Dolly Parton’s name is now attached to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, which announced Thursday that it will be known as Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital as it looks to advance pediatric health care in the region. The hospital said the change reflects new philanthropy from Parton, while hospital leaders said the institution would continue providing the same care the community expects.
Parton made the announcement in a video message, saying that when she is “in a position to do my part, to help others,” she has tried to do just that—“Especially when children and families need it most.” She added that she “’ve always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love.”
Matt Schaefer, the hospital’s president and CEO, said Parton’s support would help ensure care for all children who come to the hospital. Schaefer said her support would ensure “every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve.”
Adam Cook, the hospital’s chief development and public affairs officer, said the gift would encourage the hospital to continue its mission and maintain an “open-door” approach to pediatric care. In a statement to the Associated Press, Cook said, “This is a generational collaboration that will transform pediatric care in this region,” adding that it would “positively impact patients and families for decades to come.”
Parton did not specify how much she donated as part of the naming announcement. The hospital’s leaders framed the effort as part of a longer-term partnership aimed at pediatric care outcomes in Tennessee and beyond.
The Associated Press reported that Parton’s philanthropy already reaches across Tennessee through her Imagination Library initiative, which sends 3 million free books every month to children whose parents request them. The AP also cited Parton’s donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for research that helped produce Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, along with support through her charitable foundation for college scholarships and disaster relief.
The hospital’s history includes an “open-door” policy that it says has been in place since it opened in 1937, including that no child would be denied care for their race, religion or ability to pay medical bills, according to its website. The hospital’s main campus is in Knoxville, and the AP said it operates at more than 20 locations across the eastern part of the state.
The AP said the hospital’s renewed push with Parton’s support comes amid rural health pressures, including closures that have left tens of millions of people with fewer health care options. Parton said in the video that she cannot do everything alone and invited the public to join her.
“I can’t do it all myself,” she said in the video.