Dolly Parton‘s generous philanthropy is poised to make a huge difference in the lives of children in East Tennessee. After it was announced in February that the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital would be renamed Dolly Parton’s Children’s Hospital, the facility’s president and CEO, Matt Schaefer, spoke this week about the major impact the country legend’s donation will make.
“It’s a bit of a surreal moment,” Schaefer told Chief Healthcare Executive about the gift whose amount was not publicly disclosed. “It was truly humbling, and to hear her, in her own words, talk about the importance of this to her, to her community, to this organization, and to children, was super affirming,” he added, noting that despite his anxiety before meeting with the 80-year-old music icon, her trademark “incredibly disarming personality” put him at ease.
“I think anytime you have someone of her stature, someone of her standing, certainly in this region, across the United States, across the world, honestly, and to have the halo effect of everything she stood for in her life, including her love for children in particular, it just is fantastic for the future of our mission,” he said of the generous gift.
“What I can tell you is that she has made a generational and transformational commitment to Children’s and its mission,” Schaefer said. “And that commitment is something that goes beyond our wildest expectations, that is beyond generous, and will be a lifeline for this mission for now and for years to come.”
The hospital founded in 1937 has helped keep kids in the area healthy for almost 90 years and Schaefer noted that having Parton’s backing and name on it will allow them to added a number of vital medial services and “tell a broader story about the depth and breadth of services here, to imagine how we can continue to expand those services, and it accelerates how we should think about what our responsibility is to the patients and families that trust us today and invariably will trust us tomorrow.”
Back in February, Parton announced the name change and donation in an Instagram video in which she said, “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.”
The singer continued, “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!”
The hospital’s logo also got a refresh to go with its new name, consisting of a reimagining of its drawings of the silhouettes of two dancing children, now with movement lines that represent “the joy and happiness we wish for all children.” In addition, it features a red butterfly symbolizing “the hope and inspiration that Dolly Parton brings to our patients, families, doctors, nurses, team members and volunteers,” with a color scheme that highlights pink, a nod to Dolly’s “love of children everywhere,” teal, which stands for “calm, clarity and renewal,” and an updated shade of blue that is a link to the original logo, representing “commitment and trust.”
Sevierville, Tenn. native Parton has long made charitable giving tied to children a priority, most famously through her Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which to date has registered more than 3.1 million children for its services, which including gifting more than 314 million books to date.
Parton has been out of public view for lately, but in her first public appearance since postponing her Las Vegas residency last year due to undisclosed medical issues, the singer offered an update on her health last month during a keynote address on opening day at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. “I’ve not been touring, as you know,” Parton said. “I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them. I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” Parton added about the loss of her husband, Carl Dean, who died at 82 in March 2025. “I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, all is good. It didn’t slow me down.”
