HCA Healthcare Strengthens Community Impact Through Annual Volunteer Initiative
HCA Healthcare, one of the leading healthcare providers in the United States, has announced the successful completion of its seventh annual “We Show Up for Our Communities” volunteer initiative, highlighting the organization’s ongoing commitment to improving the well-being of communities across the nation. Conducted in recognition of National Volunteer Month, the initiative brought together thousands of HCA Healthcare colleagues who dedicated their time, skills, and energy to support nonprofit organizations, schools, food banks, and community programs in cities and towns nationwide.
The annual days of service campaign has become an important tradition for HCA Healthcare, reflecting the company’s broader mission of caring not only for patients within hospitals and healthcare facilities, but also for individuals and families in the communities where its employees live and work. Through volunteerism, charitable partnerships, and local engagement efforts, the organization continues to expand its role as a community-focused healthcare leader.
According to the company, this year’s initiative generated a significant nationwide impact. More than 9,790 HCA Healthcare colleagues participated in volunteer activities designed to meet local community needs, while employees collectively contributed over 41,800 volunteer hours during the campaign. These efforts supported 1,866 nonprofit organizations across the country, helping strengthen access to food assistance, education, health services, youth programs, and social support resources.
Virginia Tenpenny, vice president of community engagement at HCA Healthcare and president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation, emphasized the importance of the initiative and the passion demonstrated by employees throughout the campaign.
Caring for our communities is at the heart of HCA Healthcare,” Tenpenny said. “We Show Up for Our Communities reflects the strong commitment our colleagues have to serving others, not only in our hospitals, but also in the neighborhoods where we live and work.”
The volunteer initiative showcased the ability of healthcare professionals and corporate employees alike to make a meaningful impact beyond traditional healthcare settings. Activities organized during the campaign included food packing events, school support programs, neighborhood cleanups, nonprofit assistance projects, wellness outreach efforts, and operational support for charitable organizations. By partnering directly with local nonprofits, HCA Healthcare employees were able to address community-specific needs in regions across the United States.
Middle Tennessee, where HCA Healthcare is headquartered, played a major role in this year’s volunteer efforts. The company maintains deep roots in the Nashville region and has long supported local organizations through philanthropy, volunteer service, and community partnerships. Nearly 3,000 HCA Healthcare colleagues in Nashville participated in volunteer activities during the campaign, contributing close to 13,500 volunteer hours throughout the city and surrounding communities.
One of the organizations supported during the initiative was Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger and food insecurity in the region. HCA Healthcare employees partnered with the organization to pack more than 3,000 weekend snack bags for students enrolled in Metro Nashville Public Schools. These snack bags are designed to help children facing food insecurity by ensuring they have access to meals and snacks outside regular school hours.
Additionally, approximately 180 HCA Healthcare volunteers assisted with warehouse operations at the food bank, helping sort, organize, and distribute food supplies that support families throughout Middle Tennessee. The partnership highlights the growing role healthcare organizations can play in addressing social determinants of health, including nutrition, food access, and economic stability.
Beyond the annual volunteer campaign, HCA Healthcare reported broader community engagement achievements for 2025. Across the country, HCA Healthcare colleagues collectively volunteered more than 350,000 hours throughout the year, demonstrating sustained employee involvement in charitable and civic initiatives. In addition to volunteer service, the company supported more than 10,000 charitable organizations through financial contributions, sponsorships, and community partnerships.
The company also noted that more than 1,300 HCA Healthcare colleagues currently serve on nonprofit boards nationwide. These leadership roles allow employees to contribute strategic guidance and expertise to community organizations working in areas such as education, healthcare access, homelessness prevention, youth development, and public health.
Locally in Nashville, the HCA Healthcare Foundation continues to play a key role in strengthening nonprofit organizations through grant funding. The foundation’s Middle Tennessee Fund awarded more than $8.3 million in grants to 227 nonprofit agencies focused on advancing health and well-being, supporting basic needs, and improving educational opportunities across the region.
The grants are designed to help organizations expand programs, improve services, and reach vulnerable populations facing challenges related to healthcare access, housing, hunger, education, and financial hardship. By investing in local nonprofits, HCA Healthcare aims to create sustainable improvements in community health outcomes and quality of life.
Founded in 1968, HCA Healthcare has grown into one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States. The Nashville-based organization currently operates 189 hospitals and approximately 2,600 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, urgent care clinics, freestanding emergency rooms, and physician practices across 19 states and the United Kingdom.
Over the decades, the company has played a significant role in shaping modern hospital care and healthcare delivery systems. HCA Healthcare pioneered a collaborative healthcare model that combines resources, expertise, and operational efficiencies to strengthen hospitals and improve patient-focused care.
The organization has also contributed to medical research and clinical innovation. HCA Healthcare has conducted numerous clinical studies aimed at improving patient outcomes and advancing healthcare practices. Among its notable research findings are studies demonstrating the benefits of full-term delivery over early elective delivery for newborns, as well as the development of clinical protocols that significantly reduced bloodstream infections in intensive care unit patients.
Today, the company describes itself as a “learning health system,” leveraging approximately 47 million annual patient encounters to gather insights, improve healthcare delivery, advance scientific understanding, and enhance patient safety. By analyzing large-scale healthcare data and clinical experiences, HCA Healthcare continues to support innovations designed to improve outcomes for patients nationwide.
Company leaders say initiatives like “We Show Up for Our Communities” reinforce the organization’s belief that healthcare extends beyond hospital walls. Addressing social challenges such as food insecurity, education gaps, and access to community resources can contribute to healthier populations and stronger communities overall.
As healthcare organizations increasingly focus on community health and preventive care, volunteer programs and nonprofit partnerships are becoming an essential part of broader healthcare strategies. HCA Healthcare’s annual service initiative demonstrates how employee engagement can support both local organizations and long-term community well-being.
With thousands of employees participating each year, the initiative continues to grow in scale and impact, helping strengthen relationships between healthcare professionals and the communities they serve. Through volunteer service, charitable giving, and ongoing partnerships, HCA Healthcare aims to continue expanding its community outreach efforts while supporting organizations working to improve lives across the country.
About HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services comprising 189 hospitals and approximately 2,600 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 19 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare 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 Healthcare 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%. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its approximately 47 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives.
