CHI Memorial Launches "Invest in the Best" Capital Campaign

CHI Memorial has launched its "Invest in the Best" capital campaign, a multi-million dollar initiative aimed at expanding and enhancing patient care across a range of critical specialties.  The campaign will focus on five key areas: cardiac care, emergency services, interventional pulmonology, stroke and neuroscience, and oncology.  Hospital leadership and community leaders have already raised more than $12.9 million of the $20.65 million goal, including five lead gifts of $1 million or more. 

Now, the health system invites local residents and community members to join these donors in supporting the hospital.  The goal is to raise the final $7.75 million by June 2025.  All gifts, regardless of the amount, will help achieve the fundraising goal.  Donations can be made online at investinchatt.org or by calling (423) 495-4438.  All donations designated for CHI Memorial’s Foundation will remain in Chattanooga, ensuring we continue to provide the highest quality care to our community. 

“We understand donors want to invest their money wisely. CHI Memorial has an outstanding reputation for pushing the limits with technology and providing exceptional care,” shared Janelle Reilly, CHI Memorial market president.  “We understand health care is a shared responsibility.  It takes all of us—health care providers, community leaders, and citizens—to create an environment where everyone has access to the care they need. The public phase of our Invest in the Best capital campaign is a way for everyone to get involved and join the nearly 60 donors who have made this effort possible to date.”

Five key areas of impact

• Cardiac Care: The campaign will invest in two new high-tech cardiac CT machines, enabling The Chattanooga Heart Institute and Guerry Heart and Vascular Center to screen more than 36,000 patients in the next five years. This advanced technology will facilitate early detection and treatment of cardiovascular issues and disease. Additionally, the campaign will fund the development of the nation's first cardiac amyloid community screening program.
• Emergency Services: CHI Memorial's emergency department will undergo a major renovation to create a more welcoming environment and increase operational efficiency.  The campaign will fund expanded patient bed capacity, enhanced privacy during triage and registration, and a new virtual platform to streamline patient access to urgent and emergency care.  A dedicated chaplain will also be added to provide patient advocacy and navigation, further enhancing the patient experience.
• Interventional Pulmonology: Building on the success of the Buz Standefer Lung Center and Breathe. Easy. mobile lung screening program, the campaign will fund a new surgery suite for the interventional pulmonology team. This will allow CHI Memorial to continue pioneering innovative techniques, such as cone beam technology for lung lesion biopsies, and provide exceptional care to the region's growing number of lung cancer patients.
• Stroke and Neuroscience: CHI Memorial, a certified Comprehensive Stroke Center facility, will expand its stroke and neuroscience services with a new neuro intensive care unit, stroke step-down patient care unit, and advanced equipment. This investment will further enhance neurosurgical capabilities and allow patients to receive specialized care close to home.
• Oncology: The Rees Skillern Cancer Institute will receive a new state-of-the-art linear accelerator, providing the latest technology and enhanced radiation capabilities for more than 1,000 patients and 16,000 radiation treatments annually. This investment ensures that the cancer community has access to the best available care.

'We all know Chattanooga is a growing city and one of the cornerstones to a vibrant community is having exceptional health care. CHI Memorial Foundation's Invest in the Best capital campaign is a way to take the already exceptional healthcare at CHI Memorial to an even higher level. I can't think of a better investment than to help grow our community in a way that will ultimately help serve hundreds of thousands of our region's citizens,” shared Tom White, Invest in the Best campaign co-chair.'

Investing in the Best

Tax deductible donations can be made online at investinchatt.org, or donors can call the CHI Memorial Foundation at (423) 495-4438.  All money raised through the Invest in the Best capital campaign will go directly to support cardiac, emergency department, neuroscience, oncology, and pulmonology projects.  Tom White and William Warren, MD, serve as co-chairs for the Invest in the Best campaign.