‘This hospital loves Jacksonville’: HCA Healthcare trauma center response to gaming tournament shooting

Jacksonville, Florida is the latest community to join a club that no one wants to be a part of – a mass shooting. Two people were killed and 11 were wounded after a gunman opened fire Sunday at a video game tournament in the downtown area.

HCA Healthcare’s Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville – designated a Level II Trauma Center just one month prior – received four victims, three of whom had sustained gunshot wounds.

“It was a very sad day for our Jacksonville community,” Memorial CEO Brad Talbert said, talking to reporters. “While our hearts are heavy for the impacted families, we are grateful for our physicians and caregivers who successfully treated these patients and for our extended healthcare team who helped them and their families through this unspeakable tragedy.”

Colleagues from every department worked side by side to treat the invisible wounds of this life-changing event. Whether it was connecting patients to out of town family, arranging travel due to missed flights, offering a listening ear or creating care packages, Memorial caregivers put the HCA Healthcare mission into action: above all else, the care and improvement of human life.

The recovering community also rallied together in support of the victims and care teams at Memorial.

“This hospital loves Jacksonville,” Talbert said. “The outpouring support from the community was moving and reaffirmed that, together, we will heal.”

Nursing team pictured with survivor who was treated for a bullet graze to the head.

Patient survivors reunite at Memorial Hospital.

Members of Memorial Hospital ER and trauma team.

Memorial Hospital, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, is a Level II Trauma Center with physicians and staff specially trained to care for the critically-injured. Memorial is a member of HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division.