East Tennessee Children's Hospital - Discovery, Innovation, & Simulation Center

Since 1932, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH) has committed to providing extraordinary pediatric care and services. Whether it is through their specially-trained staff, state-of-the-art equipment, or the design of their facilities, ETCH fosters a culture conducive to improving their mission and operations.

To further reinforce the importance of this mission, ETCH embarked on a renovation to create a technologically advanced learning center designed to reflect and enhance their passion for pediatric care. The resulting “Think Space” provides functional environments to provide hands-on skills training, collaboration, and innovation which impacts real-life patient outcomes within the Hospital. Called the Discovery, Innovation, & Simulation Center (DISC), the program contains a range of simulation spaces, including those for the Emergency Department and NICU/PICU, as well as flexible skills labs for both staff and visiting families that can easily be converted to accommodate various simulation scenarios.

The design features branded colors set against a crisp white background that ties the space into the surrounding Hospital. The Center is bisected by a curvilinear, louvered wall that defines the Innovation Lab while supporting visual connections to the adjacent learning & simulation spaces. As one moves throughout the space, a graphic of smiling children is gradually revealed on the louvers which reminds and reinforces the mission behind the DISC.