Parallon

We are incredibly proud of the resilience and compassion our HCA Healthcare colleagues have demonstrated as we face the impact of Hurricane , while continuing to recover from Hurricane , across our communities. Across HCA Healthcare, compassion goes beyond patient care – it extends to caring for each other during difficult times.

The HCA Healthcare Hope Fund ensures our colleagues do not have to face challenges alone. The Hope Fund is a 501(c)(3) charity run by colleagues, for colleagues. Those who give to the Hope Fund are supporting colleagues and their families who face financial hardship due to natural disaster, illness or injury, domestic violence, death of a loved one or other unexpected situations.

➡️ HCA Healthcare colleagues impacted by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene can visit the Hope Fund’s website to learn more and apply to request assistance. Please also consider supporting impacted colleagues by donating to the Hope Fund at www.HCAHopeFund.com.

Through 62 years of marriage, Linda and Gary of Swannanoa, North Carolina, have navigated life together. When Linda and Gary took their vows six decades ago, they promised to be by each other’s side, for better and for worse. When Hurricane made its way to Western North Carolina on September 26, the couple had no idea what their community was about to endure. In the early morning after the storm hit, Gary woke up and could not find his wife. Upon locating Linda, who had fallen, Gary fell, too. They were unable to move until family members were able to come and check on them.

Linda and Gary were brought to HCA Healthcare affiliate Mission Health’s Mission Hospital to evaluate the extent of their injuries. While they were bruised, they were grateful to be alive. In the aftermath of the storm, Mission Hospital nurses went the extra mile to ensure Linda and Gary were well taken care of, comfortable and, most importantly, together. Nurses brought the couple’s hospital beds next to one another and set up a dining space for them to share meals together.

To our HCA Healthcare colleagues, thank you for your compassion and commitment to supporting our patients in moments like this.

What we’re made of is incredible people. People like Jennifer Blount, a dedicated food and nutrition services colleague at HCA Healthcare affiliate Memorial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia, Georgia. In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane , Jennifer’s story epitomizes courage and the spirit of our HCA Healthcare family.

After a night spent sheltering from the storm with her two grandchildren, in the closet of her Vidalia, Georgia home, Jennifer would spend three days trapped inside. Upon finally making her way out the front door, she stood in disbelief at the destruction caused by the storm. “Every tree on my property was down,” Jennifer recalls. “They weren’t just down, they were unrooted.”
Jennifer knew that she needed to get her family to a safe place. Due to the fallen trees, she couldn’t get her car out, so they left their property on foot. She walked seven miles with her two grandchildren to get to her workplace, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital. She told her grandchildren, “I know if anyone’s going to help us, it’s going to be my job.”

When Jennifer and her grandchildren made their way to the hospital, they were immediately embraced by her fellow HCA Healthcare colleagues. Her grandchildren were able to eat, shower and rest. Her colleagues encouraged her to rest, but Jennifer insisted that she was ready to get back to work. She was eager to help provide meals for those that were caring for patients after the storm. In less than a week, Jennifer’s team served over 2,000 meals to patients and colleagues — like her.

“Memorial Health is a family of joy and love, and I am so thankful to be a part of this family,” said Jennifer through grateful tears. “I’m a true believer that where that love’s at, it doesn’t fade away. And that’s one thing about Memorial Health, their love doesn’t fade away, they show it every day.”

Thank you to our HCA Healthcare colleagues, like Jennifer, who continue to respond powerfully to Helene in the communities we serve. We are grateful for your bravery, resilience and compassion.

We’re continuing to shine a light on the incredible Hurricane response of our HCA Healthcare family. Dr. Matt Riester, the emergency department medical director at HCA Healthcare affiliate Mission Health’s Mission Hospital, has dedicated himself to serving patients in the 815-bed hospital’s ER for the past five years. One week ago, as he was about to head out of town with his wife to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary, Hurricane Helene reached North Carolina.

When Dr. Riester lost power at his home, he knew he needed to get to the Asheville, North Carolina hospital to help. His wife, Alexa, also an ER physician at the hospital, encouraged him to head in. The drive to the ER, typically a quick 30 minutes, turned into a 2-hour journey through downed power lines and fallen trees. That day, the Mission Hospital ER faced an extraordinary challenge, caring for over 600 patients, far exceeding their usual volume of 200. Mission Hospital care teams worked together to meet Helene patient care needs with dedication, compassion and strength.

Dr. Riester reflects on how the hospital team came together to fulfill our mission to care for and improve human life, “A lot of the emergency room staff, nurses, the doctors, respiratory therapists and techs, everybody, we're all in the same boat. We all have families. We all have houses. Many people had damage to their houses and a lot of people who were here when it initially hit didn’t leave the hospital for days.”

Our dedicated HCA Healthcare caregivers not only provided essential care to those in need, but also supported one another. We are also thankful for our broader HCA Healthcare network who rallied to bring vital resources — meals, water, generators, fuel, mini marts, mobile showers and more — to Mission Health hospitals and colleagues.

As Dr. Riester made his way home, he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from emergency response personnel who traveled from across the nation to assist. “I honestly started crying, just knowing everyone from across the country is supporting us,” he shared.

We are immensely proud of our HCA Healthcare caregivers, like Dr. Riester, who show up every day – especially in times of crisis – to support the needs of our patients, our community and each other.

Read more as Dr. Riester reflects on Hurricane Helene response: https://bit.ly/3Ycd89M.

Today, HCA Healthcare announced that we will contribute $1 million through community organizations to aid in Hurricane Helene relief efforts in North Carolina.

On Thursday, September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a powerful category 4 hurricane, leaving more than four million people without power and causing major damage as it traveled throughout the Southeast. When the storm hit Asheville, North Carolina, it brought heavy rainfall, strong winds and widespread flooding that resulted in loss of life, significant damage and power outages. HCA Healthcare operates seven hospitals and has thousands of colleagues in western North Carolina, many of whom were affected by the storm and its aftermath.

In response, HCA Healthcare is contributing $250,000 to the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County to help with immediate natural disaster response and long-term support for flood victims. We will also give $250,000 to the American Red Cross North Carolina to help support its shelter locations. An additional $500,000 will be donated to other community partners that provide direct support for hurricane-related issues.

“Caring for those in their time of need is our greatest calling at HCA Healthcare, and I am deeply moved by the resilience and compassion of our colleagues,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. “It is our honor to support organizations like United Way and the American Red Cross to help our western North Carolina communities through Hurricane Helene and its aftermath.”

Learn more about HCA Healthcare’s response and relief efforts ➡ https://bit.ly/4eMg4PD.

Yesterday, Hurricane made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing heavy wind, rain and storm surge. It is the strongest hurricane on record to impact Florida’s Big Bend region and is now moving through the southern U.S. We are incredibly proud of our colleagues’ unwavering commitment to the care and improvement of human life as they continue to care for our patients, the communities we serve and each other.

At HCA Healthcare, compassion goes beyond patient care for our more than 309,000 colleagues – it extends to showing up for each other during tough times. Through the generosity of our colleagues, the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund ensures our colleagues do not have to face challenges alone. The Hope Fund is a 501(c)(3) charity run by colleagues, for colleagues. Those who give to the Hope Fund are supporting colleagues and their families who face financial hardship due to natural disaster, illness or injury, domestic violence, death of a loved one or other unexpected situations.

➡️ HCA Healthcare colleagues impacted by Hurricane Helene can visit the Hope Fund’s website to learn more and apply to request assistance. Please also consider supporting impacted colleagues by donating to the Hope Fund at www.HCAHopeFund.com.

During Hope Fund Week 2024, we encourage you to read stories of hope from colleagues who have been positively impacted by the generosity of their peers on “HCA Healthcare Today”: https://bit.ly/4emw6jr.

We are proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a monthlong celebration from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 honoring the historical legacy and contributions of the Hispanic community.

As a part of HCA Healthcare, Parallon strives to foster an engaged and inclusive culture for our patients, colleagues and the communities we serve. Today and every day, we honor the experiences, stories and traditions interwoven in the rich tapestry of Hispanic culture and recognize the accomplishments that have shaped our nation and continue to move us forward.

Today, and every day, we remember the lives we lost on Sept. 11, 2001, their families and the survivors who witnessed it all. Alongside our HCA Healthcare family, we pause to honor the brave actions of our first responders and everyday citizens who selflessly and courageously did what they could to help others that day. We remember, always.

Today is National Disability Independence Day, which commemorates the 34th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act.

We are proud to be a part of HCA Healthcare, which was recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN. We are dedicated to ensuring that persons with disabilities are treated with dignity and respect and are provided opportunities to participate in the workplace fully and access quality healthcare services equitably.

We are proud to announce that HCA Healthcare has been named a 2024 “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities, and the American Association of People with Disabilities, the nation’s largest disability rights organization.

For the third consecutive year, HCA Healthcare earned a top score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index® (DEI) for our commitment to workplace inclusion. The 2024 DEI measured organizations for their disability inclusion efforts in categories including culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement, supplier diversity and responsible procurement.

Learn more about how HCA Healthcare is fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for our colleagues: https://bit.ly/3W4nF4i.

Today is , a celebration and reminder of the official end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021 to reflect on the history of slavery in the U.S., rejoice in the progress our country has made and to advocate for continued meaningful change.

As part of HCA Healthcare, Parallon remains committed to creating healthier, more equitable tomorrows for our patients, colleagues and communities.

Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible dads, dads-to-be and father figures out there!

Today we celebrate you for all the ways you inspire your families and communities with compassion, strength and care.

Happy Pride Month to our LGBTQ+ colleagues, patients and neighbors!

As a part of HCA Healthcare, Parallon is committed to supporting equitable healthcare for all patients and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for colleagues.

On this Memorial Day, join us as we pause to honor and remember our nation’s fallen heroes and the families they left behind. Let us never forget their selflessness and unwavering courage.