CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In a last-minute show of support, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board has thrown its weight behind two proposed hospitals to meet the healthcare demands of our rapidly growing community.

On Tuesday evening, the board unanimously approved two resolutions endorsing proposals by Ascension Saint Thomas (AST) and TriStar Health to build full-service hospitals in Clarksville, just 24 hours before state officials decide whether to grant each project a Certificate of Need (CON).

“Tonight, I ask for our school board to continue the trend of our local elected bodies for both of these hospitals,” said board member Aron Maberry, who brought the resolutions forward. “Because our students and our community need this.”

Why CONs need community involvement

In Tennessee, a CON is a state-issued permit required before a healthcare provider can establish, expand or relocate significant medical facilities or services — such as building a new hospital.

The CON process is overseen by the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission, which ensures that proposed projects meet three essential criteria:

  1. Need: Both TriStar and AST must demonstrate a “community need” by proving that there is a genuine demand (such as provider shortages, increased volume of patients) for the new facilities.
  2. Ensure quality of care: Both TriStar and AST must show that their facilities will meet high-quality care standards.
  3. Promote consumer advantage through competition: Both applicants must prove that by increasing healthcare choice, improving services, or creating cost efficiencies, patients will benefit from competitive health care options.

By rallying support from around the community, TriStar and AST want to show the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission that not only is there data to support their projects, but an invested community need from vocal citizens of Clarksville and Montgomery County expressing a desire for more healthcare options.

Why CMCSS is backing 2 new hospitals

The resolutions express strong support for the proposed hospitals from TriStar and AST, emphasizing the importance of healthcare access to the district’s mission of serving nearly 40,000 students and thousands of employees.

Both resolutions cite the rapid population growth in Montgomery County as a driving concern, which “increases demand for essential services, including hospital care.”

Additionally, the resolutions emphasized that timely access to healthcare is directly tied to student success and staff wellbeing, while noting that “the existing hospital capacity in Montgomery County is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the community.”

The school board’s resolutions also pointed to the economic benefit of both hospitals, such as new healthcare jobs, workforce development and potential partnerships with schools and community health programs.  Both resolutions describe the proposals as “an essential step toward meeting the healthcare needs of students, families and staff,” and “critical healthcare projects” that would strengthen Clarksville’s ability to care for its rapidly growing population.

Resolution gets unanimous approval

During the discussion of the resolutions, board member Herb Nelson expressed confusion on whether this topic that fell under CMCSS jurisdiction.

“While I think it’s beneficial for us to have as much healthcare as we can, I just really don’t see this as being a Board of Education issue,” Nelson said. “I think this is better placed on the County Commissioners to make this decision. … I just don’t see this as a school board vote.”

Maberry responded, “We wrote in the resolution, ‘Healthcare is vital to student attendance, staff wellbeing, and family stability.’ That’s the reason we brought it forward. Healthcare is very important to our community, and our students are greatly impacted by it.”

Jimmy Garland, board member, agreed with Maberry. “I strongly support the resolutions. … We need more hospital support here in Clarksville-Montgomery County. We need hospitals because we are growing rapidly. Every day, we have individuals in this community that go to Tennova hospital and sit there six, eight, nine hours before they can get seen by a doctor.

“We need professional healthcare opportunities here in Montgomery County to take care of our county,” Garland said. “Nashville got it, Memphis got it, Chattanooga got it … so why can’t Clarksville have it?”

The resolutions passed 6-0. Board member Chris Lanier was absent.

The CON hearing will be on Wednesday, July 23, at 9 a.m. at 425 N. Representative John Lewis Way, Senate Hearing Room I, Cordell Hull State Legislative Building, Nashville. The meeting is open to the public, and decisions are expected during the meeting. Both TriStar and AST have announced transportation plans for those wishing to attend in support of the applications. The meeting will also be livestreamed at this site.

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