Chattanooga has three hospital systems plus a county health department. The
short version: Erlanger is the big public teaching system, CHI Memorial is
the private Catholic system, and Parkridge is HCA's downtown and east-side
hospitals. Most people pick a system based on where their doctor is and
which insurance is accepted.
Green pins: Chattanooga-area hospital systems. Blue pins: regional
hospitals (Cleveland, Dayton). Gold pin: county health department. Click a
pin for address and directions (Google or Apple Maps).
The largest and the region's Level 1 trauma center and academic teaching
hospital (the UT College of Medicine campus)
(erlanger.org).
The main campus is on Erlanger
Medical Circle (off Third St), with Erlanger East (Gunbarrel), Children's at
Erlanger, and Erlanger Baroness downtown.
Erlanger campuses & affiliates:
| Campus | Location | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Erlanger Baroness | 975 E 3rd St, downtown Chattanooga | Main campus; Level I trauma center, 24/7 ER |
| Children's Hospital at Erlanger | 910 Blackford St, downtown | Region's only comprehensive pediatric center; 24/7 pediatric ER (childrensaterlanger.org) |
| Erlanger East | 1751 Gunbarrel Rd, East Brainerd | Full-service community hospital; 24/7 ER - the closest for eastern Hamilton County (Ooltewah, Collegedale, Harrison) (erlanger.org) |
| Erlanger North | 632 Morrison Springs Rd, Red Bank | Community hospital at the foot of Signal Mountain; 24/7 ER - the closest for northern Hamilton County (Soddy-Daisy, Hixson, Red Bank) (erlanger.org) |
| Erlanger Behavioral Health | 804 N Holtzclaw Ave, Chattanooga | 144-bed psychiatric hospital (with Acadia Healthcare) |
| Erlanger Bledsoe | 71 Wheelertown Ave, Pikeville TN | Critical-access hospital (25 beds) serving the Cumberland Plateau; 24/7 ER |
| Erlanger Sequatchie Valley ED | 16931 Rankin Ave, Dunlap TN | 24/7 freestanding emergency department (a department of Erlanger Bledsoe) (erlanger.org) |
| Erlanger Western Carolina | 3990 E US Hwy 64 Alt, Murphy NC | 25-bed critical-access hospital (former Murphy Medical Center); 24/7 Level III ED |
Erlanger's own site groups the first four above (plus its community health
centers) as the Chattanooga-area hospital campuses; Bledsoe, Sequatchie
Valley, and Western Carolina are its out-of-county regional facilities.
The private, faith-based (Catholic) system, now part of CommonSpirit
Health (memorial.org) - you'll see both
names. Main campus Memorial Hospital (Chattanooga), plus Memorial Hospital
Hixson and a 24/7 North Georgia emergency department at 4710
Battlefield Parkway, Ringgold, GA 30736 · (706) 944-2703 (CommonSpirit
location).
Also affiliated physician offices across the region.
Two hospitals in the region: Parkridge Medical Center downtown and
Parkridge East (East Ridge). Part of the for-profit HCA chain.
The public health department runs clinics (immunizations, family planning,
WIC, some dental), environmental health, and school programs
(health.hamiltontn.org). Several
clinics have closed - Sequoyah (Soddy-Daisy) saw its last patients in June
2025, Ooltewah closed its building May 1, 2026 (now a mobile unit Mon/Fri),
and the county dental clinic closed July 1, 2026
(Local 3 timeline)
For people in the far north or east of Hamilton County, the closest
ER isn't always downtown Chattanooga. The region's other hospital anchors:
| Hospital | City | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bradley Medical Center | 2305 Chambliss Ave NW, Cleveland TN | The main hospital for Bradley County and the far east of Hamilton County (Georgetown, Birchwood area). Part of Vitruvian Health (formerly Tennova Healthcare - Cleveland); 24-hour ER (vitruvianhealth.com) |
| Bradley Medical Center - Westside | 2800 Westside Dr NW, Cleveland TN | Outpatient/ambulatory campus of the same system (no ER) |
| Rhea Medical Center | 9400 Rhea County Hwy, Dayton TN | The hospital for Rhea County - the closest option for far-northwestern areas, and useful for anyone living between Chattanooga and Dayton. County-owned non-profit; 24-hour ER with on-site physician (rheamedical.org) |
| CommonSpirit - Memorial Hospital Hixson | 2051 Hamill Rd, Hixson | CHI Memorial's Hixson campus; 24-hour ER - the closest for Hixson and much of the north shore (memorial.org) |
Nearest ER by area (quick guide):
Always check your insurance before relying on a specific hospital -
which systems are in-network varies by plan, and some out-of-county
facilities (Cleveland, Dayton) may be out of network for Chattanooga-area
plans even though they're geographically closer.
The community's standard advice, repeated in nearly every "how do I find a
doctor here" thread:
See Health insurance & low-cost care for TennCare, ACA
marketplace, and sliding-scale clinics. The big no-insurance option is the
FQHC network - Cempa Community Care and Erlanger Community Health
Center (4 locations, including a dental clinic at Dodson Avenue) - where
you pay on a sliding scale and no one is turned away. The
dental page covers low-cost dental specifically.
This page describes the systems, not a ranking. Add your own experience with
specific clinics and current phone numbers.
Last updated: September 2026.