Parkridge Cleveland ER Certificate of Need hearing rescheduled due to impending winter weather
Cleveland, Tenn. — Parkridge Medical Center announced today that the Certificate of Need (CON) hearing for its proposed Parkridge Cleveland freestanding emergency department has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Feb. 25, due to impending and uncertain winter weather conditions expected to impact Nashville and much of Middle Tennessee, where the Health Facilities Commission hearing is scheduled to be held.
The decision was made with public safety as the guiding factor, particularly for community members and healthcare leaders traveling from Cleveland, Bradley County and Polk County to attend the hearing in person.
“For families and community leaders willing to travel to Nashville to support this project, their safety comes first,” said Chris Cosby, chief executive officer of Parkridge Medical Center. “We’re incredibly grateful for the overwhelming community support we’ve seen for the Parkridge Cleveland ER, and it was clear that asking people to make that trip under uncertain winter weather conditions was not the responsible choice. We look forward to standing alongside the people of Cleveland, Bradley and Polk counties on Feb. 25 and continuing the fight to bring high-quality emergency care closer to home.”
The proposed Parkridge Cleveland ER would be located at the intersection of Blackburn Road and APD-40 (US 64 & SR 60) in Bradley County and would operate as a satellite of Parkridge Medical Center’s main emergency department in Chattanooga. The facility would operate 24/7, accept all major insurance providers, including TennCare, and feature 11 treatment rooms, a trauma room, laboratory services and imaging.
If approved, the $17.4 million emergency department will serve residents of Bradley and Polk counties, providing emergency care closer to home. As Southeast Tennessee continues to grow, particularly in Bradley County, many areas remain underserved for emergency services, often requiring residents to travel long distances when minutes matter. The proposed freestanding emergency department would close that gap by extending Parkridge Health System’s network of emergency physicians, nurses and specialists into the community.
“The need for expanded emergency care access in our region hasn’t changed,” Cosby said. “This project is about reducing travel times, improving access and giving families a real choice when every second matters. That mission is still very much alive, and we need the community’s support now more than ever.”
Community members are encouraged to continue showing their support ahead of the rescheduled hearing by submitting letters of support and signing up to ride the charter bus from Cleveland to Nashville on Feb. 25.