Discovery Innovation and Simulation Center
Discovery Innovation and Simulation Center
🧭 Directions to DISC
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
First floor, South Tower
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
710 South 21st Street, Knoxville, TN 37916
📬 Contact Us
Have questions or want to get involved?
📧 Email: DISC@etch.com
📞 Phone: 865-541-8683
Where curiosity meets care, and innovation inspires the future of pediatric health.
Nestled on the first floor of the South Tower at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, DISC is more than a space—it's a launchpad for learning, a hub for hands-on exploration, and a catalyst for reimagining healthcare.
Opened in 2020, DISC was designed with bold purpose: to spark ideas, elevate clinical practice, and create a safe, cutting-edge environment where healthcare professionals and community partners come together to grow, train, and innovate. Here, technology meets compassion through state-of-the-art resources including virtual reality labs, 3D printing, research zones, and collaborative spaces.
Step into our fully equipped NICU and PICU simulation suites—realistic, high-fidelity environments where our teams, along with EMS and other community partners, engage in scenario-based training that mirrors real-world patient care. From practicing critical procedures in the clinical skills lab to refining resuscitation skills with visual-audio CPR feedback, every moment inside DISC is an opportunity to strengthen skills and save lives.
We believe learning should start early and reach far. That’s why we welcome students through career exploration days, host technological immersion events for high schoolers, and offer hands-on outreach programs for future healthcare professionals across the region.
Our immersive VR experiences allow learners to step into complex scenarios, encouraging rapid problem-solving, clinical reasoning, and teamwork in a safe, supportive environment.
And because family is at the center of every child's care, DISC features a dedicated Family Skills Room—an inviting, hands-on space where parents and caregivers can build confidence in managing medications, equipment, and chronic conditions at home.
At DISC, we’re not just preparing for the future—we’re shaping it. Together, with our hospital team and community partners, we’re transforming possibilities into practice—for every child, every family, every day.
Our Team
- Vanessa Thomas, MD
Assistant Medical Director, Emergency Medicine
Medical Director, Discovery Innovation/Simulation Center
Chair of Code Blue Committee
Co-Medical Director of PALS
- Diana V. Johnston, MPA, BSN, BA, C-ONQS, C-OB
Discovery, Innovation, Simulation Center &
Clinical Education Manager
- Paige Jenkins, DNP, CPNP-PC
Centralized Staff Development Specialist
- Tim Branam NRP, CPhT
Simulation Center Coordinator
- Shelley Moore-White, MSM, BSN, RN
Nursing Director
💡 A Space Where Learning Meets Heart
At East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, we believe exceptional care begins with preparation, curiosity, and compassion. DISC is our dedicated space where healthcare professionals, students, and families come together to grow, explore, and shape the future of pediatric care.
🏥 Realistic Simulation. Real-Life Impact.
DISC features fully equipped NICU and PICU simulation suites—realistic environments where staff and community partners like EMS train side by side. These high-fidelity simulations allow teams to practice critical scenarios safely and confidently.
✅ Pediatric emergency response
✅ Code blue and trauma simulations
✅ Team communication and rapid decision-making
✅ Post-event debriefing and learning
🛠️ Hands-On Tools That Inspire Confidence
Our center is packed with advanced tools to support experiential learning at every level:
- 🩺 Clinical Skills Lab for mastering procedures
- 🧠 Virtual Reality Labs that immerse learners in clinical scenarios
- 🖨️ 3D Printing for custom models used in education and planning
- ❤️ CPR Feedback Systems that teach life-saving precision in real time
- 🧪 Research & Innovation Zones for developing new care solutions
🎓 Education That Starts Early and Reaches Far
DISC isn’t just for our hospital staff—we open our doors to the next generation of caregivers:
👩⚕️ Career & Tech Days for high school students
🏫 Outreach programs with future nurses, EMTs, and physicians
🚑 Training partnerships with EMS and local healthcare providers
👨👩👧 Empowering Families Through Education
Our Family Skills Room is a warm, welcoming space where caregivers learn essential skills for supporting their child at home:
- Administering medications safely
- Managing feeding tubes or home oxygen
- Understanding chronic condition care
When families leave DISC, they carry not just knowledge—but confidence.
❤️ Where Innovation Meets Compassion
Every scenario, tool, and training inside DISC is driven by one mission:
To deliver the safest, most advanced, and most compassionate care to every child.
At DISC, we prepare teams not just to respond—but to respond with excellence and heart.
