Pilot, Haslams donate $5 million for new Emergency Department at ETCH
Pilot Company and the Haslam family have donated $5 million to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to renovate the Emergency Department at the hospital’s main campus on Clinch Avenue in downtown Knoxville. The facility will be named Pilot Emergency Care Center, in honor of past, present and future Pilot Company team members and their families.
In a statement, the Haslam family said: “East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is a beacon of hope in our community. The new Emergency Department will enhance the offerings and efficiency of the world-class children’s hospital in the heart of Knoxville, as well as provide improved comfort and amenities to families seeking treatment. We are grateful to partner with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in setting the standard for pediatric emergency medical care in our region.”
The donation represents gifts from Pilot Company; Natalie and Jim Haslam; Dee and Jimmy Haslam; Crissy and Bill Haslam; and Ann and Steve Bailey.
More than 60,000 injured and sick children come through the Children’s Hospital Emergency Department (ED) every year. The new ED will feature a dedicated behavioral health care section, providing safe spaces for patients receiving treatment or awaiting inpatient placement. Sensory-sensitive rooms also will be available.
Additional ED enhancements will include dedicated trauma rooms and an expanded lobby to safely separate sick and injured patients and create a comforting, inviting space for children. All exam, treatment and meeting areas will provide increased privacy for patients and families.
“For decades, Children’s Hospital has been investing in ways to serve the Knoxville community, the East Tennessee region and beyond,” East Tennessee Children’s Hospital President and CEO Matt Schaefer said. “The reimagination of the Emergency Department is just another example of that. I am proud to be part of an organization that runs to where the need is, and humbled to have the backing of the Pilot Company and Haslam family in this effort. The children of this region and their families will be the beneficiaries of that generosity for years to come in the Pilot Emergency Care Center.”
Children’s Hospital has been in operation since 1937 and offers a wide range of medical care and subspecialties for seriously ill children in a unique pediatric environment. The ED renovation also will increase efficiency and patient flow, such as relocating ambulance bays and creating separate patient intake and exit areas. The ED will implement new systems to enhance communications, such as texting families with information and next steps to help efficiently advance through the medical care process. The full renovation is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2021.