Does moving 5 miles away make a difference?
If you are Parkridge Medical Center, the answer is yes, News Channel 9 reports.
The organization, which operates four hospitals in Hamilton County, has asked the state of Georgia to prevent CHI Memorial from moving its Fort Oglethorpe hospital to a new building and new location 5 miles away in Ringgold.
Now, CHI Memorial is urging its patients to weigh in to help make the move happen.
Documents obtained by the news station show Parkridge is arguing that CHI Memorial’s proposed relocation “will duplicate services in a region that is already well-served while reducing access to care for the patient base historically served by CHI Georgia, particularly Walker County residents.”
That document also sites Parkridge’s plan for a Freestanding Emergency Department in East Ridge that would be located just 5 miles from the proposed CHI Memorial Georgia site.
The document says if CHI Memorial can meet it’s utilization projections, “It would result in significant and adverse impact to existing providers including PEH and PMC.” Read more.
