Memorial Health Care System Foundation Launches Capital Fundraising Campaign

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Memorial Health Care System Foundation recently launched a Capital Fundraising Campaign to help fund its Master Facility Plan.

As the Chattanooga region continues to grow, Memorial also must grow to ensure those in the region have access to the best healthcare available. Memorial’s Master Facility Plan is a $318-million expansion and renovation project that will improve and update Memorial’s facilities at both the Glenwood and Hixson campuses.

“For 60 years Memorial has provided Chattanooga with some of the finest healthcare services available, and this Master Facility Plan will ensure Memorial continues to be a healthcare leader and innovator for years to come,” said James M. Hobson, president and CEO. “Memorial is dedicated to this community. We are investing in the future and in the advancement of medicine to meet the needs of the community and to respond to the increasing number of people who trust Memorial for their care.”

The nearly 580,000-square-foot project ranges in scope from updated and expanded operating rooms, a hybrid operating suite, 20-bed clinical decision unit, seven-story cardiac bed tower, a new central utility plant, improved imaging capabilities, improved emergency and endoscopy services at Hixson and an expanded ICU areas.

The project has a four-year timeline, but it is being built in phases with different portions of the project scheduled for completion at different times. Some portions of the project have already been completed, such as the emergency department imaging, the clinical decision unit, the children’s learning center, the MRI relocation and the conversion of the existing infusion to ED fast-track. Some projects with completion dates in the near future include the Memorial Hixson utility upgrade on April 17 and the central utility plant on April 17. Primary metering is scheduled for June 30.

The contractors for the project are Brasfield & Gorrie and T.U. Parks General Contractors.  Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. serves as lead architect. When construction is at its peak, as many as 600 construction jobs will be created. During the initial phase of the project, 90 percent of the subcontractors were from local companies.

“We are excited about this new chapter in the life of Memorial,” said Jennifer Nicely, president of the Memorial Health Care System Foundation and chief development officer. “This is an opportunity for every person to be part of a historic transformation, a project that will improve care for generations to come.”

For more information, visit www.memorial.org\hero.