The Georgia Department of Community Health on Friday announced its approval of CHI Memorial’s certificate of need (CON) application to build a new hospital in Ringgold, Ga.
“On behalf of the people of Northwest Georgia, we are thrilled with this decision,” said Andrew McGill, CHI Memorial chief strategist. “CHI Memorial has been committed to this community for nearly 25 years, and this is the next step to ensure the residents have convenient access to care close to home.”
CHI Memorial acquired the license to operate the hospital in Fort Oglethorpe in December 2017. At that time, hospital leadership promised to build a new hospital building. CHI Memorial was required to file a CON because the new hospital campus is more than three and a half miles from the current location. With today’s decision, CHI Memorial will finalize the project plans and prepare for the groundbreaking, which will take place in fall 2022.
The new hospital is scheduled to open in fall 2024.
The new hospital in Ringgold will feature 64 inpatient beds including an intensive care unit (ICU), as well as a full service emergency department, operating rooms, and an endoscopy lab. It will also include a comprehensive imaging center with x-ray, CT, MRI, and ultrasound, and non-invasive cardiac imaging. The new building will connect to the current CHI Memorial Parkway building creating a single campus geared toward establishing a central location for inpatient and outpatient services.
Since acquiring the license for hospital operations in December 2017, CHI Memorial opened Rees Skillern Cancer Institute for radiation treatment, an imaging center, a MaryEllen Locher Breast Center, and a multi-speciality clinic at CHI Memorial Parkway. In 2021, CHI Memorial began providing EMS service to Dade and Walker Counties. CHI Memorial also has primary care clinics in Catoosa, Dade, and Walker Counties, as well as an urgent care clinic in Walker County. In total, CHI Memorial has more than 70 physicians and advanced practice clinicians serving the North Georgia community, including almost two dozen adult primary care providers.
“CHI Memorial has been committed to this community for nearly 30 years,” said Janelle Reilly, CHI Memorial market CEO. “Bringing more services to a convenient, patient-friendly campus that is close to a major interstate and in the epicenter of local commercial and residential growth will provide greater access to comprehensive healthcare closer to home. It’s what the people of North Georgia need and deserve, and we are happy to partner with them on this journey.”