Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH) has been recertified by the State of Tennessee Health Facilities Commission (HFC) as a fully designated Level III Trauma Center.
After operating under provisional status for one year, VWCH was first certified as a Level III Trauma Center in August 2023. It was the first of its kind in Lebanon, Tennessee, and remains the county’s sole Level III Trauma Center.
“We are proud to offer this critical service to all of the people in our community,” said Scott McCarver, MHA, President of VWCH. “It makes a big difference to have this specialized care closer to home. It also benefits local EMS because it limits the number of trips they have to take out of the county.”
There are currently 17 trauma centers in Tennessee, 10 of which have Level III status. Hospitals voluntarily seek this designation, which holds them to higher standards of quality for patient care, experience and satisfaction. Level III Centers are designed to support seriously injured patients in communities without access to the resources of a Level I or II center.
According to the HFC, more than 50,000 patients are treated at Tennessee trauma centers every year. Since becoming a designated trauma center in 2023, the volume of patients entered into the VWCH trauma registry has grown from approximately 400 annually to more than 1,100 in 2025, reflecting the program’s expanding role in caring for injured patients throughout the region.
During that same period, the trauma service has grown from a single dedicated provider to a multidisciplinary team of five trauma surgeons and four advanced practice providers dedicated to delivering around-the-clock trauma care.
The original designation period was three years, and VWCH was recertified after a reinspection process this summer. Recertification requires a comprehensive review of clinical outcomes, performance improvement activities, resources, staffing and compliance with state trauma standards.
Highlights of the site visit report point out that the strength of VWCH’s program are VWCH Trauma Medical Director and Chief of Staff H. Andrew Hopper IV, MD, and Trauma Program Manager Stefanija Weaver, BSN, RN, who “show commitment to patient care and to the process of establishing a comprehensive Level III center that functions as an integral part of a trauma system of care.”
Hopper noted that achieving recertification as a Level III Trauma Center is an important milestone because it demonstrates “that we have not only established a trauma program but sustained it at a high level,” he said. “The reviewers found no major deficiencies. This accomplishment reflects the dedication of our multidisciplinary trauma team, our EMS partners, hospital leadership and Vanderbilt Health, all working toward the shared goal of delivering exceptional care to injured patients across the region. We are proud of what we have built together and remain committed to continuously advancing trauma care for the patients and communities we serve.”
