MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford celebrated the opening of its new Structural Heart and Valve Center Wednesday (2/4/2026), marking a major expansion of advanced cardiovascular services for Rutherford County and surrounding communities. The new program provides life-saving treatment options locally, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the region for specialized care.

This launch marks a significant milestone in the hospital’s ongoing investment in cardiovascular services. Following the recent expansion of interventional cardiac catheterization and outpatient cardiac imaging, the program introduced open-heart surgery in 2023 and has since completed more than 725 successful procedures. The addition of structural heart care further reinforces the hospital’s position as a leader in heart care in Middle Tennessee.

Structural heart procedures address defects or abnormalities in the heart’s structure, including the valves, walls, chambers or vessels, rather than the coronary arteries treated in traditional interventional cardiology.

These procedures typically require specialist referrals and travel and are now available close to home at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. The expansion supports the community hospital model by placing critical specialty care within reach of patients and families in the region.

The center is led by cardiothoracic surgeons Dr. Wilson Clements and Dr. Aaron Hoffman, along with Dr. Soubhi Azzouz, a fellowship-trained interventional and structural cardiologist who recently joined Ascension Saint Thomas Heart from Intermountain Health at St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. Under their leadership, the center offers advanced treatments such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement, left atrial appendage closure with devices such as WATCHMAN™, and other minimally invasive valve repair and replacement procedures.

“Bringing this level of care to our community is part of our mission to deliver high-quality, evidence-based treatment close to home,” said Daphne David, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. “Patients can now access procedures once only available by traveling to our hospital in Nashville, right here in Rutherford County.”

The new center aligns with nationally recognized clinical pathways developed at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West, ensuring continuity of care and strong patient outcomes. The program also emphasizes coordinated, multidisciplinary care from diagnosis through rehabilitation.

Ascension Saint Thomas continues to grow its services in Murfreesboro to meet the evolving needs of the region. The opening of the Structural Heart and Valve Center reflects the system’s commitment to innovation, excellence and advanced care for the communities it serves.

The Structural Heart and Valve Center is now open and accepting patients, offering expanded treatment options that can shorten recovery times and improve quality of life for patients across the region.

About Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital - Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro is a nationally recognized hospital offering comprehensive specialty care, including heart and vascular, orthopedics, maternity and women’s health, cancer care, and emergency services. The hospital is a regional leader, delivering more babies and performing more joint replacements than any other facility in the area, and features a Level III Trauma Center and Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center for severe injuries and time-sensitive conditions. Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford expanded its Critical Care Unit by 18 beds and added a new ambulance bay as part of a $42 million project. The expansion increases capacity from 32 to 50 beds and is part of a larger long-term investment to include new high-acuity service lines including cardiac surgery, complex cardiology, and neurosciences in the rapidly growing region.

About Ascension Saint Thomas - Ascension Saint Thomas is a leading health care system with a 125-year history of providing care to the community, and is the only faith-based, nonprofit health system in Middle Tennessee. The system includes 18 hospitals and 320 sites of care across a 45-county area in Tennessee, including a network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and specialty facilities. Across the state, Ascension Saint Thomas and its partner organizations employ more than 13,000 dedicated associates who care for millions of patients each year. Ascension Saint Thomas is part of Ascension, one of the nation’s largest faith-based healthcare organizations committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension includes approximately 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

• Hear out latest PODCAST with Ascension Saint Thomas Heart HERE.