Le Bonheur Children’s and West Tennessee Healthcare are happy to announce that the two organizations have received approval from the Tennessee Department of Health for a Certificate of Need (CON) application related to their pediatric collaboration in West Tennessee. The CON approval is a key milestone for the development of a pediatric hospital-within-a hospital to be licensed to Le Bonheur inside Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. Announced in June, the 21- bed pediatric satellite location will be the first of its kind in West Tennessee and will be staffed by clinicians who are currently Jackson-Madison employees.
The two organizations will work together in their shared mission of improving the health status of West Tennessee children by enhancing access to expert pediatric care and developing more comprehensive pediatric specialty programs. This will allow West Tennessee children from an 18-county radius to stay closer to home, while receiving the highest level of care.
“We are pleased that the Tennessee Department of Health recognized the value that this pediatric unit at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, the first of its kind in the region, will have for families all across West Tennessee,” said Le Bonheur President Michael Wiggins. “West Tennessee Healthcare and Le Bonheur have long been committed to taking care of children in West Tennessee and this will ensure that families will continue to receive the best care close to home for years to come.”
Le Bonheur Children’s has a long-standing presence in Jackson and West Tennessee. Families are already familiar with a 20-exam room outpatient center on Vann Drive off Interstate 40 in Jackson, where 17 pediatric subspecialties are offered. Le Bonheur on the Move, a mobile medical unit in West Tennessee, helps children connect with a pediatric medical home. Le Bonheur also offers school-based nursing, behavioral health navigation, health education and school-mandated screenings to various West Tennessee communities.
“This is just one great example of us finding new ways to ‘meet the need and make a difference’ for our communities, especially for our pediatric population,” said James Ross, CEO of West Tennessee. “We look forward to working with Le Bonheur to improve the health and well-being of the children in the region.”
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, part of West Tennessee Healthcare, has been serving the region since 1950, and is the largest hospital between Memphis and Nashville. The health system provides a full range of healthcare services including hospitals and clinics throughout the region, and employs more than 7,000 people.
For more information and to stay up-to-date as details evolve, visit www.lebonheur.org/westtennessee or www.wthpediatrics.org.
