HCA announces a $1 million pledge for Haiti Relief
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HCA DONATES MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO FOOD FOR THE POOR FOR HAITI RELIEF EFFORT
Fort Lauderdale, FL Jan. 20, 2010 – Through its East Florida Division based in Fort Lauderdale, HCA has begun coordinating medical supply donations from its facilities across the country for Haiti Relief efforts. Working with Food for the Poor, the largest international relief organization in the United States, local facility supply officers are identifying available supplies most appropriate to meet current needs and arranging for collection and delivery.
“On behalf of the entire HCA East Florida Division Family, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti as they face this devastation to their lives and homeland. We especially would like to express our concern and support for our staff members with family in Haiti that have experienced a loss, injuries or have not been able to reach their families” said Michael G. Joseph, President, HCA East Florida Division.
On Wednesday, HCA delivered truckloads of much needed medical supplies and food to the Food For The Poor headquarters in Coconut Creek, Fl.
“This donation goes directly to the heart of what we are being told by our assessment teams in Haiti,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “They are in dire need of simple medical supplies that we take for granted, and they have no food. This will allow us to continue to move with urgency to get needed items into the hands of the people who need it most.”
HCA announced last week that it has committed to match employee contributions and provide in-kind donations for a $1 million total contribution. HCA has established the ability for employees, physicians, facility volunteers or others affiliated with the company to give directly to a special relief fund, “The HCA Haiti Relief Fund,” administered through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The company will match employee gifts to this fund. Tax-deductible donations to this fund may be made by either check or credit card at www.cfmt.org/HCAHaitiReliefFund.
“The devastation in Haiti is almost incomprehensible,” said HCA Chairman and CEO, Richard M. Bracken, “and some members of the HCA family have been personally affected. We wanted to act quickly to provide assistance from the company and to establish an effective mechanism by which our people could fulfill their desire to help.”
About HCA
HCA is a leading provider of healthcare services, composed of locally managed facilities that include 163 hospitals and 105 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and England. HCA’s employee assistance program, “The Hope Fund,” is reaching out to provide help to employees who have family members who may have been directly affected by the tragedy. www.hcahealthcare.com
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information please visit, http://www.foodforthepoor.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lourdes Garrido – HCA East Florida Division
954-767-5748
Kathy Skipper – Food for the Poor
954-427-2222
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All references to “Company” and “HCA” as used throughout this document refer to HCA Inc. and its affiliates.
