to serve those needing medical care closer to home, including the hundreds of Erlanger employees and their families who live and contribute to the economy in Bradley and Polk counties," Erlanger CEO Kevin Spiegel said in a statement. "Nearly 20,000 residents from Bradley and Polk Counties left for care elsewhere last year, so there is obviously a need for this additional service in their community."
But officials from Tennova Healthcare, a 351-bed hospital with 1,215 employees and 430 medical staff members serving Bradley County for more than 65 years, hope to build their own freestanding emergency department a few miles north of the main campus in downtown Cleveland, Tennessee.
"Our community is growing, our hospital [emergency department] is very busy, and the recent closure of Copper Basin Medical Center in Polk County has contributed to increased demand for emergency care," Tennova spokeswoman Stephanie Austin said in an email.
The Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency in Nashville will hear both proposals on June 27 and determine who can or can't proceed.
"Part of our presentation will be outlining why the Erlanger application does not contribute to the orderly development of health care in Bradley County," Austin said.
Erlanger's plans include support facilities for EMS personnel and an ambulance park, 12 exam rooms, including trauma facilities, observation beds for monitoring patients, a cardiac catheterization suite with observation beds, CT scanner and catheterization laboratory, imaging equipment, lab and pharmacy services and a helipad.
Erlanger Lead Executive Joe Winick said in a statement he expects patients seen at Erlanger's proposed trauma center - which would be the only trauma facility in the area - requiring hospitalization would be treated at Tennova Hospital whenever their needs align with Tennova's capabilities.
"The population in Bradley and Polk County now in need of trauma-related services are taken to Erlanger in Chattanooga by EMS," he said in an email. "Our goal is to treat and stabilize pediatric and adult patients in their home communities to the extent possible. If a patient requires hospitalization once stabilized, we would hope to keep them in the county at Tennova if appropriate medical care is available to meet the needs."
Building a trauma facility in Bradley County will help to reduce patient transports by Bradley County EMS to Chattanooga, saving time, expense and possibly lives, Winick said.
Contact staff writer Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.