HCA Healthcare donates $250,000 to American Red Cross to support disaster relief and preparedness nationwide

Today, HCA Healthcare announced our continued support of the American Red Cross through a $250,000 donation to the organization’s Disaster Responder Program. This is HCA Healthcare’s fourth annual contribution to the program, which helps the Red Cross respond immediately to disasters, helps families during the recovery process and prepares people for future emergencies. 

HCA Healthcare has a long history of working with the Red Cross to put critical systems and supplies in place before disaster strikes. This pre-investment in disaster relief helps Red Cross workers, 90% of which are volunteers, have the infrastructure, resources and technology to provide care and comfort to those in need. HCA Healthcare has contributed to and uses the organization’s RC View, an advanced geographic information system (GIS) and data visualization tool that provides emergency response teams with a shared disaster response capability.

The Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters of all sizes each year. As a Disaster Responder Program member, HCA Healthcare works alongside the Red Cross to respond in real-time, including coordinating supplies and resources, supporting shelters and matching patients with community shelters when discharged.

HCA Healthcare’s Enterprise Emergency Operations Center (EEOC), a multi-disciplinary incident response team of nearly 200 leaders, works with experts across the HCA Healthcare enterprise to provide resources and coordinate responses before, during and after a crisis. In August 2021, the EEOC worked directly with the Red Cross to coordinate supplies and transport patients to emergency shelters after Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans. The same year, the EEOC worked alongside the Red Cross to aid in the Kentucky Tornado relief efforts.

“The American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes on average,” said Brad Kieserman, vice president of disaster operations and logistics. “With the advance support of HCA Healthcare through the Disaster Responder Program, the Red Cross can prepare individuals and communities for the unexpected and provide relief whenever and wherever disasters strike. We are truly grateful for their annual partnership that helps ensure we can deliver our lifesaving mission to those in need each year.”

HCA Healthcare has provided approximately $5 million in financial support to the Red Cross for disaster relief efforts over the last six years, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017, hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018, the Texas winter storms in 2021 and the tornadoes in Kentucky that same year. Earlier this month, HCA Healthcare gave $100,000 to the Red Cross during historic flooding in Kentucky.

In addition to investing in disaster preparation, HCA Healthcare established the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund to support colleagues in disasters. 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 situations. In 2021, the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund provided $10.7 million in grants that helped more than 4,800 families.

Learn more about the American Red Cross and their efforts to help people across the country and world.