Parkridge to be allowed to build freestanding emergency room in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF)- A few months ago, the Parkridge Health System announced their intentions to build a new freestanding emergency room in Cleveland.

However, they faced opposition from Vitruvian Health, who owns the only emergency room in Cleveland, the Bradley Medical Center.

Wednesday, they faced off in front of the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission to decide if that would be built.

Every hospital that opens in the state of Tennessee must obtain a Certificate of Need, certifying that their operations will help the community and co-exist with the existing health providers they plan to open in.

Parkridge says their new freestanding emergency room plans to do just that, while Vitruvian says it threatens their ability to provide rural health care.

However, several community members say this is a needed addition.

Cleveland resident Laura Coleman told the Commission when her husband dealt with a health emergency that he, “Almost bled to earth waiting for care at the only ER that Bradley County has. We waited six hours in the waiting room and never got to triage.”

The dozen Bradley and Polk County residents who showed up to speak in favor of the Parkridge ER say that with the population growth of Cleveland and surrounding areas, the one lone emergency room at Bradley Medical Center is no longer enough to support the demand.

Another resident, Lawanna Bagley, recalled that when she dealt with an illness that, “After waiting for some time I was told it could be up to five more hours before I would even be seen. At that point I didn’t feel like I could wait any longer and went to Parkridge North ER, where I was seen in 20 minutes.”

A Cleveland nursing home owner, Chris Bergstrand, recalled when one of his patients had to be transported to Chattanooga from Bradley Medical for care that,  “I wrote back why are they going to Chattanooga and she said he told me because the machine that they need is broken today.”

In comparison, only two residents showed up to show support for Vitruvian against Parkridge, citing their concerns over cost and the lack of supportive care in the Cleveland area.

One of those, a Polk County resident named Anna Clark, said, “Polk County’s life expectancy is 70, three years lower than Bradley County. A new standalone ER won’t close that gap. It treats crisis after they occur, but does nothing for prevention. Bridging this divide demands ongoing preventive and primary care.”

Parkridge CEO Chris Cosby said that Bradley County’s population to ER ratio is less than half the state’s average, and that many residents were too far away from an emergency room, as he said 35% of all patients from Bradley and Polk Counties are leaving Cleveland for emergency care.

He called southern Bradley County and Polk County a healthcare desert, and said he had heard causes of people in crisis driving to the Hamilton County line before calling for emergency help.

Cosby said, “It’s not about miles, it’s about minutes. As you heard multiple EMS providers who got up here and spoke for us say that is about time and getting access in closer and faster.”

Vitruvian CEO Lisa Lovelace said that they had made significant improvements to Bradley Medical Center since purchasing it in 2024.

She said the company is attempting to work around a current dispute with United Healthcare, which has impacted customers since August, by taking on the burden of the cost between out and in network.

Lovelace said, “So the patients are paying the network amount and co-pays.”

She added that Vitruvian, “Shows up for everyone and that we should be allowed to continue making our local improvements.”

However, the Commission did vote to approve Parkridge’s application 4-3, giving residents who spoke up hope for Cleveland’s medical future.

Cleveland resident Kevin Pew, said, “Equity means every part of this community deserves the same chance to survive an emergency right now. The reality is that the southside of Cleveland does not have that chance this ER will finally put life-saving care where it needs to be.”

Parkridge says with this approval, they expect to have this brand new freestanding emergency room open by 2028.