Rutherford County Sees Significant Health Care Investments

Ascension Saint Thomas

Rutherford County’s population is flourishing, securing its place among Tennessee’s top five most populous counties, according to U.S. Census figures. With this growth in the center of Tennessee comes a growing need for quality health care, which area medical facilities are addressing by expanding their services and locations. 

Advancements in Critical Care Areas 

At Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro, a $42 million investment will bring new high-acuity patient beds for adults and babies — part of the broader $600 million investment made during the past 15 years. The latest expansion increased the capacity of the critical care unit by 18 beds to 50 in January 2025, providing support for cardiovascular and neurosurgery procedures. Also, a new ambulance bay was added to the emergency services division. 

“This expansion addresses the growing demand for critical care in the rapidly growing communities around Rutherford County,” says Gordon B. Ferguson, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. “It ensures residents have greater access to high-quality, acute health care services closer to home.” 

With the addition of six more bassinets in 2024, increasing the capacity to 22, the Lee and Susan Moss Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can continue providing the best possible experience for parents and newborns, says Ferguson. The facility saw 3,600 births in 2023. 

“We are deeply grateful to the Christy-Houston Foundation for their generous support of this important project,” he says. 

During the next decade, the hospital anticipates supporting over 550 additional births annually due to the area’s significant population growth, particularly among young families. 

Courtesy of Murfreesboro Medical Clinic

Clinic Celebrates 75 Years 

Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (MMC), which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024, has a history rooted in growth and expansion. MMC was founded in 1949 by local doctors Carl Adams and S.C. Garrison, whose practices flourished, eventually becoming Murfreesboro Medical Clinic in 1972. 

In 1979, a 30,000-square-foot building opened on Highland Avenue. The year 2013 saw the completion of the three-story, 221,000-square-foot building on Garrison Drive that housed 50-plus physicians, 20 departments and a dedicated SurgiCenter. 

Today, the clinic remains a private, physician-owned health care network of over 100 physicians, 80 advanced practice providers and 900 staff serving patients across eight locations in Rutherford County. MMC offers state-of-the-art primary and specialty care, laboratory and radiology services, same-day surgical care and walk-in clinics. 

To be more accessible to patients, MMC South Church, off U.S. Highway 231, opened in 2019. A new, dedicated endoscopy center, relocating from the Garrison Drive facility, is one of the highlights of the 75,000-square-foot MMC Westlawn location on Shores Road that launched in 2023. And ground has been broken on the Lascassas Pike location to serve the eastern part of the county. 

“Murfreesboro Medical Clinic is eager to continue its journey of excellence and service,” says CEO Joey Peay. “As it looks to the future, MMC remains devoted to providing exceptional health care services, nurturing patient relationships and making a positive impact on the community.” 

Surgical Services Expansion 

TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center is expanding its surgical services with a $43.8 million investment that adds 30,000 square feet to the hospital. The plans include two new operating rooms, one space for cystoscopy procedures, a new post-anesthesia care unit bay and eight new same-day surgery beds, increasing the total number of operating rooms to 10. 

Located in Smyrna, the facility has experienced a steady increase in general surgery, minimally invasive robotic surgery, and spine, joint and neurology procedures. The additional space allows the hospital to enhance its surgical capabilities. 

It was the first hospital in Rutherford County to introduce the da Vinci 5 robot-assisted surgical system. With the expansion, the hospital can now operate three minimally invasive robots, providing state-of-the-art technology and improving patient outcomes across the board. 

“As more patients turn to TriStar StoneCrest for advanced surgical care, this expansion ensures we can continue to meet that demand with the latest technology and an exceptional surgical team,” says Louis Caputo, CEO of TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center. “This investment allows us to provide even more patients with the expert, high-quality care they need – close to home.” 

CEO Marks 25 Years of Distinguished Service

Gordon B. Ferguson, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford, will retire in June 2025 after more than a quarter-century of service to the hospital and community. Known for his calm and steady style of leadership, Ferguson began his distinguished career in Murfreesboro in 1998 as the senior vice president of support services. Rising through the ranks, in 2006, he took the reins as CEO of the only faith-based, nonprofit health system in Middle Tennessee. 

His tenure put him in a position of being a bridge from the former historic hospital located on Highland Avenue to overseeing the 2010 opening of the new $267 million, 80-acre campus on Medical Center Parkway. The move is credited for kickstarting the phenomenal growth in the area. 

“Looking back, opening the new campus and seeing it thrive 15 years later is one of my proudest achievements. Our mission has always been to grow alongside our community, ensuring that we provide the services and care Rutherford County needs,” Ferguson says. 

During those years, he oversaw Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford’s more than $600 million investment into Rutherford County, including in 2023 with the opening of Westlawn Hospital, Tennessee’s first neighborhood hospital. 

Ferguson has been recognized as Person of the Year by the Daily News Journal as well as Business Person of the Year and Business Legend by the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. He will stay on for one year after his retirement as vice president of community relations and then looks forward to spending time with family, especially his granddaughter. “It’s a new chapter, and I’m excited about the opportunities it will bring,” he says. 

In spring 2025, Daphne David was named the new president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford, bringing with her more than 20 years of leadership experience.