CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After failing to prevent competitors from coming into Clarksville with new hospitals, Tennova has now been denied state permission to shift its planned satellite hospital to a desired location at Exit 11, according to documents obtained by Clarksville Now.
Tennova-Healthcare Clarksville, which is part of Franklin-based Community Health Systems, operates a 270-bed hospital on Dunlop Lane and a satellite ER in Sango. In 2021, Tennova was granted a state Certificate of Need (CON) to build an additional 12-bed satellite hospital with a 14-bay ER at 2275 Trenton Road. That hospital has never been built.
On June 4, Tennova announced it would ask to modify its Trenton Road CON to build instead at Exit 11, on a 10-acre site next to its existing Sango ER. That site also happens to be next to the location of the planned Ascension Saint Thomas hospital campus.
On Aug. 14, after a staff review, Tennessee Health Facilities Commission Executive Director Logan Grant denied Tennova’s request to move the CON to Highway 76, according to a letter sent Monday to Tennova representatives. The decision is subject to commission review, if Tennova requests such a review.
Signs of trouble at Health Facilities Commission meeting
There were signs of trouble for Tennova’s request during the Health Facilities Commission meeting on July 23, when the commission granted CON requests for both Ascension Saint Thomas and TriStar to build hospitals in Clarksville.
During questions from commission members, several asked about the status of Tennova’s relocation request. Grant said at the time that the relocation request was still in a review period.
Commission Chair Rick Chinn commented, “I think if both of these new hospitals are approved, then the (Tennova CON) relocation is in question. I don’t think we should have two hospitals that are 1,000 feet apart.”
Why Tennova wanted to move CON to Exit 11
Some commissioners questioned the timing of Tennova’s decision to move the location. Commission staff told them the decision predated the request by Ascension Saint Thomas to locate nearby, and that was confirmed by documents filed with the state, obtained by Clarksville Now.
In a letter to the HFC dated Nov. 27, 2024, Tennova representatives said COVID-era expenses, plus a land opportunity near Exit 11, caused them to rethink the Trenton Road location.
“Simply stated, the pandemic placed an unprecedented strain on staff resources at all levels for an extended period of time,” the letter said. “These complications persisted long after the worst of the pandemic had run its course and required the full attention of Tennova Clarksville’s leadership team to ensure stability and continuity in day-to-day patient care.
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“In addition to staffing difficulties, the projected costs of the (satellite hospital) project have continued to spiral upwards, which has necessitated several top-down reviews of the project design and scope of expected services in order to keep costs as manageable as possible,” the letter said.
“Now that Tennova Clarksville has secured this additional land (at Exit 11), it needs additional time to evaluate how this new property should be used – either in conjunction with this CON project or otherwise – to enhance access and the growing patient care needs in Montgomery County.”
In that November letter, Tennova asked for an extension of the CON to Aug. 1, 2026, and that extension was granted.
What’s planned in Tennova satellite hospital
Tennova’s satellite hospital is designed to include inpatient acute care, surgical services with two operating rooms, a new emergency department, endoscopy suites, dietary services, diagnostic imaging services, pharmacy services and laboratory services. Tennova said it planned to repurpose the existing Sango ER once the new satellite hospital was built.
In its written responses to HFC staff questions, Tennova said that if granted permission for the move, it planned to build the facility whether or not Ascension Saint Thomas was approved next door.
Clarksville Now reached out to Tennova for comment on the decision and its plans for the existing CON at Trenton Road.
“Tennova is an essential healthcare provider in Clarksville and the surrounding area, and our focus is on delivering safe, quality, compassionate care to every patient,” spokesperson Sandy Wooten responded. “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.”
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