HCA Healthcare contributes $250,000 to Kentucky tornado relief efforts

On December 14, HCA Healthcare announced it will contribute $250,000 in funding to support organizations providing relief services to communities in Kentucky, the state that was hardest hit by the destructive tornadoes last week.

HCA Healthcare will contribute to the following organizations:

• American Red Cross Southern and Midwest Tornadoes Relief Fund – $100,000
• United Way of Southern Kentucky Tornado Crisis and Recovery Fund – $100,000
• Governor Beshear’s Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund – $50,000

On December 10 and 11, 2021, a severe tornado system moved across six states, destroying thousands of homes along its path, resulting in more than 70 deaths and leaving many without adequate shelter and supplies. HCA Healthcare affiliated hospital TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky and serves many of the hardest-hit areas in the state. Many hospital colleagues live in and around the affected areas and have suffered significant damage to their homes and property. 

“We are devastated by the tornadoes that ravaged communities across Kentucky, home to many of our colleagues and their loved ones,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. “We are thankful to our hospital teams for stepping up to provide care when disaster strikes, and we are proud to be a part of the relief efforts in the region.”

As part of its preparedness efforts, TriStar Health took measures to help ensure its hospitals had enough staff, medications, supplies, food, water and power to operate and care for patients during and after the storm. Over the past several days, TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital and TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee have been caring for patients injured due to the storm. Additionally, the two hospitals are hosting blood drives to respond to the increased need for blood following the storm.

“For nearly 50 years, TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital has played a critical role in the Bowling Green community and the southcentral Kentucky region, and I am so proud of our teams who navigated through the storm’s aftermath to care for our patients,” said Mike Sherrod, chief executive officer of TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital.

“As we stand with our community in the wake of the storm’s devastation, we realize that the needs of our area extend far beyond the four walls of our hospital. We are proud to make this donation to help the people of Bowling Green and its surrounding areas, and our hearts ache for those whose loss is irreplaceable.”

Mike Sherrod, chief executive officer of TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital

To support colleagues in this and other disasters, HCA Healthcare established the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund — 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 situations. In 2020, the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund provided more than $10.6 million in grants that helped more than 4,900 families.

Over the last five years, HCA Healthcare has provided more than $4.6 million in financial support to the Red Cross for disaster relief efforts, including the tornadoes in Middle Tennessee in 2020, the winter storms in Texas in 2021, and the floods in Middle Tennessee in 2021. For the last three years, HCA Healthcare has supported the Red Cross through an annual $500,000 contribution to the organization’s Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP), which helps the Red Cross respond immediately to disasters, help families during the recovery process and prepare people for future emergencies.

To support and assist HCA Healthcare family members affected by the tornadoes, please visit the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund’s website at https://www.hcahopefund.com/.