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April 8, 2022 – The HCA Healthcare Foundation has awarded a $126,000 grant over two years to Gilda’s Club of South Florida Inc. Health Equity Matters. This grant will help fund the Support Services in Cancer Care program in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Program highlights include expansion of services in the following areas:

  • Programs specific to LBTQ+ and communities of color, who often have limited access to health education and resources, including low to moderate income, the uninsured, under-insured, and breast health screening for homeless women.
  • Increase targeted recruitment and outreach to people of color impacted by cancer.
  • Spanish-speaking community outreach.
  • Engagement with new community groups, especially with Spanish-speaking residents in Miami-Dade County impacted by cancer.

The funding is part of the HCA Healthcare Foundation’s Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a $75 million community impact fund announced this year that is designed to support innovative initiatives focused on addressing high priority community needs and health equity.

“The HCA Healthier Tomorrow Fund has allowed Gilda’s Club of South Florida to provide cancer support and mental health services to the Spanish-speaking community in South Florida to ensure that Latino’s, as part of this initiative, are receiving more opportunities for high-level cancer care,” said Kim Praitano, Gilda’s Club CEO.

HCA Florida Mercy Hospital is thrilled to partner with Gilda’s Club and offer the first cancer support group in Spanish.

“I’m excited about this partnership and the opportunity it brings to our patients and people in the community who need oncology resources and support,” said David Donaldson, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital. “No one should have to face cancer alone.”

Funding the Healthier Tomorrow Fund at the HCA Healthcare Foundation is one example of the many ways HCA Healthcare is making a positive impact in the communities it serves. In 2020, HCA Healthcare provided charity care, uninsured discounts and other uncompensated care at a cost of more than $3.4 billion and incurred $4.1 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Additionally, HCA Healthcare continues to invest in the ongoing education and development of its colleagues and, as an enterprise, contributed $45 million to community organizations in 2020.

“At HCA Healthcare, we believe partnerships are essential to advancing our mission to care for and improve human live,” said Joanne Pulles, president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation. “Partnering with organizations like Gilda’s Club allows us to do more for our communities than we can do separately.”

For more information on the HCA Healthcare Foundation, visit www.hcacaring.org.

About HCA Healthcare Foundation

The mission of the HCA Healthcare Foundation is to promote health and well-being and strive to make a positive impact in all the communities HCA Healthcare serves. We accomplish this mission by providing leadership, service and financial support to effective non-profit organizations working individually and collectively.

 

 About Mercy Hospital

Serving Miami-Dade County for more than 70 years, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital is a 488-bed full service acute care hospital, accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Specializing in emergency services, comprehensive cancer care, maternity, Level II neonatal services, minimally invasive surgery, open heart surgery, hip and knee replacement, orthopedic oncology care and neurological and spine surgery, we provide high quality exceptional care to residents of Miami and the surrounding communities. We are Centers of Excellence at our CyberKnife® Institute, Heart Center, Orthopedics Institute and Surgical Weight Loss Center and are recognized by the Divers Alert Network Regional Coordinators for Hyperbaric and Wound Care. HCA Florida Mercy Hospital is Miami-Dade County’s only acute care Catholic Hospital. Within minutes of I-95, the Hospital’s 24-hour Emergency Room provides specialized hospital services for adults and children of all ages.

 About Gilda’s Club of South Florida

Gilda’s Club, named in honor of comedian Gilda Radner, is a free, nonprofit cancer support community. The mission of Gilda’s Club is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. Our innovative program is an essential complement to medical care, providing support groups counseling and networking groups, healthy lifestyles classes, educational lectures and social activities. Gilda’s Club South Florida has been providing programs to those living with cancer and their family and friends since 1997. For more information about Gilda’s Club, visit www.gildasclubsouthflorida.org