Elevating Healthcare Excellence

Williamson Medical Center's Revolutionary $200 Million Expansion

Williamson Health celebrates the grand opening of the newly expanded and renovated Boyer-Bryan West Tower, marking an ongoing commitment to providing top-tier healthcare in Williamson County

It’s been hard to miss Williamson Health’s growth over the past year. From the historic expansion and renovation project underway at Williamson Medical Center to a new clinic in Spring Hill, it’s clear that the regional healthcare system is elevating excellence in healthcare throughout the county.

Williamson Health is committed to serving the community—and nothing tells that story more clearly than the expanding skyline at the system’s flagship hospital. Williamson Health marked a monumental milestone this summer with the completion and grand opening of Williamson Medical Center’s newly expanded and renovated Boyer-Bryan West Tower.

Just prior to the ribbon cutting, Williamson Health unveiled a sign dedicating the building as the Boyer-Bryan West Tower on behalf of hospital supporters Luke and Caroline (Boyer) Bryan and The Brett Boyer Foundation.

“The new tower represents Williamson Health’s commitment to elevate healthcare excellence for all residents of Williamson County and the surrounding region by providing world-class care for years to come,” said Phil Mazzuca, Williamson Health CEO. “We’re excited to reach this milestone and open the Boyer-Bryan West Tower to our patients, friends and neighbors. Our goal is to provide top-tier care to all residents of Williamson County and the surrounding region, and this expansion plays a vital role in achieving that goal.”

Exploring the Boyer-Bryan West Tower

The expanded Boyer-Bryan West Tower offers a variety of elevated healthcare services to the community.

The recently completed project added three floors to the original West Tower footprint plus a new wing that encompasses all six floors, for a total of nearly 175,000 new square feet and 134 new patient beds that have been added to the hospital. The Boyer-Bryan West Tower now includes a 35-bed intensive care unit for critical care needs, 94 medical-surgical in-patient rooms and 10 pediatric inpatient rooms.

The tower also features a fully renovated and expanded obstetrics and neonatal unit, including 33 total rooms, a spacious nursery and three C-section rooms, and an updated world-class Cardiac Center, including two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs and a brand-new electrophysiology lab as well as pre- and post-procedure areas.    

“Every element of the Boyer-Bryan West Tower project is purposefully designed, allowing for greater efficiency and capacity, but also creating family-friendly spaces that promote healing and comfort,” said Dr. Andy Russell, Williamson Health Chief Medical Officer.

That “purposeful design” includes top-of-the-line technologies in patient rooms that enhance communication as well as the overall patient experience. In addition, advanced equipment and integrated systems promote greater collaboration among providers and support the continuity of care.

“We understand that a hospital stay can be a challenging time for patients and their families,” Dr. Russell said. “We’ve carefully planned each aspect of the design—from room size to furnishings—with patient and visitor comfort in mind.”

Williamson Health officials, physicians and staff members celebrated the monumental milestone with area residents earlier this summer. The grand opening and ribbon cutting was held on June 18th and included elected officials, community leaders, Williamson Health employees and capital campaign honorary co-chair and co-chair, Luke and Caroline Bryan.

“Williamson Medical Center has played a significant role in our lives,” said Caroline Bryan, who serves alongside campaign co-chair Vicki McNamara. “Our children were born here, and we’ve been in the emergency room more times than we can count. We love this hospital, its staff, and everything the Williamson Health system does for our community. This project means so much to our family.”

Luke Bryan said, “We are honored to be a part of this project and to now see the Boyer and Bryan families’ names on this building that will change so many lives. We’ll see lives brought into this world, and we’ll see lives be healed in this special place. We love this community and this hospital that has always been and felt like home.”

The ribbon cutting also kicked off a family-friendly community event, featuring free food, a live DJ and kids activities such as train rides, face painting and a magician. The community-centered celebration also gave area residents their first glimpse of the newly completed West Tower, with guided tours offered throughout the event.

Community members and area residents who attended the ribbon cutting and family fun event, also got a chance to hear from some of the Williamson Health physicians who provide exceptional, high-quality care within the tower walls, like Swati Patel, M.D., and Tufik Assad, M.D.

“Our new ER, which was completed earlier this year, has been well received by the patients and families,” Dr. Patel said. “We have more much-needed space, including an expanded waiting room and additional exam rooms. We have truly elevated the way we can care for our patients with space that is more efficient and lends itself to enhanced collaboration for our staff.”

Dr. Assad, who works with Williamson Health Medical Group’s Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Group and serves as the Medical Director of Williamson Health’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), stressed the significant ways the updated ICU will allow physicians and staff to better serve the community.

“Not only are our new ICU rooms more spacious, more modern and more technologically equipped,” he said, “but we have also been working diligently on elevating our abilities to care for patients with the higher levels of complexities and acuities so we can treat a wider array of illnesses and conditions.”

“Our children were born here, and we’ve been in the emergency room more times than we can count. We love this hospital, its staff, and everything the Williamson Health system does for our community. This project means so much to our family.” - Caroline Bryan

Completing the Project

The completion of the West Tower is a monumental milestone. It’s the largest component of Williamson Medical Center’s extensive $200 million renovation and expansion project covering nearly every aspect of the regional, acute-care hospital. Launched in 2022, the project is designed to help Williamson Health continue serving the community’s healthcare needs long into the future.

“Williamson Health exists to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” Mazzuca said. “This transformational project is a tangible representation of our commitment to make top-tier healthcare more accessible to the residents of Williamson County.”

Additional updates to be completed this year include expanding the Emergency Department from 28 to 43 beds and adding a more modern and spacious neonatal intensive care unit with nine private bays.

The final phase of the Williamson Medical Center renovation and expansion project, which includes renovations to the Main Lobby and patient floors in the original tower, is expected to be continued into 2025.

All of the updates, officials say, are designed with one purpose in mind: elevating excellent healthcare for Williamson County now and for decades to come.

“This project is truly transformational and has Williamson Medical Center and Williamson Health well positioned for the future,” Mazzuca said at the ribbon cutting. “This project demonstrates our commitment to keep growing along with the community, and I guarantee that our drive to elevate excellence for this community won’t stop here.”

Round Up On the rise

Oh, Baby!

Dolly and Elvis. Barbie and Ken. The cast of “Frozen”: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf. Those are just a few of the iconic outfits Janet Weidner of Bizzy Bee Crochet has carefully crafted for babies born at Williamson Medical Center, photographed each month by Kristie Lloyd and showcased on Williamson Health’s social media channels, billboards, in the local media and more.

While the photos are always a fan favorite among Williamson County residents, they recently garnered the attention of a national audience. This past winter, a writer at PEOPLE magazine learned about the themed outfits and shared the story in the magazine’s February 26th issue. Williamson Health’s babies also made an appearance on the TODAY Show’s Instagram.

Learn more about the award-winning obstetrics department and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at williamsonhealth.org/medical-services/ob-and-nicu.

Expanding Community Care

Spring Hill is home to Williamson Health’s newest clinic location. Williamson Health officials, physicians and providers recently joined with the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce, Williamson Inc., elected officials and community members to celebrate the grand opening of the new Williamson Health and Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee clinic on May 28th.

Located at the corner of Port Royal and Duplex Roads, the clinic offers primary care and other specialists, laboratory services, orthopaedic care and physical therapy.

Williamson Health Medical Group physicians Paula Dunn, M.D., and Sanford Kim, M.D., provide primary care at the new location, while Bone and Joint Institute physicians Matt Anderson, M.D., and Preet Gurusamy, M.D., lead the orthopaedic care. Physical therapy is anchored by Andrea Pierce and Angel Shipman. Learn more at williamsonhealth.org/spring-hill.

Milestone Moments

As the charitable and development arm supporting all Williamson Health entities, the Williamson Health Foundation is leading the “More for You. Close to Home.” capital campaign supporting the transformational expansion and renovation project currently underway at the hospital. The Foundation recently celebrated several significant achievements, including:

A special dedication and sign unveiling at Williamson Medical Center’s newly expanded West Tower. The tower bears the Boyer-Bryan name in recognition of the families of Luke and Caroline (Boyer) Bryan in honor of their support of the hospital’s “More for You. Close to Home.” fundraising campaign and the Brett Boyer Foundation. Luke serves as honorary co-chair and Caroline as co-chair of the campaign, along with co-chair Vicki McNamara. Bo and Ellen Boyer created the Brett Boyer Foundation in loving memory and honor of their daughter, Brett, who was diagnosed prenatally with Down Syndrome and a congenital heart defect (CHD). The foundation's mission is to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and fund research to advance treatment options.

The dedication of the Turner-Dugas Emergency Department. The Turner and Dugas families, namesakes for Williamson Health’s Turner-Dugas Breast Health Center, were recognized this summer for their sustained giving, which continues to benefit the patients and staff of Williamson Health, most recently helping to fund the emergency department expansion and renovation. The Turner-Dugas Emergency Department was officially dedicated at a special event after comments by Williamson Health CEO Phil Mazzuca and philanthropist Cal Turner, Jr., the former CEO of Dollar General. The emergency room expansion increased the total capacity of the ER from 28 to 43 beds, includes two new triage rooms, 10 new exam rooms, the addition of an eight-bed flex pod for patients requiring a variety of privacy and security needs, and more.

Final projects in the renovation and expansion project are expected to be completed in 2025. Visit williamsonhealth.org/more-for-you-close-to-home

to learn how you can support the project. To learn more about the Williamson Health Foundation, visit williamsonhealth.org/williamson-health-foundation.

Rodeo Ready

Williamson Health is proud to serve Williamson County at various events throughout the year.

One of the most recent events includes the popular Franklin Rodeo. Williamson Health EMS participated in the Rodeo Parade and was on site to provide care throughout the event. Staff from The Turner-Dugas Breast Health Center welcomed visitors to the event’s “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night where community cancer survivors joined Dr. Rebecca Baskin, Dr. Jared Slater and Center colleagues at intermission to receive a $5,000 donation from the Franklin Rodeo to benefit breast cancer patients. Special Williamson Health-branded headphones were also available free for the littlest rodeo visitors who needed to block out loud noises. In addition to the rodeo, Williamson Health is a familiar presence at area festivals, events and sporting events throughout the year.

How Williamson Health’s nationally accredited sleep lab is making better sleep possible for more patients

As the result of recently completed renovations and updates, Williamson Health’s state-of-the-art sleep lab is ready to make getting a good night’s sleep possible for more patients.

“With these new upgrades, our lab is certainly one of the prettiest sleep labs in all of Tennessee,” said Karl Kuhn, M.D. Board-certified in internal medicine and critical care as well as sleep medicine and pulmonary diseases, Dr. Kuhn provides care at Williamson Health’s sleep lab. “We have the most up-to-date equipment available and extra room so we can get patients into the lab as quickly as possible.”

In addition to cosmetic updates, such as new furniture, bedding, lighting, fresh paint and other amenities designed to make patients feel more comfortable, the renovations also included the addition of a fifth bedroom, increasing capacity so providers can meet the needs of more patients each month.

“This additional bedroom will allow us to see more patients more quickly,” Dr. Kuhn said. “That means quicker turnaround times, less waiting and receiving results much faster.”

Previously, Williamson Health’s sleep lab averaged between 60 to 70 in-lab sleep studies per month, but the recent upgrades have increased that capacity to 100 studies each month. In addition to the renovation, the lab also added equipment that will allow them to facilitate more in-home sleep studies, making it possible to serve an additional 70 to 80 patients per month.

“If people are complaining about being overly tired, snoring, choking or gasping in their sleep or waking up with headaches, it might be time to consider a sleep study,” Dr. Kuhn said. “Just because you’ve gotten older doesn’t mean you should be more tired, so if you’re needing to nap during the day, it may be time to make an appointment.”

Sleep studies help doctors diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, insomnia and more. Often, these disorders cannot be identified with a normal office visit, and diagnosis requires gathering more conclusive evidence while patients are asleep.

During a sleep study, lab team members monitor a patient’s brain and physical activity during sleep as well as breathing rates and oxygen levels. The sleep lab also upgraded its equipment to the latest sleep testing technology which further demonstrates that all aspects of the sleep lab experience have been elevated.

“For patients, these improvements have made an evening in Williamson Health’s sleep lab that much nicer,” Dr. Kuhn said. “In addition to the most up-to-date equipment and extra rooms, we’ve got two fantastic board-certified sleep physicians and are adding another at the end of the year. We’re well-equipped to get patients in and diagnosed as quickly as possible.”

Dr. Kuhn, Aaron Milstone, M.D., and Jordan Phillips, M.D., are board-certified in pulmonary and sleep medicine. Dr. Phillips will join the team on October 1st.

Located on the third floor of the Williamson Health Medical Office Building, the sleep lab has been serving Williamson County residents since 1995. To learn about Williamson Health’s pulmonary and sleep medicine services, visit williamsonhealth.org/medical-services/pulmonary-and-sleep-medicine.

An in-depth look into the daily life and responsibilities of a Bone and Joint Institute Team Physician with Scott Arthur, M.D.

It’s hard to believe another school year is starting up with new classes, teachers and extracurriculars. It’s this time of year that we often reflect on the dedication of our educators who work diligently to serve the academic needs of our students every day.

However, many others including coaches, athletic trainers and team physicians play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of students as they also embark on their athletic endeavors.

Dr. Scott Arthur, sport medicine physician and orthopaedic surgeon at Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee, is one of many providers who gladly give their time and energy to serve student-athletes. As the current team physician for Brentwood High School and Brentwood Academy, Dr. Arthur is passionate about his profession.

“From a young age I knew I wanted to be a surgeon, and I also had a love for sports,” said Dr. Arthur. “Being a team physician has allowed me the ability to interface my two interests, attend games in the community and enjoy what I do.”

With a background in sports medicine and personal athletic experience, it was a natural fit. However, the role of a team physician requires much more than being on the sidelines.

“In addition to keeping the athletes safe, one of our main priorities is to establish an open line of communication with the coaches, athletic trainers, parents and athletes to build a network of trust,” said Dr. Arthur.

Throughout the year, Williamson Health athletic trainers work in tandem with dedicated Bone and Joint Institute physicians and physical therapists to care for the WCS student-athletes. Williamson Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are also on the sidelines during football games and other events, ready to provide immediate care in case of injury.

During the fall season, team physicians are typically assisting with football games and practices as well as other seasonal sports including volleyball, cross country and girls’ soccer.

Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee provides sports medicine coverage, free of charge to high schools in Williamson County as well as Grace Christian Academy, Battle Ground Academy, Brentwood Academy, Christ Presbyterian Academy and Lipscomb Academy.

“Our team physicians are at every home football game for their respective schools and are on-call for other sporting events like soccer games and volleyball matches,” said Dr. Arthur. “However, most of us can be seen at the majority of school sporting events cheering on the athletes we’ve helped rehabilitate.”

These dedicated physicians are also available during the week providing on-campus evaluations, answering questions and attending practices.

“Having us readily available helps the kids return from injury and get back on the field as soon as possible,” said Dr. Arthur. “Personally, I try to be on campus two to three times a week outside of games.”

Football occupies a lot of the team physicians’ time in the fall due to the increased risk of injury. On game days, the physicians arrive early to interact with the officials and athletic directors, assess players’ conditions and ensure that everyone is briefed on emergency protocol. During the game, the physicians are ready to evaluate a variety of conditions in real-time including concussions, spinal injuries, ACL tears, shoulder dislocations and sprains, said Dr. Arthur. These providers are also equipped to handle rare cardiac incidents should they occur.

“Safety is top of mind, but if the athlete is able, we want them to get back out and play,” said Dr. Arthur. “Having us on the sidelines allows us to make that determination almost immediately.”

For convenience and further exams, Bone and Joint Institute offers a Saturday morning walk-in clinic available to student-athletes in addition to the group’s four urgent care locations across the county that are open seven days a week.

“The Saturday clinic allows us to get X-rays, be evaluated by a provider and order MRI scans sooner. Sometimes, we even have those results in the same weekend,” said Dr. Arthur. “By expediting the process, we can get our athletes definitive answers as soon as possible and begin a treatment plan.”

Dr. Arthur and the other team physicians also place a strong emphasis on injury prevention. By attending practices and scrimmages early in the season, the providers can get a sense of areas of concern.

“We coordinate with strength trainers and coaches to integrate techniques into preseason training that will help to decrease the risk of injury,” said Dr. Arthur.

From pre-season parent meeting introductions to post-game athlete evaluation, the dedicated team physicians are committed to the athletes they serve and love to see them triumph over adversity.

“I do what I do because I love it,” said Dr. Arthur. “And the most rewarding part of being a team physician is being able to watch an athlete who’s been through a long and difficult injury recovery get back to doing what they love.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit boneandjointtn.org.

How Williamson Medical Center’s state-of-the-art cardiac care and newly updated cardiac catheterization capabilities helped save Bob Langsdon’s life

Bob Langsdon doesn’t remember much about the day he had a heart attack last year, but his family does.

“He was driving, and he stopped right in front of the UPS store,” his wife, Annette, recalled. “I looked at him, and I saw that something was wrong, so I called 911.”

Annette watched as local first responders, including Williamson Health EMS, arrived and began working to save her husband’s life. They quickly transported Bob to Williamson Medical Center, where Amit Keswani, M.D., an interventional cardiologist, stepped in.

“There were a lot of factors that were not necessarily in Bob’s favor,” Dr. Keswani said, “so we took him immediately to a cardiac catheterization suite.”

By using state-of-the-art technology, Dr. Keswani and his team were able to quickly identify and repair the artery that had caused Bob’s heart to stop.

“In general, patients that present with cardiogenic shock and out-of-hospital arrest—like Bob—have a 50% mortality rate,” Dr. Keswani said. “We were able to fix the artery—the artery that runs down the front of your heart—but I wanted the family to understand how sick Bob was.”

While Bob benefited from the advanced technologies available in Williamson Medical Center’s cardiac catheterization lab, the transformational expansion and renovation project has enhanced the flagship hospital’s cardiac offerings even more. The new Cardiac Center houses two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs as well as a brand new electrophysiology (EP) lab and pre- and post-procedure holding and recovery areas.

In addition, the center includes the cutting-edge technologies physicians need to perform a full range of diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures including inserting pacemakers, performing cardiac ablations, angioplasties and more. These technologies enhance physicians’ ability to perform complex cardiac procedures with equipment capable of delivering real-time, high-quality imaging of heart and blood flow.   

Even now, Bob doesn’t remember much about that fateful day.

“I have no memory of the events as they happened,” Bob recalled, “but since then, I’ve come to realize how much care I did get. It’s been a blessing to be here.”

Williamson Health is known for high-quality care, a fact that recent recognitions underscore. In May, Williamson Medical Center earned the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval® from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Heart Attack Center Certification. The designations reflect the hospital’s commitment to excellence in cardiac care and attest to the cardiac care team’s ability to rapidly assess, diagnose and treat patients experiencing heart attacks, ensuring timely intervention and optimized outcomes.

For the Langsdon family, having access to exceptional healthcare options right at home in Williamson County was crucial when their family needed it most.

“It used to be thought that you had to go to Nashville for heart care,” said Karen Paris, Bob’s daughter. “It’s wonderful to know that in Williamson County we have such an elite team of people who really provide top-notch care. We’re just so thankful.”

To learn more about Williamson Medical Center’s award-winning cardiac care, visit williamsonhealth.org/medical-services/cardiology.