How do you get a firetruck on to the 3^rd floor of a hospital? Not through the elevator.

Facing unique client requests like this is a fun challenge for contractors like McCarthy Building Companies Inc. The group recently hoisted a fire and tow truck into the under-construction Erlanger Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The 90,000 square-feet of new construction at Erlanger Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center is designed with children in mind to help relieve anxiety while meeting the complex needs of families and physicians. The firetruck and tow truck installations are interactive elements designed to engage children and distract them from their illnesses. 

The firetruck was donated by the Chattanooga Fire Department. The tow truck, dubbed Sally the Wrecker, was donated by Dodd Brothers Towing. These donations are not only excited additions for future patients, but also a symbol of the community support for the much-needed new facility.

The center will offer everything from pediatric cardiology, gastroenterology and pulmonology to neurology, orthopedics and more. McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. broke ground on the project on June 6, 2017. McCarthy has a strong history with Erlanger, previously completing the expansion of the surgical center and construction of the new patient tower at Erlanger East in 2016.  Currently ahead of schedule and under budget, McCarthy is on track to finish the project by the end of this year.

“This new outpatient center is designed to make the patient experience more comfortable for both the child and their family,” said Bruce Komiske, vice president of new hospital design and construction at Erlanger Health System. “McCarthy has gone above and beyond to construct this new state-of-the-art facility that will meet the growing needs of our community.”

Each year, Children’s Hospital at Erlanger cares for more than 6,000 inpatients and newborns, provides emergency treatment and outpatient services for 100,000 and ensures that children throughout the region have access to the highest level of pediatric care. Erlanger treats more than 90 percent of children with cancer in Chattanooga.

McCarthy is helping the new Children’s Hospital come to life in more ways than one. The team has helped Erlanger rally support for the project through community outreach like Erlanger’s annual Believe Bash. Last year, McCarthy built a to-scale model of patient rooms, helping Believe Bash attendees visualize the building their donations would fund. The black-tie event drew nearly 1,000 people and raised more than half a million dollars.

“As members of the Chattanooga community, we’re passionate about seeing the project come to life and make a difference,” said Will Gaither, McCarthy Senior Project Manager for the Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center. “Our efforts are building a critical community resource, so we are happy to do whatever we can.”

“McCarthy has stepped up in so many ways to help us,” Komiske said. “They are engaged in the community and have been a true partner to Erlanger.”

The Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center Planning is phase 1 of Erlanger Health System multi-phase expansion that will add approximately 360,000 square feet of new construction.