Tennessee Children’s Hospital Renamed for Dolly Parton

Tennessee’s most famous Dolly now has a children’s hospital bearing her name. According to Rolling Stone, the nearly 90-year-old East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville has officially been renamed the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.

The independent, nonprofit facility first opened in 1937 and is certified as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center. Hospital leaders say it serves patients from infancy through the teenage years, providing care “regardless of race, religion, or ability to pay.” With more than 400 physicians and about 2,200 employees, it ranks among the largest employers in the region.

“This is more than a name change,” hospital president and CEO Matt Schaefer said in a statement to People. “With Dolly’s support, we are strengthening our mission to deliver world-class pediatric care to families.” While the hospital did not disclose the size of Parton’s donation, Schaefer said her contribution will help ensure that “every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve,” the AP reported. Adam Cook, the hospital’s chief development and public affairs officer, described the partnership as “a generational collaboration that will transform pediatric care in this region.”

In a statement, Dolly Parton reflected on her East Tennessee roots. “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,” she said. “Every child deserves world-class care, wrapped in kindness and love.”

Parton, now 80, has long supported children’s causes. She founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 to improve educational outcomes and launched the Imagination Library in 1995, which has provided free books to millions of children.

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