University of Tennessee Health Science Center to open new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center will soon have a new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building thanks to the Tennessee General Assembly appropriating $311 million for the building’s construction. Construction will start later this fall, and will be complete sometime in 2029. The new building will serve as a training hub for future healthcare professionals to work in a collaborative nature and prepare to provide the community with comprehensive care.

According to an article on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s website, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Raaj Kurapati, who is leading the project, was quoted as saying of the new building, “This is an investment in continuing to meet the significant deficit in physicians and physician assistants in the state of Tennessee, with projections suggesting that there will be a need for 6,000 additional physicians in the state by 2030.”

The state of Tennessee currently ranks near the bottom in overall health outcomes in the United States. The new building will allow the university to expand its enrollment and significantly impact the state’s healthcare landscape. With the expanded capacity that comes with the new building, the College of Medicine class will be able to grow from 175 to 250 per cohort and the Physician Assistant Program from 30 to 60 students per year.

Gov. Lee said, “The University of Tennessee Health Science Center will play a critical role in training the next generation of health care providers for all Tennesseans, and I’m grateful to make this strategic investment in partnership with the General Assembly. A new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building will increase the number of physicians and healthcare providers, allowing us to build on our work to improve access to health care statewide, and particularly in rural areas.”

The new building will span 300,000 square feet and will be located between the College of Pharmacy Building and the site of the former Holiday Inn building, which was recently demolished. The building will house telehealth training in multiple fields and online educational opportunities, which will eventually expand the number of academic certificate programs the university can offer. Over the first five years of the new building’s operation, it is expected that the university will graduate an additional 1,450 health care professionals.

The building will feature wellness/quiet rooms, interdisciplinary health commons, student study rooms, seminar rooms, a digital health and innovation space, a specialty simulation area, an external partnership space, a health incubator, a technology innovation lab, rooftop greenspace, an event terrace, and student gathering spaces.

2026 College of Medicine Class President Ben Finder said, “The new College of Medicine building represents a historic moment not only for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, but for the great state of Tennessee at large. Within its halls, the next generation of physicians will have ample space and resources to dedicate years of their lives into the study of the human body and mind. When you and I are in our most challenging moments, we will be able to rest easy, knowing that our doctors trained here.”

The university must contribute an additional $50 million in philanthropic support to bring the project to completion, which includes $39 million toward the costs of the building and additional funds for specialized equipment and programmatic support.

When the Tennessee General Assembly approved funding in mid-April, Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD said, “This is a transformative step for UT Health Sciences, as well as for health and health care of the people of Tennessee. We are grateful to Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly for their extraordinary support of our university and our statewide vision of Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.”

UT Health Sciences’ College of Medicine Executive Dean Michael Hocker, MD said, “I think this is one of those landmark events at a college of medicine.”

For more information about the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, visit the school’s website.