As we head into the holiday weekend, HealthTrust Workforce Solutions would like to wish you all the best for a great holiday and a Happy 4th of July! This 4th of July, we would like to honor those who have dedicated and sacrificed their lives for the freedom that our nation enjoys today. We are thankful for the commitment that has been and continues to be made for our nation as we strive for a better tomorrow. 

The gift of blood saves lives, and there is an increased need for blood during the pandemic since blood and platelets cannot be manufactured – they can only come from volunteer donors. Below, meet a couple of HCA Healthcare colleagues who’ve donated blood to help patients and their communities. If you have already donated blood or plasma, log your donation as volunteer service on our giving and serving platform.

HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, today announced that it collected 13,523 pounds of unused and expired prescription medications during its “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day enterprise events, more than twice as much as it collected last year. The events, which took place at 95 HCA Healthcare facilities across 18 states on October 24, 2020, in alignment with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, were aimed at educating communities on the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of expired and unused prescription medications.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the U.S. is seeing a significant increase in opioid usage, with 40 states reporting an increase in opioid-related mortality, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). “Crush the Crisis” called on communities across the country to address this timely issue. The events collectively disposed of an estimated 9.3 million doses of medication, eliminating the adverse possibility of potential misuse.

“Communities across the country came together in the midst of this global pandemic to properly dispose of expired and unused medications and make a difference in our battle against the opioid epidemic,” said Dr. Michael Schlosser, chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare’s national group and vice president of group operations, Clinical Operations Group. “Thank you to the DEA, local law enforcement agencies, hospital volunteers and all the many participants who showed up to help ‘Crush the Crisis.’”

The concept of “Crush the Crisis” was spearheaded by Sara Stedman, an orthopaedic nurse in HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Division, when she organized a single take back event at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee in 2017. Last year, “Crush the Crisis” was rolled out nationally, spanning 100 locations across 16 states, with 5,887 pounds of medication collected.

“The idea for ‘Crush the Crisis’ came to me after I witnessed the devastating effects that opioid abuse can have on an individual and his or her family,” said Stedman. “Thanks to the backing of HCA Healthcare, it is truly remarkable to see how this simple idea has evolved into a national movement that’s helping to bring greater awareness to the dangers of opioid misuse and why it’s important to safely and properly dispose of these unused and expired medications before they fall into the hands of someone who may abuse them.”

A total of 95 facilities across 18 states around the country participated in “Crush the Crisis” events by partnering with local law enforcement agencies to collect unused and expired prescription medications. HCA Healthcare facility events with the greatest amount of medication collected include:

• Ocala Health in Ocala, Florida collected 1,097 pounds
• Chippenham Hospital and Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, Virginia collected 847 pounds 
• Brandon Regional Hospital in Brandon, Florida collected 714 pounds
• Lee's Summit Medical Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri collected 700 pounds
• Medical City Arlington in Arlington, Texas collected 527 pounds
• Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center in Panama City, Florida collected 499 pounds

Please click here for more information on HCA Healthcare’s “Crush the Crisis.”

HCA Healthcare East Florida Division (NYSE:HCA), today announced that it has received a donation of 2,800 face shields from Bombardier Aviation, a global leader in the design, manufacturing and entry into service of cutting edge business jets. The shields were delivered to Fort Lauderdale International Airport aboard a Global 7500 aircraft and were transported to HCA’s Supply Chain distribution center. The materials will then be distributed to HCA’s 15-affiliated facilities across East Florida.

At the onset of COVID-19, management and conservation of personal protective equipment became a crucial part of the equation to ensure our frontline caregivers are supported as they care for patients.

“We are blessed to have all the PPE and equipment we need to appropriately care for our patients while staying protected,” said Noel Edwards, an HCA Healthcare nurse at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria, Louisiana. “Our workload has increased but we have adapted, communicated and come together to provide the best care for our COVID-19 patients.”

While our 4^th of July celebrations may feel a bit subdued as we continue to practice social distancing, the reason for our celebration shines more brightly than ever before. We feel it is especially important to take a moment to honor those who have dedicated their lives to preserving our freedom, calling to mind the core values our country was built upon.  

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2020 Hiring Situation surprised economists, revealing that 2.5 million jobs were regained last month, significantly higher than the 7.5 million job loss anticipated. The gains come as the economy has begun to open up across the country and the initial economic shock of COVID-19 appears to have stabilized. That said, many economists still believe the road to economic recovery will be long. The unemployment rate edged down to 13.3%. 

Within the healthcare sector, 312,400 jobs returned, with gains seen primarily in offices of physicians, healthcare practitioners and dentists. Jobs within ambulatory care settings grew by 375,700, however hospital payrolls fell by 26,700.

Our Information Protection & Security department has recently made us aware that two scam emails have been reported targeting our vendors and clients. The FBI has also issued guidance that healthcare organizations are under increased attack by criminals during COVID-19 response.

As the nation continues to face the largest economic crisis in almost a century, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) April 2020 Hiring Situation revealed that the economy lost 20.5 million jobs last month, leading the unemployment rate to skyrocket to 14.7%. This is the highest rate seen since World War 2. The data reflects the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it.

Amid the worst public health crisis in American history, more than 1.4 million healthcare jobs were lost last month, primarily in ambulatory healthcare services as dental and physician offices closed and elective surgeries came to a halt (-1.2M). Hospital payrolls were down 139,000.

The Report also revealed that if millions of Americans who have been furloughed and expect to return to their jobs are counted, the jobless rate would have almost 5 percentage points higher at nearly 20%.

In the seven weeks since the virus shut down much of the U.S. economy, more than 33 million people have applied for unemployment benefits, as the numbers continue to grow by several million a week.

The world has changed, but the core of our nurses has not. Our daily lives have been upended, but nurses stand up, show up and give patients the compassion and care they need and deserve.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse,” and while this designation was announced prior to COVID-19, we cannot think of a better time to honor and recognize nurses for their commitment to the profession. Just like Florence Nightingale did 200 years ago, our nurses lean in and are a light in the darkness. They continue to compassionately and selflessly serve humanity and their valuable contribution will have saved the world.