Niswonger Children’s Hospital 2025 Radiothon to support transport unit for newborn babies

As the newly constructed walls rise at Niswonger Children’s Hospital, the annual hospital Radiothon event will kick off this week to raise funds for a new neonatal transport unit that serves newborn babies and their families throughout the Appalachian Highlands.

The 13th annual Niswonger Children’s Network Radiothon will take place on Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, once again bringing the community together to support children in the region. Central to this year’s fundraising goal is a new neonatal transport unit that will transport newborns from other hospitals in the area to the state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which is part of the ongoing hospital expansion. The expansion project is expected to be completed in early 2026.

“We’ll soon have the newest neonatal intensive care unit in both Tennessee and Virginia, and we’re looking to the community to help us ensure that the babies who need that specialized care can access it from any point in the Niswonger Children’s Network,” said Chris Jett, CEO of the children’s network. “Every day brings us one step closer to opening our new NICU, and we’re calling on the community’s support to help ensure patients have everything they need as our team provides seamless care for infants and children across the Appalachian Highlands, wherever and whenever that care is needed.”

This year, the Radiothon aims to raise $500,000 towards the purchase of the new transport unit. The unit will function within the region to transport newborns between facilities, ensuring they receive timely specialized or emergency care. It will be equipped similarly to a pediatric ambulance and will be outfitted to provide emergency services to newborn and premature babies during transportation.

“The neonatal transport unit will serve an important function not only for the children’s hospital and NICU, but for babies that are born anywhere in the Niswonger Children’s Network footprint,” said Dr. Seth Brown, chief medical officer for Niswonger Children’s Hospital. “Sometimes, a baby will have critical or emergent needs that aren’t known until after birth, so having a specialized transport unit on standby will be crucial to ensure those babies have everything they need while we safely transport them to the new NICU at the children’s hospital.”

In addition to the new fourth and fifth floor expansion of the children’s hospital, Ballad Health has also been committed to expanding high-quality pediatric care beyond the Niswonger Children’s Hospital walls. In 2021, Ballad Health announced the Niswonger Children’s Network, establishing a system of pediatric care that stretches across the Appalachian Highlands. Since then, the network has established various partnerships throughout the region, including a pediatric care area inside Greeneville Community Hospital and dedicated Pediatric Emergency Rooms in Bristol and Kingsport.

“This is Niswonger Children’s Network in action,” Jett said. “Since 2021, we’ve been able to establish a network of care that will benefit children and their families for decades to come. Adding the neonatal transport unit to carry our most precious cargo between facilities is possible because of the work we’ve done to establish and expand the children’s network. And that work, in turn, was made possible by the generosity of the people who live in our region.”

The Radiothon remains the network’s largest annual fundraiser and has raised more than $4.5 million to date to support the children’s hospital, its programs and its patients in the community. Most recently, the Radiothon helped fund the $30 million Hope Rising capital campaign to expand the children’s hospital, and in previous years it’s also helped purchase a pediatric ambulance, fund the purchase of medical equipment and helped fund children’s programs throughout the region.

“The Radiothon is the perfect opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve pushed children’s healthcare in the Appalachian Highlands while also taking that commitment a step further,” said Jack Simpson, president of Ballad Health Foundation. “This year is very special because you can see the fruit of past commitments in the ongoing construction at the hospital, and we’re excited to let our community know there are still plenty of ways they can support the children in our region.

“I’ve always said the Appalachian Highlands is an incredibly special place, and it’s because the people who live in this community have committed more than $4.5 million to support children’s healthcare over the 12 previous years of the Radiothon. We’ve grown from a hospital to a network, and now the hospital is expanding by two floors. That’s because the generous people who live here believe in our mission, and it reminds me how lucky we are to live here. Whether you donate $1 or $1 million, you can be sure that every penny goes back to help the children right here at home.”

Niswonger Children’s Hospital serves more than 200,000 children in a 29-county region serving four states. With 69 inpatient beds, the hospital is staffed by pediatric experts across multiple specialties and is the only children’s hospital in the region. The hospital opened its doors in 2009 thanks to a $10 million donation from Chief Benefactor Scott Niswonger, who continues supporting children’s healthcare in the Appalachian Highlands.

“When the children’s hospital opened 16 years ago, I knew it would have an impact bigger than anyone at the time could imagine,” Niswonger said. “I continue to be inspired every day by the doctors and team members who make the Niswonger Children’s Network what it is — a beacon of exceptional pediatric care.

“I have always believed that supporting this region is important, and the Niswonger Children’s Hospital continues to be the project that impacts the most lives every day. Every year, we have a new advancement to celebrate, and it excites me to think about the growing future of children’s healthcare in our region.”

To donate during the Radiothon, call 855-611-KIDS (5437) or text “KITE” to 51555. To register a team, donate online or learn more about the Radiothon, visit www.niswongerchildrensradiothon.org.