A (Vanderbilt University Hospital) VUH expansion project has been planned to take place in Nashville, Tennessee. According to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) officials, the existing hospital building already operates at more than 90% capacity. Therefore, an expansion is needed to accommodate the population growth in Middle Tennessee.
The VUH expansion project will cover the construction of a 15-story tower at an existing parking structure on the campus. Since the hospital’s opening in November 2009, this development will be its first major addition and largest expansion. Construction is expected to commence by summer and reach completion in the next four-and-a-half years.
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Development plans for phase I of the VUH expansion project
The VUH expansion project will take place on 21st Avenue S. and Medical Center Drive, with the hospital spanning 470,000 square feet. Upon completion, the new health facility is expected to accommodate 180 inpatient beds and 10 operating rooms (ORs). Other features to be provided at the hospital include radiology services, multiple specialty clinics, a spacious lobby, and administrative office spaces. The architect hired to handle the new tower’s design is the New York-based Blair + Mui Dowd.
The VUH expansion project also covers the construction of bridges across the street, to provide access to the hospital’s main structure. This will also create a pathway to the existing Medical Center East (MCE) tower on several floors. In addition, the third floor of the MCE tower will be renovated to include 44,000 square feet of operating room space.
Plans for the second phase of the VUH expansion project are already underway. This involves the demolition of an Oxford House administrative structure built in 1961; the historic building is located on the same garage deck, which is also the site of the new tower. Besides offering bed spaces and facilities, the new hospital will also serve as a hub for a growing healthcare network. This network will consist of community hospitals, outpatient clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.
VUMC’s deputy CEO, C. Wright Pinson, spoke on the benefits of the VUH expansion project. He pointed out that several more serious illnesses and injuries were handled by VUH’s specialty services. Such cases include trauma, burn, and solid organ transplantation. Therefore, Pinson expects that the expansion would provide enough room to accommodate and meet the needs of these patients.
