HCA Florida Healthcare announced that the HCA Healthcare Foundation has awarded a $350,000 grant to the American Heart Association (AHA) to support their efforts to improve nutrition for families in communities along Florida’s east and west coast. The funding is part of the HCA Healthcare Foundation’s Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a $75 million community impact effort that is designed to support innovative initiatives focused on addressing high priority community needs and health equity.
“We know that a healthy lifestyle starts with eating nutritious foods,” said Charles Gressle, HCA Healthcare East Florida Division President. “If we want to make Florida a place where residents can lead healthier, longer lives, we need to start with the food on their plates. The HCA Healthcare Foundation is proud to be making that happen with the American Heart Association.”
“This is another example of our ability to identify and address community needs throughout the state through the support of the HCA Healthcare Foundation,” explains Ravi Chari, President of HCA Healthcare West Florida Division and Chair of the 2021 AHA Tampa Bay Heart Walk. “We know that good nutrition and access to healthy foods is critical to staying healthy and getting healthy, and we are thankful for the foundation’s support as we strive to give communities throughout the state a healthier tomorrow.”
The grant will support the AHA’s efforts to increase families’ ability to purchase healthy foods. Community members will also learn more about how to implement healthy habits in their lives through Healthy for Life, which is an evidence-based community nutrition program that empowers people to make healthy food, nutrition and lifestyle choices. Additionally, the AHA will work collaboratively with pantries and area food banks to support the healthy choice as the easy choice.
