Caroline and Luke Bryan join effort to fund major renovation project for regional health system

The Williamson Medical Center Foundation has enlisted the support of Caroline and Luke Bryan to kick off its $25 million “More for You. Close to Home” capital campaign to help fund a major renovation and expansion project for Williamson Medical Center (WMC) in Franklin, Tennessee. The project will strengthen the hospital’s ability to provide sophisticated, comprehensive, high-quality healthcare for Williamson County and surrounding communities as the area continues to grow.

Caroline Bryan will serve as co-chair of the campaign with Vicki McNamara, who serves as Vice Chair of the Foundation’s Board and is active in the community. Luke Bryan has been tabbed as the campaign’s honorary co-chair. They will be featured in campaign materials, assist in fundraising events and provide additional support.

“When we moved to Franklin, being close to a hospital was one of our priorities for location, and we ended up less than five minutes from Williamson Medical Center,” said Caroline Bryan. “Since then, we’ve had two children born there, made multiple trips to the ER and have established relationships with doctors and other staff. Having the best possible healthcare close by is important for our entire community, and Luke and I are proud to team up with Vicki and the Williamson Medical Center Foundation to lend a hand.”

With a projected cost of $189 million, the project is set to begin in April 2022 with primary construction expected to be completed by 2024. The Foundation’s capital campaign will help supplement the $150 million in bond financing secured from the county to fund the project.

“Williamson County continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country,” said Phil Mazzuca, WMC CEO. “We need to prepare now for the future so that Williamson Medical Center can provide the most advanced quality care possible for our community. We appreciate our Foundation and community leaders like the Bryans and Vicki McNamara for stepping up to ensure we have the proper funding to complete this project.”

The planned expansion and renovation will be phased over time and will increase the hospital’s capacity. Expected renovations include:

• Expanding capacity in WMC’s Adult ER from 28 beds to 43, along with the addition of a behavioral health pod,
• Expanding Obstetrics from 28 beds to 34, which includes creating separate rooms for labor/delivery and postpartum patients, adding an additional operating room for C-sections and reconfiguring the NICU to include 9 private bays,
• Adding additional floors to the West Tower and renovating current floors to add a 22-bed observation unit as well as increased capacity in ICU/Stepdown and Medical/Surgical units,
• Renovating patient rooms in the Main Tower to create more space for patients and their families.

This will be the Foundation’s largest capital campaign to date. In its most recent campaign, the Foundation raised more than $8 million to support the construction of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Vanderbilt at Williamson Medical Center, which opened in 2015.

“We are blessed to live in such a giving community,” said McNamara. “Anytime our Foundation has made an ask, whether it be for crutches to help fill a supply chain shortage or for dollars to support new technology and equipment, the community has answered the call. This is the most ambitious undertaking in our history, and I’m thrilled to partner with Caroline, Luke and the team at Williamson Medical Center to get this done.”

The Foundation has launched a website with more information on the “More for You. Close to Home.” Campaign: www.wmcfoundation.com. More information about events and how the general public can participate will be available soon.

WMC funds its operations entirely through hospital revenue, with the exception of a partnership with the county on EMS services and receives no taxpayer dollars. Profits are invested back into the hospital and community services, and are used to fund advanced technologies, higher acuity services, facility improvements and much more.

WMC remains dedicated to serving Williamson and surrounding counties in many ways. Some additional community benefits include operating the county’s only EMS service, providing staff for county health departments, offering community health education and supporting area schools and organizations. The hospital is also one of the county’s largest employers, with more than 1,900 employees.

ABOUT WILLIAMSON MEDICAL CENTER | Williamson Medical Center offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, 24-hour emergency care, preventive health screenings and wellness activities. Services offered by Williamson Medical Center are developed to provide the most cost-effective, convenient and accessible healthcare possible. More than 825 providers represent over 60 medical specialties and sub-specialties. The caliber of physicians and care at Williamson Medical Center continues to advance the way healthcare is delivered to our region with compassion and convenience unique to WMC. Our campus also houses Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Vanderbilt at Williamson Medical Center, which provides pediatric emergent and inpatient care, and Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee – the region’s premiere destination for orthopaedic excellence. In addition, WMC’s Williamson Medical Group includes more than 40 providers offering everything from primary care to surgery to pulmonary and sleep medicine.

ABOUT WILLIAMSON MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | The Williamson Medical Center Foundation, Inc., serves as the charitable and development arm that supports Williamson Medical Center, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Vanderbilt at Williamson Medical Center and Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee in providing best-in-class healthcare services to the families of our community. The Foundation oversees capital projects and health outreach programs, seeking charitable gifts of all types to provide ways to continuously improve the quality of patient care.