September 24, 2025 – The plant operations team, which oversees the maintenance and safety of the entire physical infrastructure of HCA Florida Highlands Hospital, has successfully raised $9,868.75 for the HCA Hope Fund through a recent recycling effort. The funds were generated from the sale of scrap brass materials salvaged during a major electrical upgrade project at the hospital.
The HCA Hope Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides financial aid to HCA Healthcare employees and their families who are facing hardship due to illness, injury, or other difficult circumstances.
During the electrical upgrade, the plant operations team meticulously disconnected and disassembled an old electrical switchboard. Instead of discarding the materials, the team, led by Sarah Conley, Joseph Larosa, Jorge Rodriguez, Wahid Torkhani, Todd Rupert, and director Mark Hamrick, salvaged the brass buss bars. These valuable materials were then taken to a local scrap yard, and the proceeds were donated entirely to the HCA Hope Fund.
“We are incredibly proud of our plant operations team for their hard work and ingenuity,” said David Was, chief executive officer at HCA Florida Highlands Hospital. “Their commitment to finding a creative way to support our colleagues demonstrates the true spirit of our hospital and the HCA Healthcare family.”
Founded in the aftermath of the 2004 Florida hurricanes, the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund was formalized in 2005 as a nonprofit for colleagues, by colleagues. Celebrating 20 years this year, the fund has provided over $107 million in assistance to more than 55,000 HCA Healthcare families, helping them through difficult times with support from fellow employees and company matching.
To learn more about the HCA Hope Fund, visit https://www.hcahopefund.com/
About HCA Florida Highlands Hospital
HCA Florida Highlands Hospital is a 126-bed acute care facility accredited by The Joint Commission. Key services include orthopedic and spine care, urology, cardiac catheterization, and vascular, gynecological and minimally-invasive surgeries. Additionally, the facility is also home to a dedicated senior emergency room. Proudly serving the Sebring community since 1965, HCA Florida Highlands Hospital aims to provide high-quality, exceptional patient care.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. As one of the state’s leading healthcare networks, HCA Florida Healthcare’s 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues work together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 12 million patient encounters annually. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. In 2024, the network provided more than $1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.7 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly trained specialists, including the state’s most comprehensive cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is a leader in in training future healthcare professionals, offering 151 Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at 27 different hospitals with more than 2,400 residents. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
