NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA), a leading healthcare provider with 177 hospitals and 119 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and the United Kingdom, today announced a donation of $1 million to the American Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey. In addition, HCA will match employees’ donations to the HCA Hope Fund, the company’s employee assistance nonprofit organization, up to $1 million.

“HCA’s culture of caring is never more evident than when adversity strikes, and I’m proud to say that over the last few days countless members of the HCA family have pulled together to support the needs of our facilities in Houston and Corpus Christi,” said Milton Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of HCA. “Our donations to the American Red Cross and the HCA Hope Fund will help care for people and communities in need.”

“The Red Cross is working around the clock in extremely challenging conditions in Texas to help people impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “We couldn’t do it without the generosity of our amazing donors – like HCA. With their support, the Red Cross can be there when disaster strikes to respond with shelter, food and the necessary supplies to ensure people are cared for, and to help during the recovery process. We’re extremely grateful for their support.”

The HCA Hope Fund is an employee-run, employee-supported 501(c)(3) charity that provides financial aid and resources to employees after extended illness, injury, disaster or other special situations. HCA employees, vendors, affiliated physicians, patients and the general public can make tax-deductible donations to the fund. Since inception, the Hope Fund has provided more than 23,000 grants totaling more than $35 million in assistance to HCA employees. To make a donation or for more information on the HCA Hope Fund, visit https://www.hcahopefund.com/.

HCA operates approximately 50 hospitals, 27 surgery centers in Texas, including 15 hospitals, six freestanding emergency centers, five surgery centers and one freestanding cancer center in Houston; and a hospital with five campus locations and a freestanding emergency center in Corpus Christi. Of the 55,000 HCA employees in Texas, approximately 14,000 are located in the Houston and Corpus Christi area.

About HCA Healthcare

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation's leading providers of healthcare services, operating 177 locally managed hospitals and 119 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA is a learning healthcare system that uses its more than 27 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives. Please click here to connect with HCA on social media.

All references to “Company” and “HCA” as used throughout this document refer to HCA Healthcare, Inc. and its affiliates.