NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – There is growing support for a new Nashville General Hospital in Nashville, according to former Metro Councilman At-Large and current Nashville Pastor Jerry Maynard. He called the need for construction urgent to address “critical gaps in care.”
NGH is a public teaching hospital that provides emergency, in-patient, outpatient and specialty care services.
Maynard said time is ticking. Nashville General Hospital’s lease of the Meharry Medical College property is set to expire in 2027.
“Its current infrastructure, an 11-story building leased on the Meharry Medical College campus, has proven insufficient, offers no room for expansion, and is in a state of disrepair making it difficult to meet the modern demands of an acute care environment. Services, like cancer treatment, require patients to be referred to other facilities for specialized care, leading to fragmented and less effective treatment. This inefficiency not only strains patients but also underscores the pressing need for a comprehensive medical center equipped to provide holistic care under one roof,” Maynard said.
The proposed project includes plans for a two-to-four-story campus built on 20-25 acres. Maynard said it would require a $500–$700 million investment and that funding would come from private entities instead of taxpayer dollars.
According to Maynard, the age of the current hospital building makes new construction the most financially feasible option, “ensuring a sustainable future for NGH while allowing Metro to eventually own the property outright.”
Maynard described Nashville General Hospital as critical to providing care for the most vulnerable people in Nashville. He said as the city grows, so does the need for expanded care.
An Impact Report presented to the Hospital Authority Board said construction would address healthcare staffing shortages by opening a new nursing school program and increasing the number of obstetrics and gynecology practitioners, family care practitioners, and healthcare professionals like nurses and medical lab technologists.
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