Chris Cosby, CEO of Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Parkridge Health System, criticized local competitors’ stadium naming rights deals at the opening of a $100 million patient tower, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported
“We continue to invest in healthcare, not stadiums,” Mr. Cosby said at the Nov. 6 ribbon-cutting at Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga.
Mr. Cosby did not name any organizations. The Times Free Press reported Nov. 9 that his remarks were aimed at Parkridge’s two main local competitors. Both hold naming rights to Chattanooga-area sports stadiums.
Parkridge, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, began building the three-story, 88,000-square-foot tower in 2025. The tower adds 50 beds, including 16 ICU rooms and 34 standard rooms, and was set to open to patients Nov. 10.
Mr. Cosby told the newspaper that emergency department growth and physicians realigning with Parkridge drove the need for more capacity. He said the building can add stories as patient volume grows.
Health system stadium naming deals have come under scrutiny in recent years, with public officials questioning agreements that can cost millions of dollars a year. A health system marketing chief told Becker’s in 2025 that such sponsorships require a higher threshold of justification in tight budget cycles.
The tower is one of the largest expansions in Parkridge’s history.
