North Florida Hospital announces HCA Healthcare Foundation's $1 million grant to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations

HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, as a part of HCA Healthcare, today announced that the HCA Healthcare Foundation, through its Healthier Tomorrow Fund, will donate $1 million over the next three years to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (Consortium) to help fund its Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program. The Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program aims to help create and expand healthcare career pathways for underserved high school students across the state of Florida.

As part of this grant, the Education Foundation of Alachua County was awarded $60,000 over the next three years that they will use to support students in the Academy of Fire and Medical Services in Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School and the Medical Skills program at Eastside High School. This funding will provide students who are economically disadvantaged with opportunities to delve into healthcare careers through hands-on experiences, and earn industry certifications and exposure to emergency medicine and certified nursing assistant (CNA) clinicals.

“We are committed to providing healthier tomorrows for our communities, and one way we can do that is to help nurture local talent,” said C. Eric Lawson, chief executive officer of HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. “The next generation of healthcare workers are right here in our local schools, and we are dedicated to help pave the way for any student who aspires to work in healthcare in the north central Florida community.”

The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Workforce Needs Study estimates there to be a shortage of approximately 463,000 healthcare workers by the end of 2024. Through the Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program, the Consortium will develop and manage a grant process which allows local education foundations to apply for grant funds in support of local projects that foster healthcare career pathways. The program will fund 15 local education foundations in Florida over the next three years, focusing on activities that lead to nursing or allied health tracks and include work-based learning, healthcare career exploration activities and industry certifications.

The Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program grant is funded through the Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a community impact fund focused on addressing high-priority community needs and health equity. Since its launch in 2021, the Fund has committed more than $20 million in communities where HCA Healthcare has a presence and made grants to 90 nonprofit organizations.

"We are thrilled to partner with HCA Healthcare Foundation on this transformative initiative. This generous grant not only addresses a critical workforce need by fostering healthcare careers among Florida's youth, but also leverages our capacity to connect students to their communities for meaningful and potentially life-changing learning opportunities,” said Mary Chance, president & CEO of the Consortium. “Together, we're paving the way for a healthier, more prosperous future for Florida.”

HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation have a strong history of collaboration with the Consortium and its members. HCA Healthcare has also partnered with several of Florida’s local education foundations through the Consortium’s Explore & Excel in Healthcare Careers program, which allows students to visit local hospitals for tours and learn more about education pathways that lead to healthcare careers and provides healthcare equipment for hands-on learning in classrooms. HCA Healthcare colleagues are also active as board members and volunteers with local education foundations.

HCA Florida North Florida Hospital has been a long-time partner of the Education Foundation of Alachua County in supporting local students. HCA Florida North Florida Hospital proudly sponsors the annual Ed Gala, two senior scholarships, provides mentors for the Take Stock in Children program and has hosted middle school field trips to help spark interest in healthcare careers in all areas of a hospital.