Get to know Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital: Questions and Answers

The East Tennessee Children’s Hospital served patients and families for decades, but it now has a new identity that’s most assuredly a household name.

The organization has been rebranded as Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, reflecting the name of the country music icon. Parton and the hospital made the announcement last week.

Here’s a quick overview of the hospital, its history, and the legendary figure aiming to bolster the hospital.

Q: What are the details?

A: The hospital announced last week it is now known as Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.

Parton, who grew up in eastern Tennessee, first announced the news on NBC’s “Today” show.

“Ever since I’ve been in a position to do my part and to help others, I have tried to do just that, especially when children and families need it most,” Parton said in a video announcement.

Q: What else does the announcement mean?

A: Matt Schaefer, president and CEO of Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, stressed that the partnership 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,” he said in a news release.

Q: Is the move expected to improve fundraising?

A: Given Dolly Parton’s name recognition, it’s hard to imagine the hospital won’t get a boost in its fundraising.

In her video announcing the collaboration with the hospital and its new name, Parton invites others to help support the pediatric facility.

“We're committed to strengthening a 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,” she said in the video. “I can't do it all myself. I'm gonna need you.”

Pediatric hospitals tend to fare well in fundraising, since asking support to help children in need tends to be a moving appeal.

Q: Where is the hospital based?

A: The hospital is in Knoxville, Tennessee, but the organization notes that it serves patients in much of Tennessee. The hospital also serves patients in southeast Kentucky and southwest Virginia. The hospital first opened in 1937.

Q: How many patients does it serve?

A: The hospital is licensed for 152 beds. Its average daily census is 85 patients. Its emergency department had more than 52,000 visits in 2025, according to the hospital’s website.

Beyond the hospital, the system also operates around 20 other locations, including clinics and urgent care facilities.

Q: Is it a non-profit facility?

A: Yes, Dolly Parton Children’s is a non-profit hospital. Since its foundation, the hospital says it has had an “an ‘open-door’ policy that no child will be denied care because of race, religion or their parents' ability to pay their child's medical bill.”

Q: Does the hospital have other partnerships?

A: The hospital is independent but it has a relationship with the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The facilities collaborate on the best location for trauma care for children with serious injuries.

Q: What are some of Dolly Parton’s other charitable ventures?

A: Parton has become almost as famed for her philanthropy as her music and film work in recent years. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library sent out 36 million free books to children in 2024.

She gave $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s Medical Center for research that helped produce Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, the Associated Press reports.

She has also contributed to the LeConte Medical Center in Tennessee, and that hospital is home to the Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services.

Parton has also given to numerous scholarships and other relief efforts after disasters, Billboard reports.

Read more: Tom Golisano gives $253 million to 6 children’s hospitals