August 12, 2024 – HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division announced today that HCA Healthcare will give $500,000 to Nova Southeastern University (NSU) to help establish a clinical simulation lab in support of their new nurse anesthesiology program. This gift is part of HCA Healthcare’s $10 million pledge over three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).
“Investing in education and advanced training is essential for the future of healthcare,” said Charles Gressle, HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division President. “This important initiative represents a significant step forward in our mission to foster excellence in medical training and to support the next generation of healthcare leaders.”
According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, the anesthesiology workforce may experience a shortage of approximately 12,500 providers by 2033. To help combat this, NSU is developing a nurse anesthesiology program. This gift from HCA Healthcare will support the faculty and equipment, including a clinical simulation lab, required to set up nurse anesthesiology training at both the Palm Beach Gardens and Ft. Myers campuses.
“As one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, we understand the importance of building up the next generation of caregivers,” said Sherri Neal, chief diversity officer of HCA Healthcare. “It is our honor to work with Nova Southeastern University as we make strides to address nationwide caregiver shortages.”
Founded in 1964, NSU is a private, not-for-profit, Hispanic Serving Institution located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification.
“We are excited that HCA Healthcare is partnering with NSU for the worthy goal of providing our nursing students with a state-of-the-art learning space that will help prepare them for all the challenges they will face in the field,” said George L. Hanbury II, President and CEO of NSU.
HCA Healthcare and its East Florida Division have a long-standing relationship with NSU. In 2022, East Florida Division made a $250,000 gift, matched by HCA Healthcare, to the university to support scholarships. This combined $500,000 was then matched by Florida’s LINE Program.
HCA Healthcare has a history of partnering with higher education institutions across the country to help strengthen the diversity of the organization’s talent pipeline. This year, HCA Healthcare gifted Savannah State University $650,000 to support a paid internship program for students pursuing a master’s degree in social work and $200,000 to St. Mary’s University to support their Greehey School of Business. Last fall, HCA Healthcare gave $620,000 to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to support scholarship for students in the UCR School of Medicine. In 2022, HCA Healthcare gave $1.5 million to Tennessee State University (TSU) to create scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate school students pursuing careers in healthcare and computer science and $1.5 million to Fisk University to support scholarships for students pursuing healthcare careers and a dual degree with Galen College of Nursing. The same year, the organization also gave $750,000 to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to create multiple graduate-degree opportunities for students interested in healthcare administration careers. Additionally, $1.5 million was given to Florida International University’s (FIU) Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences (NWCNHS) to expand its faculty, offer scholarships to increase enrollment and help address the national nursing shortage.
In 2021, HCA Healthcare announced a $1.5 million investment in Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) School of Allied Health Sciences to strengthen students’ pathways from undergraduate to graduate to management careers in the healthcare industry.
About HCA East Florida Division
HCA East Florida Division, a part of HCA Florida Healthcare, is a family of 14 hospitals, seven free-standing emergency rooms, 12 ambulatory surgery centers and 105 physician practices along the Treasure Coast and in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. More than 15,000 dedicated colleagues proudly make up the East Florida Division and are committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
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