HCA Healthcare has once again been recognized as one of the most ethical companies in the world.
Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, named the healthcare organization one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 12th time on Tuesday. HCA Healthcare, which boasts over 400 healthcare and affiliated sites in the Sunshine State, is one of only seven honorees in the Healthcare Providers category this year.
“We are proud to be honored again as a World’s Most Ethical Company, and this recognition would not be possible without the steadfast dedication of our colleagues,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. “As an organization, we have programs and initiatives in place that underscore our strong sense of purpose to do what is right for our patients, colleagues and the communities we serve, and this award is a reflection of that culture.”
Since the start of the pandemic, HCA Healthcare has cared for more COVID-19 inpatients than any other health system in the country. In January 2021, HCA Healthcare announced that it would use its vast data on COVID-19 hospital care to form a consortium of prominent public and private research institutions to improve patient outcomes and public knowledge. In addition, HCA Healthcare has conducted various COVID-19 related research projects and worked to spearhead COVID-19 literature to accelerate the understanding and treatment of the coronavirus.
HCA Healthcare has also championed health by investing in communities using grassroots efforts.
Last year marked the launch of two HCA Healthcare initiatives designed to help address important issues in communities around the country. In May 2021, the HCA Healthcare Foundation expanded its presence with the launch of its Healthier Tomorrow Fund, an $80 million community impact fund established to support initiatives focused on high-priority community needs and health equity in 25 communities where HCA Healthcare has a presence.
Additionally, in May 2021, HCA Healthcare announced a $10 million commitment over three years to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in communities where HCA Healthcare has a presence. In December, HCA Healthcare donated $1.5 million to Florida A&M University’s School of Allied Health Sciences. The partnerships are intended to strengthen student pathways from undergraduate to graduate to management careers in healthcare, while also advancing diversity in healthcare and supporting the next generation of healthcare leaders.
“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to integrity in our work and the impact it has on our patients and communities,” said Kathi Whalen, senior vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer at HCA Healthcare. “This recognition is due to the efforts of all our colleagues who show up every day and make the choice to reflect our mission in every action they undertake.”
HCA Healthcare also touted its environmental stewardship efforts. The organization and its facilities are members of Practice Greenhealth, which provides sustainable healthcare solutions. Since 2002, HCA Healthcare has received 178 Practice Greenhealth awards.
In 2021, HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation donated more than $41 million to community organizations, and HCA Healthcare provided charity care, uninsured discounts and other uncompensated care at an estimated cost of $3.3 billion. Additionally, HCA Healthcare colleagues volunteered more than 99,600 hours with charitable organizations in 2021.
“Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable and trusted to drive positive change,” said Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich. “We continue to be inspired by the World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community. Congratulations to HCA Healthcare for earning the World’s Most Ethical Companies designation.”
To view all 136 honorees, click here.
Surprised it survived after Rick Scott.
“Hospital Corporation of America was founded in 1968 in Nashville by Dr. Thomas Frist Jr., his father, Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., and Jack Massey. Initially, it was just one hospital and a nursing home. But by the end of the next year, the company operated more than two dozen hospitals and was growing rapidly. Fast-forward to the late 1980s and early ’90s. The company was taken private, spun off more than 100 hospitals and then went public again. In 1994, it completed its fateful merger with Columbia Healthcare Corp, Fort Worth, Texas. The merged company, called Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., operated 192 hospitals. Tension soon developed between Frist Jr. and Richard Scott, the aggressive young corporate lawyer who had founded Columbia and was the new company’s chairman and CEO. In 1997, the federal government’s probe of Columbia/HCA’s billing practices became public through a series of raids by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service. Following the raids, the Columbia/HCA board of directors forced Scott to resign. At this point the company had grown to nearly 350 hospitals. The government investigation led to Medicare fraud indictments against the company and ultimately a $1.74 billion settlement.”
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20110404/SUPPLEMENT/304049938/the-fall-of-columbia-hca-healthcare-corp-events-category-contestant