HCA Healthcare to donate $1 Million toward Hurricane Helene disaster relief efforts in North Carolina

Press release from HCA Healthcare: 

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: HCA), one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, today announced that it 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 will contribute $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. It will also give $250,000 to the American Red Cross of 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.”

Leading up to the storm, HCA Healthcare activated its Nashville-based Enterprise Emergency Operations Center (EEOC), comprised of nearly 200 multi-disciplinary leaders, including risk management, clinical experts, supply chain, patient logistics, air and ground transport and community liaison representatives. The EEOC is working alongside hospital leadership to distribute key resources to care teams in the Southeastern U.S. before, during and after the catastrophic storm. HCA Healthcare colleagues from across the country, including more than 100 nurses, as well as physicians and HCA Healthcare’s incident support team, are continuing to arrive to provide support to local caregivers.

HCA Healthcare is also a longstanding national partner of the American Red Cross, through its Annual Disaster Partner Giving Program (ADGP), which includes an annual contribution of $500,000, that helps the organization have the infrastructure, resources and technology in place to provide care and comfort to those in need. Over the last eight years, HCA Healthcare has provided nearly $8 million in financial support to the Red Cross for disaster relief efforts, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018, and the Texas winter storms and Kentucky tornadoes in 2021. The company also supported relief efforts following Hurricane Ian and historic flooding in Kentucky in 2022 and tornado relief efforts in Middle Tennessee in 2023.

“Though the level of destruction is immense, I am proud of the dedication of our colleagues, who have continued to support our patients, our community and one another,” said Greg Lowe, president and CEO of Mission Health. “We remain dedicated to helping our colleagues through this time, just as they have selflessly served their community and supported patients without hesitation.”

HCA Healthcare established the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund to support colleagues in disasters such as this. The HCA Healthcare Hope Fund is an employee-run, employee-supported 501(c)(3) charity that provides financial aid and resources to employees after an extended illness, injury, disaster or other special situation. Since its inception, the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund has given more than $110 million in grants helping more than 56,000 colleagues and families.