Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Begins Construction on Clinical Decision Unit, Additional Expansions Planned

Saint Thomas Health hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on a Clinical Decision Unit as part of a larger expansion plan for Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital. Saint Thomas Health is part of Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system.

Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital plans to build a Clinical Decision Unit adjacent to the existing emergency department, at a project cost of $8.3 million. The 25-bed facility is designed for patients staying less than 24 hours. The additional capacity for the patient population is intended to streamline patient flow and improve experience for all areas of the hospital, including the emergency room.

“As Rutherford County and the surrounding communities continue to grow, we must work smarter and more efficiently to care for a growing patient population,” says Gordon Ferguson, CEO of Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, president of Saint Thomas Regional Hospitals. “The Clinical Decision Unit will allow us to care for patients at the most appropriate site and provide space for additional testing to determine the patients’ needs in a more cost-effective manner.”

The project includes an expansion facility of 9,566 square feet. The construction is projected to be completed by summer 2018.

“I’m incredibly proud of the quality of care Dr. David Sellers and his staff continue to provide at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, and we look forward to opening the Clinical Decision Unit under his clinical leadership,” says Ferguson.

The Clinical Decision Unit and other planned expansions at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital are part of Saint Thomas Health’s broader strategy to meet the needs of patients where they live and work. This lower-cost, high-quality care strategy aims to keep populations healthy and out of the hospital when possible.