Photo: Getty Images
Dolly Parton announced that the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital will take on a new name.
The legendary country artist is teaming up with the medical center “in a landmark moment for pediatric healthcare,” states a press release issued Thursday morning (February 26). The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is officially becoming the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital. The independent, not-for-profit hospital has “delivered transformative and expert pediatric care” for nearly a century. The region, where Parton grew up, is defined as a place “where neighbors show up for one another and roots run deep.”
“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,” Parton said in the release. “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.”
Parton reiterated her statement in a clip she shared on Instagram on Thursday morning: “Well, hey there! It’s Dolly. Now, I’ve always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love. That belief is what brought me together with the incredible folks at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. 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 a future. I am so excited to share, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is becoming, guess what? Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital. Yay! And together, we’re committed to strengthening our relationship where world class care and a caring heart go hand in hand for children across East Tennessee and beyond. And I hope that you’ll join me in supporting this work. I can’t do it all myself! I’m going to need you. So when we come together for our children, there’s no limit to what we can do.”
Matt Schaefer, President and CEO of Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, said the team-up with Parton “is more than a name change. 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.”