A TikTok video posted by @ed_nash has gone viral thanks to the unusual hospital entrance design it features. In the comments, viewers questioned whether the layout posed a safety and accessibility risk.
The clip shows a set of automatic sliding doors at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West in the Nashville metropolitan area. As the doors slide open, a steel support pillar sits directly in the center of the walkway.
"Okay, so these are automatic doors," Nash said in the video. "They sense you coming, and they open to reveal a steel pole directly in your path. Yeah, I've, uh, I've walked into it 3 times. Oh, I should mention this is a hospital, so at least I'm already here." Part of the video caption reads, "I have questions," and has more than 62,000 likes as of publication.
@ed_nash automatic doors. at a hospital. i have questions. #nashville #architecture #designfail
♬ original sound - Ed Nash
Several users joked that the entrance itself was creating new patients. "That's the ol' wheelchair snatcher," one commenter wrote, prompting Nash to jokingly reply, "Everybody knew. Nobody said anything." Another user quipped, "I walked into it watching this video."
Others viewed the layout as a potential accessibility concern rather than just an odd architectural choice. "As someone who has spent too much time in hospitals and uses a wheelchair, what passes as accessible in hospitals is interesting to say the least," one commenter wrote. Another suggested the pillar should be made more visible, writing, "It should have a bright fluorescent stripe going all the way from top to bottom. I'm surprised they haven't been sued yet."
When the clip was re-shared on X, a user wrote, "Brilliant hospital design, nothing builds confidence like automatic doors that part like the Red Sea only to slam you into a surprise steel pillar. 'Safety first,' they said… right before installing the human bumper pole."
Another joked, "Interesting tactic for customer retention."
A hospital in Nashville, Tennessee has extremely questionable automatic doors
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 15, 2026
This is what it’s like if you’re walking towards the doors…. They open automatically, but in the middle is a steel pole that you wouldn’t expect
It’s very easy to not know this pole won’t open and… pic.twitter.com/huyLaKIHWs
Others tried to figure out why the pillar exists. One X user suggested the pillar might exist for structural or building code reasons, though no specific standard was cited to support that claim.
However, the user did not have evidence that these standards specifically explain the hospital's entrance. The Daily Dot could not find any public records indicating that building code requirements explain this specific design.
The Daily Dot could not independently verify the structural reason for the pillar's placement or confirm whether the hospital has received complaints or legal challenges related to the entrance design.
