Our Programs
Helping families stay together
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga (RMHC) Programs
demonstrate a seamless continuum of care that reflects the RMHC mission and
supports families throughout their wellness journey. Our family-centered, trauma-
informed programs and psychosocial services are grounded in compassion, hospitality,
respite, and wellness navigation, whether families are staying at our main House
campus, visiting a Family Room, or transitioning through the House to Home Program.
Guided by a holistic philosophy, RMHC Programs address key social determinants of
health through advocacy, strategic partnerships, resource linkage, and community-
based services. These evidence-informed practices empower families to heal, build
resilience, adapt to new norms, and ultimately improve health and well-being outcomes.
Family Room:
The Ronald McDonald Family Room, located on the third floor of Erlanger, provides
daytime respite for both commuting and inpatient families who spend long hours at their
child’s bedside. Without leaving the hospital, families can shower, do laundry, enjoy a
snack, and access wellnessnavigation resources—offering comfort and relief during a
demanding hospital stay.
What services are provided:
- Laundry
- Shower
- Snacks & meals
- Coffee & tea
- Lounge Area
Who is eligible:
- These services are available to anyone with an immediate family member in the Erlanger, Children’s or Siskin Hospitals with an updated visitor’s badge.
House:
The Ronald McDonald House provides compassionate, comfortable, and convenient
free lodging—a true “home away from home”—for regional families with critically ill
children. By removing the burden of housing costs, the House allows families to remain
close to their hospitalized child, stay bonded, and focus fully on healing during an
incredibly difficult time.
Located near Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, the 28-bedroom facility offers
comprehensive residential hospitality services, including private guest rooms, daily hot
meals, laundry services, and welcoming shared spaces. Families also have access to
personalized wellness-navigation sessions and supportive activities designed to care for
the whole family—body, mind, and spirit.
How to stay:
A social worker or medical personnel from the hospital where the patient is receiving treatment must send an initial referral to request a room at the Ronald McDonald House.
Please note, a request does not guarantee a room is available. Once the referral has been made, the Ronald McDonald House will contact the Hospital. Once the referral has been processed and approved, a staff member will contact the family directly for next steps.
Who is eligible?
The families of patients between the ages of 0-21 and live at least 15 miles away from the hospital are eligible for the services provided by the Ronald McDonald House.
Eligibility is based on:
- Severity of the patient’s condition
- Critically-ill patients and cancer patients are given priority
- How far the family travels to receive medical treatment
What services are provided?
A private bedroom with a full bath, television and free Wi-Fi. One room per family is provided unless the parents are divorced.
- Laundry Facilities and supplies
- Private kitchen on each floor
- “Help Yourself” wall with free necessities for your stay
- Guaranteed evening meals served daily in the Great Kitchen
- Numerous food items to prepare breakfast, lunch or snacks
- Breast milk refrigerators & lockers as well as pumping rooms
- Great Room (our living room area)
- Playroom
- Playground
- Teen lounge
- Patio
What should we bring?
Families may bring clothes, medicine and food for a special diet.
Where should we park? Complimentary parking is offered adjacent to the Ronald McDonald House. Parking in the hospital garage is subject to the fees established by the hospital.
Contact Tonya West, Director of House Operations, for more information.
423.719.0646
|
Tonya.West@rmhchattanooga.com
House to Home:
The Ronald McDonald House to Home Program is a remote, communitybased initiative
designed to be hosted and replicated across the RMHC of Greater Chattanooga service
area in response to geographic referral patterns and local family needs.
The program’s inaugural site serves the organization’s largest feeder
community—Cleveland/Bradley County, Tennessee—and is based at the Cleveland City
Schools Denning Center for Family and Community Resources.
The Cleveland/Bradley County House to Home Program supports families before,
during, and after hospitalizations and medical treatments by connecting them to
communitybased assistance, trusted information, and coordinated resources as they
navigate their child’s medical journey.
Services Included:
- Medical and Social Needs Assessment
- Discharge and Diagnosis Response Planning
- Case Management and Goal Setting
- Peer Networking and Group Meetings
- Community-based Resource Linkage
- Information/Referral
Participants enter the program through three pathways:
- Transition from Chattanooga Ronald McDonald House
- Referral from local community-based providers (i.e., physician offices, hospital, social service agencies, schools, therapists, etc.)
- Walk-in Family Resource Pediatric Healthcare Accessibility Screening
Contact Leslie Bustos, House to Home Wellness Navigator, for more information.
423.331.5074 | Leslie.Bustos@rmhchattanooga.com
Hospitality A La Carte:
As an extension of the Family Room, the Hospitality a la Carte was launched in 2017 to allow RMHC of Greater Chattanooga to further the reach to more family members with a loved one in Children’s Hospital at Erlanger.
Operated by Erlanger volunteers, the Hospitality a la Carte visits patient’s rooms in Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, Labor and Delivery rooms, and the High-risk Pregnancy Unit mornings every Monday-Friday. Offering coffee and tea, snacks, reading materials as well as small toys and crafts.
Contact Carla Sewell, Chief Programs Officer, for more information.
423,719.0725 |
Carla.Sewell@rmhchattanooga.com
