Bringing transformative healthcare to more people in more ways.
When it comes to transformative healthcare, reach matters. HCA Healthcare knows reach, with some 2,000 sites of care and more than 32 million patient encounters annually.
Recent events highlight our promise to extend exceptional care: We welcomed Brookdale Health Care Services, Galen College of Nursing and Meadows Health to the HCA Healthcare family. Additionally, discussions with cardiology, oncology and telehealth are aimed at improving these service lines in the home and at assisting in the management of patients with chronic diseases.
HCA Healthcare is providing invaluable support to their colleagues and to our students.— Mark Vogt, CEO, Galen College of Nursing.
Galen College of Nursing
The opportunity for nursing students to rotate at Brookdale post-acute care facilities is only one of many additional benefits that resulted from HCA Healthcare’s acquisition of Galen College of Nursing.
“It creates the largest academic practice partnership in all of U.S. healthcare,” says Galen CEO Mark Vogt. “Having a direct relationship with [such] a partner will enhance the integration of evidence-based practice. Galen nurses will be on the leading edge of care.”
As in other parts of the U.S., the Southeast has a severe shortage of nurses that’s been worsened by the pandemic. Galen officials consider hands-on teaching vital to addressing that shortage, as those experiences help ensure that nursing graduates are better prepared when they enter the field.
Bringing Galen under the HCA Healthcare umbrella “expands clinical opportunities for our students,” says Mark. “We are uniquely structured to enroll more students than many other college nursing programs.”
The partnership includes support in campus construction, a greater variety of clinical possibilities, and an improved pathway for job placement and advancement for Galen graduates.
We are uniquely structured to enroll more students than many other college nursing programs.— Mark Vogt, Galen CEO.
“Additionally, the opportunities for HCA Healthcare nurses to continue their education are incredible,” says Mark. “They can complete an online RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program with no out-of-pocket tuition cost or use the generous tuition reimbursement program, along with a reduced tuition cost just for HCA Healthcare employees, for a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership or Education.”
With locations in several states, continued expansion throughout HCA Healthcare communities is planned for 2022 and 2023.
Brookdale Health Care Services
HCA Healthcare greatly values ensuring quality post-acute care following hospital stays. With our $400 million purchase of a majority (80%) stake in Brentwood, Tennessee–based Brookdale Health Care Services — the nation’s seventh-largest provider of home health, hospice and outpatient therapy — we reaffirm our commitment to all stages of care.
“Home health and hospice services are critical to reducing our patients’ healthcare costs,” says Gregg Stanley, president of HCA Healthcare’s Post-Acute Services Division. “The partnership gives HCA Healthcare the opportunity to support patients in their homes, where they want to be.”
Post-acute services include home health, hospice, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing and long-term acute care. Most, if not all of these, are provided in HCA Healthcare communities to assist those in need of further care, such as the frail and elderly, who are oftentimes discharged back to their homes.
The partnership also allows HCA Healthcare to expand its robust research efforts into the home setting, yielding richer data to inform patient care.
“Current clinicians will be able to practice in new areas. The home health and hospice agencies will have access to cutting-edge resources to enhance the care they provide,” says Gregg.
The partnership [with Brookdale Health Care Services] gives HCA Healthcare the opportunity to support patients in their homes, where they want to be.— Gregg Stanley, president of HCA Healthcare’s Post-Acute Services Division.
Meadows Health
With its acquisition by HCA Healthcare, Meadows Health became Memorial Health Meadows Hospital. But the new name was just the start; the hospital joined Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, to further expand HCA Healthcare’s presence in the region.
Memorial Health Meadows Hospital is a regional, community-based healthcare system with nearly 500 colleagues, anchored by a 57-bed hospital that sees roughly 30,000 ER visits annually. The system includes the Tommy and Shirley Strickland Cancer Center and a network of physician practices.
“We are committed to continuing the services and high-quality care provided at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital,” says Hugh Tappan, president of HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division. “We focus on the recruitment of skilled specialists, expansion of key services and a commitment to understanding all that is working well.”
We expect to enhance existing services and bring new services, treatments and technologies to patients in the Vidalia and Toombs County area.— Matt Hasbrouck, CEO Memorial Health Meadows Hospital.
According to Matt Hasbrouck, CEO of Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, the facility will benefit almost immediately. “HCA Healthcare has committed to investing a minimum of $10 million in Meadows Hospital in the next five years. We expect to enhance existing services and bring new services, treatments and technologies to patients in the Vidalia and Toombs County area.” Moreover, the communities served by the hospital will benefit from the synergy between HCA Healthcare’s hospitals and its research facilities.
As a result of the purchase, the new independent, not-for-profit $30 million Meadows Foundation was established to provide major annual investments to improve the well-being of the residents of Vidalia and surrounding communities. Ultimately, the acquisition will help ensure that the residents of southern Georgia have uninterrupted access to high-quality care.
