Hospital Expansion Honors Jim Ayers

Vanderbilt University Medical Center will name the new expansion tower for Vanderbilt University Hospital the Jim Ayers Tower in recognition of Janet and Jim Ayers’ philanthropic legacy and abiding interest in improving the health care and quality of life for Tennesseans.

The naming of the 15-level, 470,000-square-foot tower, currently under construction between 21st Avenue South and Medical Center Drive on VUMC’s main campus in Nashville, honors the couple’s steadfast community leadership and longtime connection to VUMC. The tower is scheduled to open its first floor — Level 7 — in October.

A Parsons, Tennessee, native, Ayers has achieved business successes in financial services, real estate and health care ventures, and he is widely recognized for increasing educational opportunities for young people. In 1999, he established The Ayers Foundation, now known as the Ayers Foundation Trust, which supports a wide range of programs and institutions.

At VUMC, the Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center was established in 2005 to help researchers find early markers for colorectal cancer that could improve diagnosis and potentially save lives.

“To have my name connected with empowering access to health care is the honor of a lifetime,” Ayers said. “This isn’t just a building but rather a space for families to receive care that can improve their lives.