McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. broke ground yesterday on the new Children’s Hospital at Erlanger Outpatient Center. The $40 million outpatient facility is phase one of plans for a new Children’s Hospital, among the nation’s most elite academic pediatric medical centers.

When it opens, the 90,000 square feet, state-of-the-art facility will serve as the hub of pediatric healthcare for an entire 50,000 square mile service area.   The Erlanger Children’s Outpatient Center, located across the street from Children’s Hospital, will offer a vast array of services such as imaging, lab services, and pharmacy, as well as 21 pediatric specialty centers which include cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, urology, neurology, oncology, and orthopedics. The facility will host the region’s only certified pediatrics genetics counseling and centers for child psychology, physical therapy, hypertension and more. The new center will also include H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating Active Lifestyle) Center to address pediatric obesity. All the clinical areas will be designed with children in mind to help relieve anxiety when visiting doctors, and aim to meet the complex needs of families and physicians. Each floor will have a theme and include interactive discovery centers to engage children and distract them from their injuries and illnesses. 

“We believe this addition to the Erlanger system will be the most important new building in the City of Chattanooga with far-reaching impact, from pediatric treatment, medical education and technology, to research and economic development,” said Erlanger President and CEO Kevin M. Spiegel, FACHE.  “The center will ensure the highest level of care and services for more than a million children in a five-state area and employ more than 250 people.” 

“After more than 40 years, we have outgrown our existing footprint at Children’s Hospital,” said Don Mueller, CEO of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger.  “This new investment in our community funded, predominantly through private donations, represents a huge economic impact to our city.  The new treatment center will also serve as the gateway to a Wellness and Innovation District and spark the continued transformation of E. Third Street.  We are excited McCarthy will construct our new facility and help meet the growing needs of our community,” he added.

As one of the nation’s most trusted builders, McCarthy was awarded the project for its extensive experience in healthcare construction. McCarthy has constructed more than 800 significant healthcare facilities and renovated thousands more. The Outpatient Center will be McCarthy’s second project for Erlanger Health System.  In 2016, Erlanger opened a new patient tower with added patient rooms and surgical suites at Erlanger East Hospital.

“We are honored to continue our relationship with Erlanger and excited to build a world-class pediatric facility that will provide superior healthcare to families in the Chattanooga area,” said Kevin Kuntz, president of McCarthy’s southeast division. “The existing facility does not fit the lifestyle feel that Erlanger’s facilities are moving towards. This new outpatient center is designed to make the patient experience more comfortable and friendly for both children and their families.”  

McCarthy recently revealed detailed vignettes replicating two clinical areas of the new Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center at Erlanger’s inaugural Believe Bash, a fundraiser to benefit the new Children’s Hospital.  These models, created using BIM and VR technology, showcased how pertinent the new facility and pediatric services will be to the local community.

Throughout the project, McCarthy will work closely with adjacent property owners and Erlanger associates to ensure a safe and productive environment during construction. The project is designed by HKS Architects, Inc. and is slated to be completed by early 2019.

 More information about the company is available online atwww.mccarthy.com or by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram andGoogle+.   Visit www.erlanger.org/childrens.