Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford officials announced today plans for an additional $110 million facility development of the hospital campus starting in 2021, with completion in 2024. The project will bring the hospital’s bed count from 358 to 416. The expansion project will include:
- An addition of 16 Critical Care Unit beds on the second floor of the East Tower
- A build-out of 36 medical beds in shelled space on the eighth floor of the West Tower
- Development of a higher level neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with six bassinets
- Reconfiguration of the second floor to support expanded operating rooms
- The addition of a new and accessible parking garage with approximately 1,100 spaces
“The facility development plan supports Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford’s continuing commitment to the communities we have been privileged to serve for the past 90 years,” said Gordon Ferguson, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. “This investment will allow us to bring higher acuity services to our patients, including open heart surgery, Level II trauma services and proposed higher level neonatal care.”
“As we strive to establish the first Level II Trauma Center in Rutherford County, it’s important that we make these additions to our campus,” said Kayla Whiteaker, R.N., Ascension Saint Thomas Trauma Program director. “We are committed to equipping our physicians and staff to evaluate and treat patients with traumatic injuries.”
The vision of the hospital’s facility development builds on Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford’s growing system of care in Rutherford County, including its vertical expansion in June 2020 and the grand opening of the New Salem Surgery Center last month. Work is underway on the Westlawn Surgery Center with partners USPI and Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, and adjacent to that building on Veterans Parkway will be Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford at Westlawn (Neighborhood Hospital) with a groundbreaking scheduled for Sept. 22, 2021.
“Ascension Saint Thomas has developed a comprehensive, convenient and accessible system of care with lower-cost options for the patients we are privileged to serve in Rutherford County and the service area,” said Tim Adams, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas. “We will continue to make investments for our patients, staff and physicians.”
Design of this multi-year project will begin immediately. Based on various regulatory approvals from state and local authorities, construction is anticipated to begin later next year. The full scope of this project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
