Hospice of Chattanooga is opening the region’s first inpatient facility for hospice patients.
The building is located at 2626 Walker Road in East Brainerd. It has 16 beds and will deliver continuous care 24 hours a day, seven days each week. Only Hospice of Chattanooga employees certified in hospice and palliative care will provide patient care at this facility.
“Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia has needed an inpatient facility like this for a very long time,” said Rev.
L. Clark Taylor, Jr., C.E.O. of Hospice of Chattanooga. “This facility will allow us to better serve hospice patients who are no longer appropriate for the hospital, but still need a higher level of care than what we could provide in their own home.”
The Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency unanimously approved Hospice of Chattanooga’s certificate of need for this inpatient facility in September 2009, calling it a “no brainer” for the greater Chattanooga region. After approval was granted, Hospice of Chattanooga renovated a 9,900 square foot facility on the campus of Health Care at Standifer Place, making it patient and family friendly. Aside from its location, Hospice of Chattanooga’s inpatient facility has no direct affiliation with Health Care at Standifer Place.
The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate this healthcare milestone with a ribbon cutting March 19. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at Hospice of Chattanooga at Walker Road. Coffee and light snacks will be served immediately after the ceremony.
“This inpatient facility shows the community we are committed to providing the very best end of life care,” said Sue Longstreet, Hospice of Chattanooga’s vice president of administration. “We can’t wait to share this big moment with the people we serve.”
For those who cannot attend Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony, Hospice of Chattanooga will also hold an open house at the Walker Road facility March 21 from 2 - 3:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the open house and tour the inpatient hospice facility.
Hospice of Chattanooga was founded in 1981. It is the largest not-for-profit hospice in this region, serving more than 550 patients each day. Each year, Hospice of Chattanooga provides more than half a million dollars in unfunded care to families in both Tennessee and North Georgia. For more information about Hospice of Chattanooga, visit www.hospiceofchattanooga.org.