“I have been attending Williamson Medical Center since it was built and on a regular basis. I can honestly say I haven't met a physician that I haven't liked and felt every confidence in."
Jacqueline S.
Our History
A Legacy of Excellence
Williamson Health has been serving our friends and neighbors across Williamson County for more than 65 years...and counting.
1954
Williamson Medical Center was the brainchild of Dr. J.O. Walker, who, in 1954, decided Williamson County needed its own medical facility.
1957
Construction began on the land at Carter’s Creek Pike in Franklin, and Walker would be named the facility’s first Chief of Staff.
1958
On January 15, 1958, Dan German Hospital and the Pyle Hospital closed their doors and were replaced by the 50-bed Williamson County Hospital. Its first year of service saw 2,870 patients admitted, 890 cases treated in the ER, 655 surgical procedures and 395 births. In addition to staff physicians, there were 53 employees serving throughout the three-story building.
The hospital immediately became known for its high level of patient care. According to documented early reviews of the facilities, patients experienced a friendly, familial atmosphere within its walls.
1959
Within one year, the hospital was listed among the county’s largest industries, with 68 employees and an operating budget of $150,000. The following year, the facility received full accreditation by The Joint Commission for County Hospitals.
1967
The hospital’s first expansion opened – a new West Wing, which featured two floors plus a basement for housekeeping. This increased the number of total beds to 82.
1968
The hospital’s first critical care unit opened under the direction of Dr. Robert Hollister. This first ICU housed four beds, two of them monitored directly through a connection with Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville.
1971
The hospital expanded a second time, adding a third and fourth floor to the West Wing with 32 more patient beds.
1978
At the hospital’s 20-year anniversary, employee service awards honored employees who had been with the hospital since its inception. These awards are still handed out today to hospital employees reaching service milestones.
The building also saw its third expansion project: a new patient tower, bringing the hospital capacity to 182 beds along with expanded X-ray facilities and nuclear medicine.
1986
By 1986, the bustling county’s population had outgrown its only hospital. Under the leadership of hospital Board of Trustees member David Buchanan, a new building was constructed and the hospital moved to its present location at the intersection of Highway 96 and Carothers Parkway in Franklin. The doors of the new $26.5 million state-of-the-art medical center opened in August of 1986. Williamson County Hospital then became known as Williamson Medical Center.
2013
Williamson Medical Center announced a partnership with Vanderbilt Medical Center to construct a Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital on the WMC campus. This groundbreaking ceremony marked the first time the brand’s legendary paper doll trademark was placed on the side of a building outside of Nashville. This expansion effort also included an East Tower that expanded the surgery department.
2015
Williamson Medical Center celebrated its new children’s in-patient unit – the county’s first dedicated children’s hospital and ER – with a massive grand opening.
2019
In partnership with Williamson Medical Center, Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee opened its new facility on the WMC campus. Designed as a destination for orthopaedic excellence, the new facility includes physician offices, physical and occupational therapy, outpatient imaging services, rehabilitation services and an outpatient surgery center all under one roof. The outpatient surgery center accommodates a 23-hour observational stay for patients, and the institute continues to offer an after-hours injury clinic for unexpected orthopaedic emergencies.
2022
On April 4, 2022, Williamson Medical Center leadership, elected officials, and more than 100 community members gathered to celebrate the beginning of construction for the largest renovation and expansion project in the hospital’s history.
Joining Mazzuca were Caroline Bryan and Vicki McNamara, co-chairs for Williamson Medical Center Foundation’s “More for You. Close to Home.” capital campaign, which is helping fund the project. Honorary co-chair and country music star Luke Bryan also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.
WMC Emergency Medical Services (EMS) also celebrated its 50th anniversary in July of 2022. It is the county’s primary 911 emergency medical provider with more than 150 Advanced EMTs, paramedics, critical care paramedics and support personnel. WMC EMS is the first and only 911 ground EMS provider in the state approved by the Tennessee Department of Health EMS Board to carry and administer blood products in the field. Furthermore, WMC EMS is one of only seven across the country authorized to give blood to patients before arrival at the hospital.
2023
In January 2023, Williamson Health was announced as a new unified brand representing the health system’s flagship hospital, Williamson Medical Center, as well as the rest of its 30+ locations. In addition to Williamson Medical Center, Williamson Health also includes Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee, the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital Vanderbilt at Williamson Medical Center, Turner-Dugas Breast Health Center, physician practices that are strategically located throughout the community, countywide Emergency Medical Services that include 18 rapid response units, Williamson Health Foundation, and multiple joint venture Vanderbilt Health and Williamson Medical Center Walk-In Clinics in Williamson County.
Williamson Health also celebrated the first completed milestones of its $200 million renovation and expansion project in 2023. Phase 1 of the emergency room expansion opened in April, and the OB department revealed its new 11-bed postpartum unit and newborn nursery in June.
“I have been attending Williamson Medical Center since it was built and on a regular basis. I can honestly say I haven't met a physician that I haven't liked and felt every confidence in."
Jacqueline S.