CHI Memorial Vice President Talks about the New Hospital for North Ga

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Andrew McGill; Senior Vice President, Strategy, Business Development & Government Relations of CHI Memorial appeared on K-WIN Today with Dade County’s Executive Commissioner Ted Rumley to announce the building of a new hospital in North Ga.

“Care, close to home, is what the people of Northwest Georgia deserve,” said McGill on Thursday’s program. “We are humbled by the enthusiasm that the community has shown toward us.” The hospital’s plans are just awaiting approval from the State of Georgia. Rumley added: “We would have been ahead of where we are now if it weren’t for COVID.” McGill stated the priority was to build a hospital in a post-COVID world that will be purposed to manage itself around a pandemic.

The new 60-70 bed hospital will be located on Battlefield Parkway, on the 27 acres surrounding their current location. It will boast “easy-in, easy-out care with a tremendous view of the mountain.”

Features of the current hospital will remain a priority in the new building: McGill assured that patients can still expect to receive the screenings, surgery, mammograms, and all other procedures; featuring modern, up-to-date technology. However, will also add full-service imaging, pulmonology, breast surgery, cardiology services, urology, orthopedics, endoscopies, colon care, and many more as plans continue to develop. Neural, open-heart, spinal, and other major surgeries will still only be provided at the main campus in Chattanooga. “When we came in to cornerstone food services had been removed, those will be restored,” said McGill.

Dade County residents may remember that CHI Memorial, by opening the clinic in Trenton, has been instrumental in “filling the void Hutcheson left,” as Evan Stone of K-WIN Today expressed. McGill says that with around 80,000 primary care visits in NW Georgia yearly, the hospital was the next logical step. The Vice President described the importance of being able to receive care in North Georgia. “Base healthcare is a good primary care provider. We have a 5 star health system, and we will now have capabilities for 24 hour emergent services… Dade Co is important to CHI Memorial, and we’re honored to be a partner in health care. We know there’s a mountain between us, but we will take you where you need to go.”

CHI Memorial hopes to have “shovels in the ground” after first of the year in 2022; or by early spring at the latest. “By middle of 2024 we hope to be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony,” concluded Vice President McGill.

By Orey Yates