2026 Regular Session - Day 35 - Citation | Rep. Susan Witten

For more than 130 years, Norton Children's has been a trusted lifeline for families across Kentucky and neighboring states. As our commonwealth's only pediatric level one trauma center, Norton provides critical and often life-saving care to children when they need it most. While the downtown hospital has served families well for decades, demand for pediatric care has outgrown the current facility. To meet that need, Norton HealthCare is building a new state-of-the-art Norton Children's campus in Jefferson Town, right in the heart of District 31, an investment that will transform pediatric care for Kentucky and beyond. I am truly blessed to have this new campus in my district, and we're all fortunate to have an institution like Norton Children's serving families across the commonwealth. What makes this effort especially meaningful is Norton's commitment to listening to the people of Kentucky and southern Indiana. Leaders have held community sessions across Kentucky and southern Indiana for months. One message is clear, and those of us here today are aware, the need for expanded mental and behavioral health services for children is urgent. This is more than a building project. It is a community-driven vision that will serve families in every district represented here today. I thank Norton HealthCare and Norton Children's for their dedication, their willingness to listen, and their unwavering commitment to Kentucky's children. So Mr. Speaker, I move adoption of citation 47.