West Tennessee Healthcare plans to expand North Hospital facility

JACKSON, Tenn. — After West Tennessee Healthcare took over the Tennova Regional Hospital facility in north Jackson last June, Vice President of Hospital Services Deann Thelen said executives already had plans to use the space to expand orthopedic services.

“Two different planning groups have been working diligently, focusing on both women’s and children and on potential orthopedic focus with outpatient services as well,” Thelen said.

She says the main focus will be on improving services and providing additional space for patients.

“What we’re trying to do is maximize utilization space, beds, and provide high-quality service to the community and focus on the needs that we can improve on,” Thelen said.

Although it’s still in its planning stages, once they do relocate the orthopedic services to the North Hospital campus, they will relocate the women’s and children’s services to the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital campus.

“I think this gives us the opportunity to provide easy access for people who are coming into an organization really on a same-day outpatient procedural basis too,” Thelen said.

She says right now the focus is on renovations to the North Campus hospital before relocating.

“Hopefully in another week we’ll have preliminary drawings back to us, and then we’ll form the work group with some staff and physicians to help us design workflow and start the renovation process as soon as we have the plans approved,” Thelen said.

Thelen says there isn’t a timetable for the expansion project to be completed but says it should last only a few months.