HCA Healthcare donates $500,000 to American Red Cross as part of commitment to disaster response

Today, HCA Healthcare announced our continued support of the American Red Cross through a $500,000 donation to the organization’s Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). This is HCA Healthcare’s fifth year participating in the annual giving program, which helps provide funding for strong infrastructure, trained volunteers, innovative technology and critical resources necessary to respond to a disaster.

Each year, the Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters of all sizes. 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. As an Annual Disaster Giving Program member and a leading healthcare provider, HCA Healthcare also 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 from the hospital.

HCA Healthcare is well-versed in responding to a disaster. Our Enterprise Emergency Operations Center (EEOC), a multi-disciplinary incident response team of nearly 200 leaders, regularly works with experts across the HCA Healthcare enterprise to provide resources and coordinate responses during a crisis. Last year when Hurricane Ian made landfall on the west coast of Florida, the EEOC quickly responded and transferred more than 185 patients within 16 hours, averaging one patient every five minutes. In the days after, HCA Healthcare set up on-site mini-marts with critical household goods, fuel stations, showers and laundry services for colleagues. HCA Healthcare has also contributed to and uses the Red Cross RC View, an advanced geographic information system (GIS) and data visualization tool that provides emergency response teams with a shared disaster response capability.

“We count on ADGP members like HCA Healthcare because they understand the importance of being prepared before a disaster strikes so we can respond immediately,” said Anne McKeough, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. “We’re extremely grateful for HCA Healthcare’s donation, which will help ensure we can continue to build our capacity and resources ahead of time, keep up with the pace of frequent disasters and assist people in their darkest hours.” 

HCA Healthcare has provided more than $6 million in financial support to the Red Cross for disaster relief efforts over the last seven 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. In 2022, HCA Healthcare gave $258,000 to the Red Cross through direct donations and colleague matching to aid in Hurricane Ian relief efforts in Florida, and $100,000 during historic flooding in Kentucky.

Related article: HCA Healthcare prepares for 2023 hurricane season

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 2022, the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund provided $12 million in grants that helped more than 4,400 HCA Healthcare colleagues and families.

Responding to Hawaii’s wildfires

Through the generosity of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members like HCA Healthcare, the American Red Cross helps communities prepare before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately.

In response to the deadly fires that erupted on the Hawaiian island of Maui on August 8, the American Red Cross is working alongside the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help transition displaced residents from congregate shelters to hotels. This temporary solution will give families and individuals a comfortable and safe place to stay near their community while more permanent housing plans are developed. The American Red Cross has more than 380 trained disaster workers responding to the wildfires on Maui

On August 21,  the American Red Cross shared ongoing support provided to the Maui community, including:

• Working with partners to provide meals, disaster health and mental health services and spiritual care as people begin the recovery process. The American Red Cross has provided about 58,800 meals and snacks to people in need.
• Supporting a Family Assistance Center on Maui where people can get something to eat or drink, receive emotional and spiritual care, access health services and casework assistance, obtain updates from authorities and receive support finding loved ones.
• Helping with requests for reunification and coordinating with government partners to assist in locating people. Red Cross reunification support has received nearly 3,000 welfare information requests and has successfully completed more than 2,200 of those requests.
• Supporting damage assessment. The Red Cross’ preliminary damage reports indicate that of some 2,700 assessments completed to date, about 1,700 homes were either destroyed or suffered major damage.
• Providing a safe place for people to stay. So far, more than 3,600 people have sought refuge in 21 emergency shelters in Hawaii.