Butch Jones
Erlanger officials have announced that groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Children’s Hospital at Erlanger Outpatient Center will take place on Tuesday, beginning at 11 a.m. The public is invited to join the festivities, which will be held at the corner of E. Third and Hampton Streets.
Elected officials, business leaders, and local entertainers will be participating in the June ground-breaking event, and donors to the “Believe” fund-raising campaign will be recognized for the success of the campaign and the vision for a new Children’s Hospital which has now become reality. Kim White, president & CEO of River City Company, will also be speaking on the importance of this new facility, and the dramatic impact it will have on the revitalization of the Third Street Corridor.
University of Tennessee Head Football Coach Butch Jones will also be making a special appearance in honor of the occasion. Following the Woodmore Elementary school bus crash last November, Coach Jones brought UT linebacker Jalan Reeves-Mabin and running back Alvin Kamara to Children’s Hospital to visit with the children injured in the crash and their families. “Their visit made a huge impact on our patients, their families and our staff,” said Don Mueller, CEO of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, explaining that “Coach Jones felt a close connection to us and wanted to come back as we celebrate this momentous occasion.”
“We encourage the community, particularly our 3,000+ donors and former pediatric patients from throughout the region, to come out and be part of the largest philanthropic initiative in the history of the Erlanger Health System,” said Erlanger President and CEO Kevin M. Spiegel, FACHE. When it opens next year, the world-class, state-of-the-art facility will serve as the hub of pediatric healthcare for an entire 50,000 square foot service area. “We believe this addition to the Erlanger system will be the most important new building in the City of Chattanooga with far-reaching impact, from pediatric treatment, medical education and technology, to research and economic development,” the Erlanger CEO said.
When completed in 2018, the new pediatric center will ensure the highest level of care and services for more than a million children in a five-state area and employ more than 250 people. The $40 million investment – funded predominantly by private donations – also represents a huge economic impact to the community. The new treatment center will serve as the gateway to a Wellness and Innovation District and spark the continued transformation of E. Third Street.
Those attending the June groundbreaking ceremonies will have the opportunity to learn more about the vast array of services available in the new facility. According to Mueller, there will be four telemedicine suites “which will transform the way children are being treated today.” Other unique services include centers for child psychology, physical therapy and hypertension, as well as the Childhood Healthy Eating and Active Living Center (C-HEAL) specifically to address pediatric obesity.
Parking will be provided for attendees and media near the groundbreaking site.
Click here to watch real time construction progress of the new center.
View this video on the construction project.