The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital has announced will officially be changing its name to Dolly Parton Children's Hospital, marking what it calls "a powerful new collaboration designed to elevate children’s healthcare across East Tennessee and beyond."
Established in 1937, the 152-bed hospital based in Knoxville is a free-standing, independent, not-for-profit pediatric health care system which serves the East Tennessee region and beyond. The hospital operates with an “open-door” policy that no child will be denied care for their race, religion or ability to pay medical bills.
"Dolly Parton is reinforcing a longstanding commitment to children and families in a bold new era for the hospital — one centered on compassion, innovation and access," the hospital said in a statement.
"Being fortunate to have grown up in the mountains of East Tennessee, I learned early on what it means to take care of one another," said Dolly Parton. "Every child deserves world-class care, wrapped in kindness and love. I’m so honored to stand alongside this Hospital and do my part to help bring more hope, more comfort, and more healing to children and families."
“Now I’ve always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up, healthy, hopeful and surrounded by love. That belief is what brought me together with the incredible folks at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital," she added in an accompanying video. "For nearly 90 years, their teams have provided compassionate and talented care. They see children not just as patients, but as precious lives, each with a story and with a future … when we come together for our children, there’s no limit to what we can do.”
“This is more than a name change,” Matt Schaefer, president and CEO of Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, said in a statement. “With Dolly’s support, we are strengthening our mission to deliver world-class pediatric care to families, ensuring every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve.”
Parton is well-known for philanthropy across her home state and beyond, providing college scholarships and offering disaster relief. The country star's Imagination Library initiative sends millions of free books every month to children whose parents request them. She also donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s Medical Center for research that helped produce Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Watch Dolly Parton make the announcement below.