Hermitage, Tenn.-based TriStar Summit Medical Center, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, has received approval from the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission for a certificate of need to build an $18 million freestanding emergency department.
The facility, which will be located in Lebanon, Tenn., will include 11 treatment rooms — one of which is a trauma room — along with on-site laboratory and imaging services and will operate 24/7, according to a June 25 news release.
The CON had originally been denied by the commission in September 2025, primarily because of proximity concerns to Lebanon, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital. TriStar Summit appealed the decision.
On May 5, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation that will eliminate the CON requirement for freestanding ERs effective July 1, 2028. TriStar Summit estimated that the proposed project would be open to patients by January 2028, six months before the CON repeal law takes effect. Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital withdrew its opposition on May 22.
Wilson County is one of Tennessee’s fastest-growing counties, with more than 171,000 residents and projected growth of 11% by 2030, according to the release.
“As Wilson County continues to grow, this new emergency room will help ensure patients can access high-quality emergency care close to home when every minute matters,” TriStar Summit CEO Cindy Bergmeier said in the release.
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