Erlanger (hospital system)

Last updated
Erlanger
Hospital System
Utcom123876.jpg
Erlanger Baroness Hospital
Erlanger (hospital system)
Geography
Location Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Coordinates 35°02′54″N85°17′23″W / 35.0482°N 85.2897°W / 35.0482; -85.2897
Organization
Care system Independent, non-profit 501(c)(3)
Type Teaching
Affiliated university University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
Services
Emergency department Level I trauma center
Beds813
History
Opened1889
Links
Website erlanger.org
Lists Hospitals in Tennessee

Erlanger (often referred to as Erlanger Hospital, Erlanger Health, or Erlanger Health System) is an independent, non-profit hospital system and safety net hospital based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Erlanger's main location, Erlanger Baroness Hospital in downtown Chattanooga, is a tertiary referral hospital and Level I Trauma Center. It serves a 50,000 square mile (130,000 km2) (125 mi (201 km) radius) region of East Tennessee, North Georgia, North Alabama, and western North Carolina.

Contents

Academic Affiliation

Erlanger is the primary teaching hospital for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Medicine Chattanooga. UTHSC College of Medicine Chattanooga trains physicians enrolled annually in the medical college's residency and fellowship programs. [1] Medical students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis may also elect clinical rotations at Erlanger. Nursing, paramedic, and allied health students train at Erlanger in conjunction with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Chattanooga State Technical Community College (CSTCC), and other regional colleges.

Level I Trauma Center

Erlanger is a Level I trauma center, meeting Tennessee Department of Health criteria to serve as a regional resource for adult and pediatric patients with major traumatic injuries. [2] Erlanger is one of six Level I trauma centers in Tennessee.

Hospitals, facilities, and practices

Life Force Air Medical

Bell 407 taking off from Life Force 4 base in McCaysville, GA LIFE FORCE 4.jpg
Bell 407 taking off from Life Force 4 base in McCaysville, GA

Erlanger LIFE FORCE helicopters provide air medical services covering 25,000 square miles in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina. [4]

The aircraft are dispatched from six bases outside of Hamilton County: Calhoun and Blue Ridge in Georgia; Sparta, Winchester, and Cleveland in Tennessee; and Andrews in North Carolina. [5] The helicopters then transport pediatric and adult patients to the most appropriate receiving hospital, usually Baroness Hospital.

Life Force began operations at Erlanger in December 1988. [6] In 2008, MedTrans Corp., a Dallas-based air medical provider, began operating the aviation aspects of the program under a 10-year lease agreement. [7]

On March 9, 2023, the Andrews-based Life Force 6 EC-135 helicopter crashed in Macon County, North Carolina. This was the first crash of any Life Force helicopter. All operations of Life Force were suspended, and operations were back up on March 14, with the exception of Life Force 6. Life Force 6 resumed operations on April 11, under a non-Life Force branded EC-135. [8]

The LIFE FORCE fleet includes three Airbus H135 helicopters (formerly known as Eurocopter EC-135) and two Bell 407 helicopters. [9]

Medical Specialties

Children's Hospital at Erlanger opened the Kennedy Outpatient Center in December of 2018 Erlanger childrens outpatient.jpg
Children's Hospital at Erlanger opened the Kennedy Outpatient Center in December of 2018

Erlanger provides medical care, research, and educational training in neuroscience, neurosurgery, trauma, surgery, pediatrics (through Children's Hospital at Erlanger), orthopedics, urology, oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, primary care, pulmonology/ critical care, rheumatology, endocrinology, women’s health (OB/GYN), and bariatric surgery.

History

1889 Baron Frédéric Emile d'Erlanger, a German-French financier with railroad holdings in Chattanooga, donates $5,000 ($170,000 in 2023 dollars) to establish the region's first permanent hospital. [10]

Photo of Erlanger Hospital taken in the late 19th century Baroness Campus-1800's.jpg
Photo of Erlanger Hospital taken in the late 19th century

1891 Community leaders hold a cornerstone ceremony to celebrate the completion of the building's foundation on a four-acre tract on Harrison Avenue, now East 3rd Street. They name the facility in honor of the Baron's wife, Baroness Marguerite Mathilde Slidell d'Erlanger. [10]

1892-1899 – Even though Erlanger's first building was nearly complete by 1891, the financial downturn of the early1890s blocked the hospital from opening. In response, Chattanooga and Hamilton County agreed to jointly purchase, equip, and open the hospital. At a cost of $50,000 ($1.8 million in 2023 dollars), Baroness Erlanger Hospital opened with 72 beds in 1899. [11]

1900 - During its first nine months of operation, Erlanger treated 350 patients and performed at least one surgery each day. [6]

1929 – T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital is established in Chattanooga's Glenwood community. The pediatric facility is named in honor of T.C. Thompson, a former Chattanooga mayor who, along with the local Civitan Club, led efforts to create the facility. [10]

1957 – The two oldest portions of Erlanger, the original west and central wings, are razed to make way for expanded in-patient and surgical facilities. [12]

1960 – The region’s first “dry heart surgery” (using an external heart pump machine to keep the patient alive) was performed at Erlanger in March 1960. [13] By the 1960s, Erlanger services centered on chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer, representing a major shift from overriding concerns over contagious disease at the start of the century. [13]

1965 In July of 1961, Erlanger opens its first Intensive Care Unit (ICU), one of only 600 in the nation's 7,000 hospitals. [6]

1967 Erlanger opens the area's first Coronary Care Unit and first chromosomal laboratory (cytogenetics) with genetic counseling service. [6]

1975 T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital becomes part of Erlanger and is relocated to the downtown location. [6]

1976 The children's hospital opens a pediatric intensive care unit. [14] Also this year, area voters approved creating the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority as Erlanger's new governing body. This transition established a new board with the ability to acquire debt, so Erlanger would no longer be solely dependent on the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County for funding. This move also transferred all Erlanger property from the city and county to the hospital authority. [6]

1984 – Erlanger's cardiology team performs a repeat coronary artery bypass using the internal mammary arteries to bypass the blocks in the saphenous vein grafts. This technique did not require the use of a heart-lung machine. [6]

1987 – Erlanger seeks designation as Level I Trauma Center from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Health Center Facilities. [13]

1988 – LIFE FORCE air ambulance service begins operations and transports its first patient, a four-year-old from Sewanee, TN in a 17-minute flight to Erlanger. [13]

1989 – Chattanooga's first kidney transplant was performed at Erlanger on Sept. 26, 1989, when a mother donated a kidney to her daughter. Dr. Daniel Fisher, head of the Erlanger transplant team, directed the procedure. [13]

2007 – U.S. President George W. Bush tours Erlanger Baroness Hospital, where he is briefed on the latest advancements in stroke treatment and receives a hands-on demonstration of the da Vinci robotic surgical system. During a healthcare forum at the Chattanooga Convention Center, President Bush expresses admiration for Erlanger's commitment to cutting-edge care. [15]

2016 – In Nov. of 2016, the Erlanger completed a $50 million expansion of Erlanger East Hospital. [16] That month Erlanger also launched a new Heart and Lung Institute, expanding the health system's cardiovascular team, capabilities, and facilities. [17]

2018 – On April 1, 2018, Erlanger assumed operation of Murphy Medical Center in Murphy, North Carolina, and soon renamed the facility Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital. [18] December of that year, also marked the opening of a 90,000 sq ft (8,400 m2) pediatric outpatient facility, the Kennedy Outpatient Center, located at Erlanger's downtown campus. [19]

2023 - In July of 2023, the Tennessee attorney general signed off on Erlanger’s transition to an independent, nonprofit organization. This was the final step in converting Chattanooga’s largest and only safety net hospital from a government to a private entity under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3). [20] Erlanger's leadership said this transition would enable the hospital to make more rapid decisions in line with other health organizations, better provide changing outpatient or one-night services at satellite facilities, and attract additional philanthropic gifts to aid projects. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanford University Medical Center</span> Private hospital affiliated with Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford University Medical Center is a medical complex which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. It serves as a teaching hospital for the Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2022–23, it was ranked by the US News as the 3rd-best hospital in California and 10th-best in the country.

Salem Hospital, formerly known as North Shore Medical Center, is a Level III trauma center located in Salem, Massachusetts. A member of Mass General Brigham since 1996, it offers comprehensive medical and surgical services and includes emergency/trauma departments and a birthplace. It includes Salem Hospital and the Mass General Brigham Healthcare Center in Lynn, as well as outpatient care and urgent care. The Medical Staff includes nearly 800 affiliated physicians representing primary care, family practice and 50 additional sub-specialties. It is affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine.

Carilion Clinic is a Roanoke, Virginia-based non-profit integrated health care organization. Carilion owns and operates seven hospitals in the western part of Virginia, a nursing undergraduate program at Radford University Carilion, and a joint-venture medical school and research institute with Virginia Tech known as the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute. The system consists of hospitals, primary and specialty physician practices, pharmacies, health clubs and other complementary services. Carilion has more than 13,200 employees with 737 physicians covering more than 70 specialties at 225 practice sites, making it the largest employer in the Roanoke Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist</span> Hospital in North Carolina, United States

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is an academic medical center and health system located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and part of Charlotte-based Atrium Health. It is the largest employer in Forsyth County, with more than 19,220 employees and a total of 198 buildings on 428 acres. In addition to the main, tertiary-care hospital in Winston-Salem known as Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Health system operates five community hospitals in the surrounding region. The entity includes:

ECU Health Medical Center is a hospital located in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the primary teaching hospital for East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine and is the flagship medical center for ECU Health. ECU Health is a Level 1 Trauma Center, one of 6 in the state of North Carolina. It is the only level I trauma center east of Raleigh, and thus is the hub of medical care for a broad and complicated rural region of over 2 million people. ECU Health Medical Center is the largest employer in Eastern North Carolina and 20th overall in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters</span> Hospital in Virginia, United States

Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD), located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, is the only freestanding children's hospital in Virginia. The hospital treats infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 and even some adults who require pediatric care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrowhead Regional Medical Center</span> Hospital in California, United States

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) is a teaching hospital located in Colton, California, within Southern California's Inland Empire. ARMC is owned and operated by the County of San Bernardino. The emergency department (ED) at ARMC is the second busiest ED in the state of California. The hospital operates ten different residency training programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Missouri Hospital</span> Hospital in Missouri, United States

University Hospital is located in Columbia, Missouri. It has the only Level I trauma center and helicopter service in Mid-Missouri, and the only burn intensive care unit in the region. It also has an accredited chest pain center cardiology program and a multidisciplinary digestive disease program. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Missouri and the University of Missouri School of Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Missouri Health Care</span>

University of Missouri Health Care is an American academic health system located in Columbia, Missouri. It's owned by the University of Missouri System. University of Missouri Health System includes five hospitals: University Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, Missouri Orthopedic Institute and University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital — all of which are located in Columbia. It's affiliated with Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Missouri. It also includes more than 60 primary and specialty-care clinics and the University Physicians medical group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenner Children's Hospital</span> Hospital in North Carolina, United States

Brenner Children's Hospital, formally known as Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital, is the 144-bed is "hospital within a hospital" affiliated with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It provides care to patients from birth to age 21 and is staffed by more than 120 full-time pediatric faculty members representing more than 30 areas of expertise, as well as all pediatric surgical specialties. Brenner Children's Hospital has its own Emergency Department, including the first Level I Pediatric Trauma Care unit in North Carolina.

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System(SRHS) is one of South Carolina's largest healthcare systems. SRHS draws patients primarily from the areas of Spartanburg, Cherokee, Union, and Greenville counties (all located in the Piedmont region of South Carolina), as well as Rutherford and Polk counties (located in western North Carolina). Spartanburg General Hospital was organized under the authority of the South Carolina General Assembly in 1917. It officially became the Spartanburg Regional Health Services District, Inc., a political subdivision of the State of South Carolina, by the charter granted by the Secretary of State of South Carolina on May 1, 1995. 

St. Cloud Hospital is a hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. It is a Catholic-affiliated, not-for-profit institution and part of CentraCare Health. The hospital has more than 9,000 employees, 400 physicians and 1,200 volunteers. It serves 690,000 people in a 12-county area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Tennessee Children's Hospital</span> Hospital in Tennessee, United States

East Tennessee Children's Hospital is a private, independent, not-for-profit, 152-bed pediatric medical center in Knoxville, Tennessee. The hospital's primary service area includes 16 counties in East Tennessee, and its secondary service area includes counties in southwest Virginia, southeast Kentucky and western North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt</span> Hospital in Tennessee, United States

Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, also known as Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care children's teaching hospital and entity of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The hospital is affiliated with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics.

The University of Tennessee College of Medicine is one of six graduate schools of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in downtown Memphis. The oldest public medical school in Tennessee, the UT College of Medicine is a LCME-accredited member of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and awards graduates of the four-year program Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees. The college's primary focus is to provide practicing health professionals for the state of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital</span> Hospital in North Carolina, United States

Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital is a hospital located in Murphy, North Carolina certified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is the only hospital in the state west of Bryson City and Franklin. The hospital is licensed for 191 beds. Of the 191 beds, 120 are nursing home beds, 57 are general beds, and 14 are beds for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital</span> Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, US

Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital is a nationally ranked, 1131 bed non-profit, acute care teaching hospital located in Royal Oak, Michigan, providing tertiary care and healthcare services to the Royal Oak region and Metro Detroit. Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital is the flagship facility of Corewell Health. The hospital is affiliated with the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, as the primary teaching affiliate. The hospital is an American College of Surgeons verified Level 1 Adult and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center with an onsite helipad to transport critically ill patients from within the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Children's Hospital</span> Hospital in Arizona, US, founded 1983

Phoenix Children's Hospital is a freestanding pediatric acute care children's hospital located in Phoenix, Arizona. The hospital has 484 pediatric beds and is affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. Phoenix Children's also partners with Valleywise Health for a 3-year pediatric residency training program. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, trauma, and urgent care to infants, children, teens, and young adults 0–21 throughout Arizona and the surrounding states. The hospital sometimes also treats older adults that require pediatric care. Phoenix Children's Hospital also features a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, the only in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children's Hospital at Erlanger</span> Hospital in Tennessee, United States

Children's Hospital at Erlanger is a 118-bed, tertiary care children's hospital located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The hospital serves as the pediatric center of excellence for Erlanger Health System, the tenth largest public health system in the United States. Children's Hospital at Erlanger treats infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0-21. It is located adjacent to Erlanger Baroness Hospital, just east of downtown Chattanooga.

Cook Children's Medical Center is a not-for-profit pediatric hospital located in Fort Worth, Texas. One of the largest freestanding pediatric medical centers in the U.S., Cook Children's main campus is located in Tarrant County. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metro and the greater region. Cook Children's also has an ACS verified level II pediatric trauma center. The hospital has a rooftop helipad for the critical transport of pediatric patients to and from the hospital.

References

  1. "University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine - Chattanooga". UTHSC. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  2. "TN Dept. of Health - Designated Trauma Center Listing". State of Tennessee. Archived from the original on 2016-05-29.
  3. "Erlanger Behavioral Health Hospital Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony". www.chattanoogan.com. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  4. "HOME". www.lifeforceairmed.com. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  5. "LIFE FORCE Bases". www.lifeforceairmed.com. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Poole, RN, Wanda V. (1993). The Baroness Collection, Erlanger Medical Center 1891-1991 (1st ed.). Chattanooga, TN: Erlanger Medical Center. pp. Page 200.
  7. "History of LIFE FORCE". www.lifeforceairmed.com. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  8. Fite, Elizabeth (March 14, 2023). ""Erlanger's Life Force helicopters returning to service following crash in North Carolina"". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  9. "LIFE FORCE Fleet". www.lifeforceairmed.com. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  10. 1 2 3 Wilson, John (1980). Chattanooga's Story. Chattanooga, Tennessee: Chattanooga News Free Press. p. 350.
  11. Wilson, John (1980). Chattanooga's Story. Chattanooga, TN: Chattanooga New-Free Press. p. 276.
  12. Wilson, John (1980). Chattanooga's Story. Chattanooga, TN: Chattanooga News-Free Press. p. 398.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Poole, Wanda (1993). The Baroness Collection, Erlanger Medical Center 1891-1991 (1st ed.). Chattanooga, Tennessee: Erlanger Medical Center. p. 199.
  14. Poole, RN, Wanda (1993). The Baroness Collection, Erlanger Medical Center 1891-1991 (1st ed.). Chattanooga, TN: Erlanger Medical Center. p. 234.
  15. "Innovative Treatment For Strokes At Erlanger Intrigues President". chattanoogan.com. 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  16. "Erlanger East Completes $50 Million Expansion Into Lifestyle Hospital". chattanoogan.com. Nov 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved Dec 27, 2016.
  17. "Erlanger Launches New Heart And Lung Institute Friday". chattanoogan.com. Nov 17, 2016. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016.
  18. "Erlanger agrees to take over North Carolina hospital". Chattanooga Times Free Press. 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  19. "Erlanger Cuts The Ribbon On Sparkling New Children's Hospital Kennedy Outpatient Center; McKees Add $1 Million Gift". chattanoogan.com. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  20. "Erlanger's move to private nonprofit complete. Here's what to know". Chattanooga Times Free Press. 2023-07-02. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  21. "Jim Coleman Expects Erlanger To Thrive Under New Non-Profit Status". chattanoogan.com. 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2024-07-10.