You can count on Children's Hospital for more than just top-quality health care!

Since 1937, Children's Hospital has provided the best in pediatric health care to the children of this region. But our dedication to our community extends beyond the medical services we provide.

• must act on behalf of its community;
  


• must return any revenue back into the organization (in other words, we must use any budget surplus to purchase new equipment, expand our facilities and enhance our services) and
  


• must not spend substantial effort to influence legislation or participate in a political campaign.
  

Some areas around the country have begun in recent years to tax health care organizations for police and fire protection, although this has not yet happened in our area. The state of Tennessee has considered removing the state sales tax exemption for health care organizations. Depending on how such a tax were set up, this could cost Children's Hospital as much as $1.71 million per one percent of tax.

Without a tax exemption, Children's Hospital would be forced to pass along our increased expenses to our patients. As our number of patients grows each year, so does our need for more equipment and larger facilities. Without tax exemptions, it would be more difficult to add services and maintain equipment at the rate our community needs.

To maintain our tax-exempt status, Children's provides numerous benefits to our community:

1. An open-door policy. This is our most important benefit, as stated in our Statement of Philosophy. We offer medical services to all children, regardless of their parents' ability to pay. Not only that, but our Scott M. Niswonger Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, meaning the door is always open!

3. Healthy Kids Community Education Program. The Healthy Kids program features parenting classes and newsletters on a variety of topics ranging from safety to development to health. Classes are primarily for parents, grandparents and guardians, but some are also designed for teens (such as the Safe Sitter babysitting course) and children. Most classes are free; if a fee is charged, it is only to cover the cost of purchased materials. Healty Kids Newsletters are provided free to area schools and child care centers as well as to parents and caregivers.

6. Hello Hospital. The Child Life Department at Children's Hospital and dozens of volunteers provide this free program to kindergarten classes in all Knox County elementary schools. "Hello Hospital" is designed to teach young children about what it is like to visit a hospital and ease some of their fears about the experience.

7. The Children's Hospital Web site. The Children's Hospital Web site provides free access to a wide range of information regarding kids and their health, including thousands of pediatric health articles and "virtual visits," which help to teach kids (and their parents) about what to expect when they visit the hospital for a test, admission or surgery.

8. Professional education. Children's Hospital supports health care education by offering student internships, scholarships and training programs for student nurses, child development specialists and others pursuing health care as a career. Also, Children's works jointly with the UT Medical Center and UT Medical School to provide medical school rotations in family practice and other specialties at our facility. Furthermore, Children's is one of 12 accredited Continuing Medical Education providers in Tennessee. Only a few of those 12 providers are located in East Tennessee, and Children's Hospital is the only CME provider that specializes in pediatrics in this part of the state. As a CME provider, Children's Hospital conducts and sponsors relevant CME programs for physicians and nurse practitioners who treat children.

9. Community events. Children's Hospital takes part in a variety of health fairs at local schools and community events to provide health education to the public. At these events we provide free brochures and information sheets on many health topics.