Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.). Vanderbilt University Medical Center's history stems back to 1874, one year after Vanderbilt University was founded with a grant from Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Today, VUMC is home to Vanderbilt University Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, and psychiatric and rehabilitation hospitals.
VUMC is the only Level I trauma center in Middle Tennessee. The hospital also features a burn center, the region's only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a LifeFlight program, the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the state and one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the region. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Vanderbilt University Medical Center as the No. 1 hospital in Tennessee and one of the top 50 hospitals in the country for several specialties, including cancer care, neurology and neurosurgery, urology and nephrology. The hospital has earned Magnet designation for nursing excellence.
In fall 2014, Vanderbilt University announced plans to make the hospital system a freestanding and financially distinct entity, which will increase its agility and opportunities to partner with other healthcare providers. The reconfiguration should be complete by spring 2016 and will support the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network, which was established in September 2011. The network was founded with three medical center partners but has since grown to work with 50 hospitals in rural and urban areas, including Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care and Johnson City, Tenn.-based Mountain States Health Alliance.
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