Catoosa County is home to a variety of healthcare services and providers. Numerous physicians, dentists and medical specialists have offices in our two cities. As our county has grown, quality healthcare has become even more accessible to our residents. For more information on regional healthcare visit http://www.erlanger.org.


Our local hospital, Hutcheson Medical Center http://www.hutcheson.org. For 50 years, Hutcheson Medical Center has cared for Catoosa County residents as well as for the neighboring counties of Walker and Dade. Hutcheson Medical Center is located in one of the fastest growing areas in Georgia and serves more than 130,000 residents within the counties of Catoosa, Dade and Walker.

Hutcheson is also located near the historic Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, and boasts a rich heritage rivaled by few hospitals. The oldest part of the Medical Center campus, The Post Hospital, built between 1902 and 1904, served the U.S. Sixth Cavalry and other troops stationed in Fort Oglethorpe through five decades and both world wars. Many of America’s greatest fighting men, including Pershing, Patton, and Eisenhower, knew The Post Hospital well. In 1955, the hospital became the second youngest facility in America to receive full accreditation from JCAHO, The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. In 1961, the hospital became the first in the South to inaugurate progressive patient care.

About Hutcheson

As the North Georgia community has grown, so has Hutcheson Medical Center.
Today, more than 1,400 people choose to work at Hutcheson making the hospital one of the largest employers in the North Georgia area. Licensed for 179 beds, the hospital is a mid-sized community hospital focused on its mission to provide access to quality, cost-effective, community-based healthcare services in a healing environment.

In fact, Hutcheson’s commitment to the community has been recognized by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals – naming Hutcheson four times as one of the top community hospitals across the entire state of Georgia. (1997,1999, 2001 and 2002)

More than 270 of the area’s finest physicians choose to be a part of Hutcheson’s mission and medical staff along with more than 400 dedicated, professional, compassionate and experienced nurses.

Quality

Hutcheson Medical Center has been committed to providing the finest in health care to the North Georgia area since 1953 and the hospital prides itself in providing the highest of quality. Hutcheson recently received reaccreditation from the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which is the organization that reviews all hospitals to make sure they are in compliance with national standards and benchmarks.

Women’s Health

Hutcheson is known as the place “where babies come from” and more than 14,000 babies have been delivered since its opening in 1988. The Women’s Center at Hutcheson is one of the area’s most comprehensive, featuring spacious labor-delivery-recovery (LDR) rooms, a home-like atmosphere and the very latest in fetal monitoring equipment. The Women’s Center boasts more high technology in its advanced Level II Newborn Intensive Care Nursery for babies with special medical needs. The Women’s Center is staffed with the area’s finest physicians, midwives and anesthesiologists and is equipped with the latest advanced technology including on-site surgical suites and one of the most advanced security systems for newborns in the country. The Women’s Center is a unique home away from home atmosphere with beautiful birthing suites. In fact, Hutcheson was the first hospital in the Chattanooga/North Georgia area to introduce single-room LDR (labor-delivery-recovery).

Hutcheson also has a dedicated pediatric wing that is located near the labor and delivery area which is staffed with fully trained pediatric nurses and is complete with an observation unit for children who require continuous monitoring.

The Auxiliary Breast Care Center at Hutcheson opened in August 2000 and is equipped with the latest equipment and technology and offers mammography and ultrasound in one convenient location. The Auxiliary Breast Care Center sees more than 8,000 patients a year.

Imaging Technology

Hutcheson was the first hospital-based system in the area to offer the highly technical magnetic resonance imaging capabilities and in addition to Nuclear Medicine, CT Scan and Mammography, Hutcheson was the first Fluoroscopy unit of its kind in the United States. Today, Hutcheson continues to be the pacesetter and area leader in imaging technology and is committed to providing the latest and most advanced technology to its patients. Hutcheson is staffed with the area’s finest board-certified radiologists and boasts the area’s only all-digital imaging capability giving patients the safest, fastest and most accurate x-rays available today. Hutcheson is also the first community-based hospital in the country with this type of equipment. The all-digital technology also gives area physicians the ability to see images from miles away --- a first in the North Georgia and Chattanooga area. Just last year, more than 77,000 diagnostic exams were performed at Hutcheson. In 2001, the hospital expanded this imaging center and entered into a partnership to provide an Open MRI here just north of the main campus on Battlefield Parkway.

Emergency Medicine

Hutcheson’s Emergency Room sees on average 30,000 patients each year or approximately 100 patients a day in its emergency room.

Hutcheson has expanded its emergency services to create more bed space and a second nursing station. Allowing for a two-track approach for treatment, the dual emergency system permits one station to handle major emergencies, while the other is free to handle less serious health concerns. The emergency center recently added a state-of-the-art tracking system that allows doctors to pinpoint the location and status of very patient and reduce the normal wait time in an Emergency Room.

Hutcheson also has 7 ambulances in 6 different locations, which cover an 811 square mile area. Last year, Hutcheson answered more than 7,000 medical calls and 2,511 trauma calls. Hutcheson’s average response time is also less than 9 minutes --- which is better than the national benchmark. Hutcheson’s EMS has been named “EMS of the Year” six times within the last 10 years.

Occupational Wellness

Hutcheson is a leader in occupational wellness and takes quality healthcare on site to many area businesses and industries. The Mobile Wellness Van is the only mobile wellness service of its type in this region and provides much needed health screenings for area employees. Just last year, Hutcheson provided more than 5,000 health care screenings to local businesses in Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties.

Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics and Rehab Services

Hutcheson is also a leader in sports medicine, orthopaedics and rehab services and offers the area’s most comprehensive program including cardiac rehab, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, occupational medicine, wound care and sports medicine.

Hutcheson is the largest provider of rehab services in our area and is equipped with the very latest in equipment to help its patients heal and recover. Hutcheson also employs some of the area’s most highly trained and experienced professionals in its field.

Hutcheson’s rehab services provide athletic trainers in every high school along with academic and athletic scholarships in these same schools.

Rehab Services are available in three locations including Fort Oglethorpe, LaFayette and Trenton. Cardiac Rehab is available in Fort Oglethorpe and LaFayette.

Surgery Center

Hutcheson’s 25,000 square foot surgery center offers six spacious and advanced operating suites, an 11-room day surgery facility and a fully equipped with some of the area’s best surgeons and experienced staff. The center also includes a fully equipped gastrointestinal endoscopy laboratory. State-of-the-art lasers make such procedures as laparoscopic cholecystectomies, hysterectomies, and arthroscopies procedures commonplace.

Intensive Care Units

The 12-bed Intensive Care Unit at Hutcheson is modeled after the highly successful Emory University Hospital Design. The circular nurses’ station offers staff an unimpeded view of every patient room, while private waiting area just outside the patient’s door allow the family to be close at all times. A special unit for coronary care, plus a progressive care unit area also available.

Laboratory and Pathology Services

Hutcheson’s Lab and Pathology Department continues to make advancements by providing 24-hour, full service laboratory testing for chemistry, hematology, microbiology, blood bank/transfusion studies and much more. The experienced staff of medical technologists, medical laboratory technicians, and phlebotomists performs nearly 460,000 test procedures annually under rigorous quality control standards. The lab is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

Parkside Nursing Home

As the population gets older, skilled long-term care takes on a greater significance. With this in mind, we offer Parkside at Hutcheson Medical Center, a 109-bed nursing home located on the medical center campus. In addition to residential care, Parkside offers an Adult Day Program for those caregivers who need a “day away.”

Home Health

Home Health is another fast-growing component of today’s healthcare market. Our hospital-based Hutcheson Home Health Care allows many patients to leave the hospital earlier and receive their follow-up treatment at home. Last year, Home Health representatives assisted more than 1,000 North Georgia patients, supported by the full services of a major medical center.

Hospice

For those patients whose illness is irreversible, Hutcheson Hospice offers comfort and assistance to the patient and family. A facility on the medical center campus houses both Home Health and Hospice.

Physicians

Hutcheson Medical Center has added many physicians to its staff. Just since 2002, Hutcheson has added a general surgeon from Emory University, several Ear, Nose and Throat specialists from the Chattanooga area, a plastic surgeon from Vanderbilt and orthopaedic physicians from The Medical College of Georgia. The hospital continues to recruit high-quality physicians to the North Georgia community --- physicians who are solely dedicated to serving the community and providing quality health care right here at home.

On-Site Children’s Learning Center

Hutcheson is proud to provide a family-friendly environment for the children of its employees and physicians. In fact, Hutcheson is offers the only nationally accredited, hospital-based learning center in the area. In 2002, the center received reaccreditation, scoring a perfect score in each of the 10 categories including curriculum, child-to-teacher ratio, nutrition, ongoing education and more.

Plans for Future Growth

Hutcheson recently applied for and received a Certificate of Need (CON) from the State of Georgia to expand its facility. During 2003, Hutcheson is planning to build a physician’s office building, outpatient imaging center, ambulatory surgery center and a state-of-the-art cancer center in the North Georgia community --- conveniently located on the hospital’s 27 acres of land just a few miles from the main campus.

The Catoosa County Health Department,
located in a new facility on the Benton Place Campus, offers a variety of health services for adults and children. A combination of county, state and federal funds plus moderate fees charged to clients on a sliding scale provide for services. No one is refused service because of inability to pay. The Health Department staff works to promote and protect the health of people in the community. The Environmental Health Program, an essential part of public health, is responsible for a variety of tasks related to disease prevention and health promotion. Also, public health partners with Hutcheson Medical Center to assist in providing services on the Mobile Healthcare Services Van throughout the community.

Catoosa County is also home to Lookout Mountain Community Services, a non profit mental health service. Nursing homes in the area include Fort Oglethorpe Nursing Home, Rosewood Assisted Living and NHC. North Georgia Home Health also takes healthcare into the homes of Catoosa County residents.