West Tennessee Healthcare and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Announce Pediatric Collaboration in West Tennessee
JACKSON, Tenn. – West Tennessee Healthcare and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital have announced a
new collaboration to provide specialized pediatric care to the children of West Tennessee. A resolution
approving the collaboration was approved by the West Tennessee Healthcare board at their meeting on
June 29, 2021.
In July, the two organizations will ask the State of Tennessee for approval to develop a pediatric
hospital-within-a-hospital licensed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital inside Jackson-Madison County
General Hospital. The pediatric unit will be the first of its kind in West Tennessee and is proposed to be
staffed by pediatric experts from Le Bonheur and West Tennessee Healthcare.
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 so proud of the work we’ve done at West Tennessee Healthcare for many years taking care of
children. We look forward to receiving approval to work with Le Bonheur Children’s to continue this
worthy mission,” said James (JR) Ross, president and CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare. “Children in
our region deserve all of us working together to ensure they grow up healthy, safe and strong.”
More details regarding the scope of the venture, including services provided, are expected later this
year. For more information and to stay up-to-date as details evolve, visit
www.lebonheur.org/westtennessee or www.wthpediatrics.org.
“We are honored to join West Tennessee Healthcare to enhance the care we offer to children in West
Tennessee,” said Le Bonheur President Michael Wiggins. “Our organizations have a shared mission of
improving the health of West Tennessee families, and we’re excited to work together to ensure that
care is close to home for children.”
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.
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.
About Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital treats children through community programs, regional clinics and a 255-
bed state-of-the-art hospital. Le Bonheur serves as a primary teaching affiliate for the University
Tennessee Health Science Center and trains more than 350 pediatricians and specialists each year.
Nationally recognized, Le Bonheur is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Children’s
Hospital. For more information, please call (901) 287-6030 or visit lebonheur.org. Connect with us at
facebook.com/lebonheurchildrens, twitter.com/lebonheurchild or on Instagram at lebonheurchildrens.
About West Tennessee Healthcare
West Tennessee Healthcare is a public, not-for-profit healthcare system with locations serving 18
counties in West Tennessee. The mission of West Tennessee Healthcare is to improve the health and
well-being of the communities we serve while providing exceptional and compassionate care. For
more information, visit www.wth.org.
