HCA Healthcare announces HCA Healthcare Foundation’s Health Equity Catalyst Grant Program

Today, we are proud to announce the HCA Healthcare Foundation, through its Healthier Tomorrow Fund, gave $375,000 in grants to nonprofits as part of its new Health Equity Catalyst Grant Program. This year, the grants were given to nonprofits addressing food insecurity and providing access to healthy foods across the country.

Launched in August 2023, the Health Equity Catalyst Grant program provides one-time operating grants to support organizations and collaboratives addressing health inequities in a defined focus area in order to advance or accelerate efforts to:
• Provide culturally and structurally competent services,
• Advance high-impact health equity programming,
• Support collaborative health equity efforts, and/or
• Address root causes of health inequities.

“Improving access to healthy, nutritious food is a key component to advancing health equity, an important goal for HCA Healthcare,” said Joanne Pulles, vice president of community engagement at HCA Healthcare and president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation. “We’re privileged to partner with local nonprofits fighting food insecurity, through our Health Equity Catalyst Grants, to help bring healthier tomorrows to the communities we serve.”

The 15 nonprofits receiving this year’s grants are focused on key food insecurity issues, including improving access to nutrient dense fresh food, providing locally grown produce and job training opportunities and advancing culturally congruent health education. The organizations who received this year’s grants are:

• SHARE Fund Inc. in Rochester, New Hampshire
• Mobile Loaves & Fishes in Austin, Texas
• Integrated Family Community Services in Englewood, Colorado
• Mustard Seed Ministries of Fort Pierce, Inc. in Fort Pierce, Florida
• Lighthouse Charities in North Las Vegas, Nevada
• Coastal Bend Food Bank in Corpus Christi, Texas
• Kanbe’s Markets in Kansas City, Missouri
• Wasatch Community Gardens in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Southside Community Farm in Asheville, North Carolina
• Putman County Bread of Life, Inc. in Palatka, Florida
• GROW North Texas in Dallas, Texas
• Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas
• Boys & Girls Club of Toombs County in Vidalia, Georgia
• Chattanooga Food Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Reach St. Pete in St. Petersburg, Florida

In December 2023, the HCA Healthcare Foundation, through its Middle Tennessee Fund, invested in a new two-year initiative to promote food security called Feedback Nashville. This initiative aims to provide food security and food access, limit food waste and environmental harm, build community and strengthen Nashville’s local food and agricultural economy. The fund also gave approximately $140,000 in grants to six other food-support agencies across Middle Tennessee in 2023.

“Building” healthier tomorrows during annual food drive

In addition to these grants, HCA Healthcare also hosted our third-annual Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food & Nutrition Drive to help fight against food insecurity. This fall, HCA Healthcare, our colleagues and the HCA Healthcare Foundation provided more than 1 million nutritious meals to community food banks by donating food or making financial contributions to help purchase perishable items such as milk, fruit and vegetables.

The Healthier Tomorrow Fund is a community impact fund focused on addressing high-priority community needs and advancing health equity. Since its launch in 2021, the Healthier Tomorrow Fund has committed more than $18.86 million in communities where HCA Healthcare has a presence and made grants to 79 nonprofit organizations.

For the 2023 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive, hospitals were encouraged to get creative and build sculptures with the donated food before transporting it to their local food banks. The prize? The winner in each division received a $10,000 grant for the food bank serving their community. In addition, there were three national winners selected to receive an additional grant to a food bank in the hospital’s hometown to make an even greater impact.

1st place

Highland-Cashiers Hospital
(Highlands, North Carolina)

Highland-Cashiers Hospital in North Carolina created a Teddy Bear Hospital food sculpture for the 2023 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food & Nutrition Drive sculpture contest. Their winning submission is a nod to the hospital’s “Teddy Bear Hospital,” which was established in June 2023 in partnership with the Highlands Mountaintop Rotary to support community outreach and expose children to healthcare allowing them heal their teddy bears and stuffed animals.

The winning sculpture earned an additional $25,000 grant to the hospital’s food bank of choice.

2nd place

LewisGale Medical Center
(Salem, Virginia)

LewisGale Medical Center in Virginia placed second in the 2023 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food & Nutrition Drive sculpture contest with their sculpture of an Etch A Sketch. The words “We Show Up” are featured on the Etch A Sketch, signifying that they are dedicated to the community as well as their patients.

The second-place sculpture earned an additional $10,000 grant to the hospital’s food bank of their choice.

3rd place

Fairview Park Hospital
(Dublin, Georgia)

Fairview Park Hospital in Georgia created a home made of donated cans for their 2023 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food & Nutrition Drive sculpture contest. Our colleagues who helped build the sculpture said they hope to alleviate the burden felt by some in their community this holiday season by donating nutritious meals. They noted that they wanted to help make houses homes this holiday season – filled with laughter, joy and full bellies around the table.

The third-place sculpture earned an additional $5,000 grant to the hospital’s food bank of their choice.