CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – As expected, Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville has filed objections with the state to try to stop Ascension Saint Thomas and TriStar Health from building their planned hospitals in Clarksville.
Tennova, which is owned by Franklin-based Community Health Systems, sent letters dated July 8 to the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission claiming that the hospitals are not needed, that they won’t stem “outmigration,” that they will increase costs to consumers, and that they will hinder Tennova’s efforts to hire and retain quality staff.
Ascension Saint Thomas (AST) and TriStar Hospitals have announced plans to build full-service hospitals with ERs in Clarksville, pending the approval of state Certificates of Need (CON) by the Health Facilities Commission in a hearing on July 23. The Saint Thomas hospital would be a 44-bed, $148.5 million facility on Highway 76 near Exit 11. The TriStar hospital would be a 68-bed, $286 million facility on Tiny Town Road.
Neither is needed, according to the letters obtained by Clarksville Now, written by Travis Swearingen with the Butler Snow law firm on behalf of Tennova.
No need for new hospitals
“Contrary to the TriStar Clarksville CON application, there are currently two medical centers, Tennova-Clarksville and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, providing convenient inpatient care to the Clarksville community,” one letter states, adding that Blanchfield is a 47-bed full-service, inpatient hospital treating soldiers, military retirees and their families. “Conservatively, more than a third of the Montgomery County population are enrolled in the military insurance program, TriCare, and are incentivized through their insurance to access Blanchfield as their primary healthcare provider.”
Also, the letters state, Tennova’s ER has plenty of capacity, with an average 13.3-minute door-to-provider time over the last six months. The letters also cite Tennova’s cardiac catheterization lab and 12-bed Level IIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as assets that fulfill local medical needs.
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The proposed AST hospital would be next to Tennova’s Sango ER and the now-planned location for a new Tennova community hospital. In 2021, Tennova was granted a CON to build a 12-bed satellite hospital with a 14-bay ER on Trenton Road. That hospital was never built. On May 4, AST announced its plan to build a hospital next to Tennova’s existing Sango ER at Exit 11. On June 4, Tennova announced it would ask to modify its Trenton Road CON to build instead at Exit 11. That request remains pending before the commission.
“Even if the relocation request is not approved, the proposed Saint Thomas facility is literally next door to Tennova-Clarksville’s Sango emergency department,” one letter states. “Patients who require emergency care can already easily be seen at the Tennova Sango ED, which has very short wait times and excellent throughput.”
Clarksville Now has reached out to Tennova for an update on its CON modification request.
Won’t fix ‘outmigration’ problem
The letters claim that the problem of outmigration – that Clarksville residents are too often leaving the county to seek medical care – is “skewed” by BACH not reporting its admissions data to the state. “Including Blanchfield’s admissions would decrease the amount of outmigration on a percentage basis, and place Montgomery County squarely in line with other similarly situated communities that surround Nashville,” the letters state.
Besides, the letters state, the current outmigration isn’t related to consumer preference but to the level of services offered here, with people leaving primarily to seek “higher level, tertiary services.” Since both AST and TriStar are proposing community hospitals without such tertiary services, those patients will still be sent to Nashville.
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The letters argue that these new hospitals will simply redistribute the patients already going to Blanchfield and Tennova, reducing volumes at those facilities, which risks a negative impact on quality of care at BACH and Tennova.
Additionally, the letters argue that since TriStar and AST hospitals are typically more expensive than Tennova, adding these hospitals “will likely increase the cost of care to consumers with little added benefit.”
On May 15, the day of the AST announcement, Tennova CEO Drew Emery sent an email to employees indicating opposition to the new hospitals.
“We do not believe (the AST CON request) should be approved based on our ability to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” said the email, obtained by Clarksville Now. “We have an excellent track record of delivering high quality and compassionate care for local residents, expanding services as our community grows, and supporting our economy. … I’m proud of our hospital, proud of our team, and very certain that we are the best choice for local healthcare for our families, friends and neighbors.”
How to get involved
The CON hearing 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. Public input on the plans can be emailed to HSDA.Staff@tn.gov
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