HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE MAINLAND announced this week that they donated $10,000 in grants to the United Way Galveston County Mainland to assist in COVID-19 relief efforts.
“We are going to have people ask for help that have never asked for help before,” said Chris Delesandri, United Way Galveston County Mainland Executive Director. “The United Way Galveston County Mainland has partnered with 29 agencies and accounts for every dollar that is provided to our community. The majority of people don’t realize the impact our non-profits have in the Galveston County area.”
“Our community is joining together to respond to the coronavirus pandemic in remarkable ways,” said Jim Russell, HCA Houston Healthcare Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to support United Way Galveston County Mainland, who are working hard to address the needs of our community. As the community hospital since 1952, HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland is proud to support such a worthy organization that provides support to our community.”
The decision to donate to United Way Galveston County Mainland was an easy one for HCA, which was already making its presence felt throughout the area before the onset of COVID-19 last month. With much of the community unable to move forward, the need to step up became greater.
“Almost everything came to a screeching halt, so we transitioned our funding from where we originally had it in order to focus on local recovery,” said Sean Burnett, Vice President of Marketing of HCA Houston Healthcare. “We wanted to support the community in every way we can.”
With the decision of Governor Greg Abbott slowly re-opening the state on Friday, HCA will also be on the road toward helping the area begin the process of reestablishing a routine in what will be the “new normal.”
“As the state continues to open up, we will also return with greater resources to help communities get back on their feet,” Burnett said.
Perhaps the biggest contribution HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland will provide happens on Wednesday, when the current ban on elective surgical procedures will end. “Not only do we have COVID-19 patients, but we have a lot of other patients who are in great need of procedures, such as cancer treatments and surgeries,” said Burnett. “There a lot of people who have gone through a lot of pain, and it’s time that we begin to bring them back and provide for them.”
HCA Healthcare also donated $10,000 to the United Way of the Coastal Bend for the COVID-19 Response and Relief, $20,000 to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley for the Coronavirus Resource Readiness and Response Campaign and $110,000 to the United Way of Greater Houston for the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund.
