CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There's about to be a hospital building boom in Clarksville. Last month, the Tennessee Health Facility Commission approved HCA to build TriStar Clarksville Hospital on the north side of town and for Ascension Saint Thomas to build a new medical campus in the Sango neighborhood.
Naturally, Tennova Clarksville, currently the only provider in town with a main hospital and a satellite location also in Sango, wanted to join in on the push to expand. However, through a public records request, NewsChannel 5 has learned that the Tennessee Health Facility Commission has denied Tennova's application to expand their Sango campus. A reason wasn't given in the denial letter, however Ascension Saint Thomas's approved hospital would go right next door to the existing Tennova Sango campus.
Tennova's application was not a typical request. Back in 2021, they applied and received approval for a satellite hospital located on Trenton Road in Clarksville, but the project never moved forward. Then this June, they asked the state if they could relocate their request to their Sango campus, after purchasing additional land near their current Satellite ER. That relocation request is what was denied. However, their current approval for the Trenton Road hospital could still move forward, if they wanted to pursue it.
We asked a spokesperson for Tennova if they planned to move forward with the Trenton Road facility. They replied with this statement: "Tennova Healthcare - Clarksville is an essential healthcare provider in Clarksville and the surrounding area, and our focus is on delivering safe, quality, compassionate care to every patient. We are committed to delivering the services needed by our families, friends and neighbors close to home, and will continue to explore our options related to our satellite hospital," wrote Sandy Wooten, a spokesperson for Tennova.
Harry Zimmerman has been following the hospital saga in Clarksville for a while. He thinks another medical center option, even if they were right next to each other, would have served the community well. "I was thinking about that as I was watching on Channel 5 -- when they denied it -- it just really tells people we’re not going to help you," said Zimmerman "It helps them and gives them a better option."
However, not everyone in the community is as receptive to expansion from Tennova Clarksville. A litany of community members criticized either care they personally received, or loved ones received, from Tennova during a Certificate of Need hearing at the Tennessee State Capitol hearing last month. " When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I couldn’t give birth at Tennova," one individual told the State Health Facility Commission.
"Tennova’s a joke. It’s a laughable, sad, joke of a hospital," said another community member.
If Tennova ultimately moves forward with the Trenton Road facility, there would one day be five hospital choices, up from just the current two. However, the clock is ticking. Their current CON approval has been extended until August 2026. After that, unless the approval is extended again, they would have to reapply.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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