Dr. Brooks Says Erlanger Won't Let Him Work At Alton Park/Dodson Avenue Center

  • Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Longtime local physician Dr. Thomas Brooks said at a press conference on Tuesday that Erlanger Health System officials will not let him work at the Alton Park/Dodson Avenue Centers.

He said he is retiring on July 1 from Family Health Services (FHS) on Wilcox Boulevard and wants to "again help rejuvenate" the Erlanger health clinics.

Dr. Brooks said he would do so initially at no charge.

He also said he has long tried to get a professional relationship established between Erlanger and the black physician group at FHS.

Dr. Brooks, who said he earlier filed at Title VI complaint against Erlanger, said several Erlanger administrators, including current president and CEO Kevin Spiegel, have toured FHS and left with a positive feeling. But he said any help for the center is blocked "at the board and executive levels."

He said Erlanger "has brought hundreds of physicians into Chattanooga and changed the way that health care is delivered here." He said it has "cherry picked" the physicians it brings in and ignored the fact that two black medical schools are relatively close.

Dr. Brooks also said local officials should move forward with "a disparity study." He said the fact there is no current disparity study is often given as an excuse for not promoting policies and programs to help blacks.

He said he plans to begin holding Saturday meetings with a group from the community with similar concerns.

The group will be at the next meeting of the Alton Park/Dodson Avenue board, he said.

He questioned how that facility continues to receive federal help, "but regularly loses $2.5 million a year."

Dr. Brooks said FHS has been profitable without federal help. 

Erlanger officials had no comment.

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