Brooksville, Fla. (August 2, 2022) – HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital caregivers recently adopted 127 students for its 5th Annual Back-to-School Supply Drive. Twenty-five departments and 28 individuals provided backpacks complete with school supplies based on the students’ ages. Barrette Outdoor Living also joined as a partner donating school supplies for 37 of the students at Pace Center for Girls Hernando. Students receiving supplies included:
• 62 caregivers’ children in need
• 50 Pace Hernando students (20 Middle, 30 High School)
• 15 Dawn Center of Hernando County children
“Most people, at some point in their life, face a difficult moment where they need support from others,” said Ken Wicker, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital. “I’m extremely proud of our caregivers and the way they work together to take care of each other and our community. Our caregivers work and live here, too, and we want all students to have the best start to the school year.”
Those children include the students at Pace Center for Girls Hernando. Founded in 2018, Pace Hernando has served hundreds of girls throughout Hernando County by providing holistic social, academic, and career-building services.
“At Pace Hernando, we are always grateful for the support of the community,” said Executive Director Xonjenese Jacobs. “Being able to start the school year with new school supplies sets our girls up for tremendous success, putting them on the trajectory of excellence in their academic journey. We are fortunate that the students of Pace Hernando’s Day and Reach Programs will benefit from having the necessary tools for the 2022-2023 school year thanks to the generosity of HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital’s caregivers and Barrette Outdoor Living.”
At Dawn Center of Hernando County, a certified domestic and sexual violence center providing no cost supportive services for victims and survivors to heal and plan their futures. Those survivors include children, often displaced from their home, sometimes with little or no belongings, who must still be prepared to start school with their classmates.
Photo: HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital caregivers Susan Leavy, director of medical staff services, and Amy Nixon, director of clinical informatics, have coordinated the Annual Back-School-Supply Drive since 2018.
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About HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital
HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital has been serving the Nature Coast since 1984 and is the largest private employer and largest hospital in Hernando County with 350 beds. The facility offers Hernando County’s only heart surgery program. Other key services include the maternity suites, neonatal intensive care, women’s imaging, cancer care, orthopedics and spine services. HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital’s healthcare delivery team is comprised of more than 600 physicians, 1,800 associates, and over 100 volunteers. The hospital is a statutory teaching hospital training the next generation of physicians. For more information, visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com