(RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TENN.) In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation hosted a ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony on Tuesday and celebrated the completion of the hospital’s 8th floor, known as the Dr. George W. Smith West Wing and Anne and Jeff Davis Waiting Room. 

Named for one of Murfreesboro’s first and longest-serving African-American physicians, the 22,000-square foot Dr. George W. Smith West Wing will include 36 patient rooms and multiple nurse stations. An anonymous donor gifted $100,000 in the late Dr. George Smith’s name towards the completion of this wing, which will serve as a step-down unit for patients in need of an intermediate level care between leaving the ICU and rejoining the general patient population. These beds will support a higher-acuity patient population as the hospital continues to expand clinical programs and add highly specialized physicians. Dr. George Smith’s family was on hand for the event, including his widow Toni Smith. 

The Anne and Jeff Davis Waiting Room will offer a stunning 180-degree view of the city from the hospital’s 8th floor. Influential Murfreesboro couple Anne and Jeff Davis have made a planned gift of $100,000 towards the completion of this sleek and welcoming space for patients and their loved ones. Jeff is a prominent realtor and Anne, a longtime leader in the Murfreesboro philanthropy community, serves as president of The Christy-Houston Foundation, Inc. 

“We are so thankful to the donors who helped make this vertical expansion a reality,” said Gina DeJean, director, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation. “Because of their generosity and vision, we can continue saving lives by providing transformational healthcare right here in Murfreesboro.” 

“The 8th-floor expansion comes at an exciting time in our rich history of serving Rutherford County,” said Gordon Ferguson, president and CEO, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. “We are simultaneously breaking ground on a new parking garage, launching a cardiac surgery program, building Tennessee’s first neighborhood hospital at Westlawn, and much more. It is our great privilege to care for this community in new and innovative ways.” 

Anne and Jeff Davis and the family of the late Dr. George W. Smith were joined at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting by hospital leaders, board members of The Christy-Houston Foundation, Inc., and other hospital supporters.