This past year has shown us that yet again, we can do anything, if we do it together. 2021 was another unprecedented year; healthcare professionals once again cared for thousands of COVID-19 positive patients in our community. Their dedication and determination to continue in the fight against COVID-19 was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
For nearly two years, the teams have battled surge after surge, bravely answering the call to care for COVID-19 patients of all ages and walks of life. One patient that comes to mind, is our very own Pamela Beavers Simmons, an RN at Capital Regional Medical Center who worked in the COVID unit. When she contracted COVID-19, she was cared for by the team she worked with. They did what they do best – they pulled together and took care of her like family. She credits her colleagues with saving her life. Pamela says, “while it’s been a challenging and emotional time, both personally and professionally, I always knew I could get through it because I’ve got my work family in my corner.”
Every day, not just during a pandemic, our healthcare teams are here to support the community’s needs. They are resilient and face new challenges daily, they act quickly to save lives and they tend compassionately to those who entrust us with their care.
The quality of healthcare services is clearly defined by the quality of the healthcare workforce. We feel it is critically important to ensure that our patients not only receive the healthcare services needed today, but also those that are needed in the future as our communities change and grow. This can only be secured by fostering opportunities for the next generation of healthcare heroes to find their passion and pursue their dream careers in healthcare.
As an HCA Healthcare-affiliated hospital, Capital Regional Medical Center is proud of our parent company’s legacy of strong partnerships to support local educational institutions to ensure our communities continue to receive high-quality, compassionate healthcare services.
Across the nation, our HCA Healthcare-affiliated sites of care serve diverse communities across the country, and we know our ability to continue to do that most effectively depends on a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.
We are constantly seeking opportunities to collaborate with organizations to expand opportunities for a diverse population of students who are interested in careers in healthcare and related fields.
In May 2021, HCA Healthcare announced plans to contribute $10 million over the next three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions in communities near our hospitals in order to advance diversity in healthcare.
Recently, HCA Healthcare announced a donation of $1.5 million to Florida A&M University’s School of Allied Health Sciences to strengthen students’ pathways from undergraduate to graduate to management careers in the healthcare industry. We are proud to have one of the scholarship recipients under this grant interning with us at Capital Regional Medical Center in 2022- a year that will bring forth even more exciting announcements for our hospital and our connected healthcare network across Florida.
‘Care Like Family’ is not just a phrase for us, it continues to be a part of everything that we do in this community – it represents the dedication to our mission and to our culture. I want to thank the care teams at Capital Regional Medical Center for living this mission each and every day – for our patients and for one another.
We are proud of our commitment to continuing to build a diverse and inclusive workplace that is not passive; it is active. We are as committed as we have ever been to fostering an engaged and inclusive culture for our patients, for our colleagues, and for our communities. We continue to stay laser-focused on the importance of community collaborations, especially those centered on education and healthcare.
At HCA Healthcare, we remain dedicated to our mission – above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life. As we strive to improve more lives in more ways, we know that working together as a healthcare team and as a collaborative community will be the key to healthier tomorrows.
-Alan Keesee, CEO, Capital Regional Medical Center
