Denver Inner City Parish to Receive $25,000 Grant from HCA HealthONE and HCA Healthcare Foundation

Denver, CO – HCA HealthONE announced today that the HCA Healthcare Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Denver Inner City Parish to support the ongoing demand for access to healthy food as part of its Health Equity Catalyst Grant Program. The funding is through the HCA Healthcare Foundation’s Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a community impact fund focused on addressing high priority community needs and health equity.

“In working with our new community partner, Denver Inner City Parish, we are pleased to support equitable access to healthy foods,” offered Maureen McDonald, assistant vice president of community engagement at HCA HealthONE. “As food prices have risen, many families need to choose between basic needs as they prioritize limited incomes. This Healthier Tomorrow Funds grant from the HCA Healthcare Foundation will provide this local, trusted nonprofit with healthy foods and nutrition education for a diverse group of families and individuals of all ages.”

There are numerous health conditions impacted by poor diets. Supporting our communities with nutritional resources and information helps people live with vitality in their home, work and community lives.

“We are at a critical juncture with the need for communities, families, and individuals to be healthier, have access to healthy food, and have more ownership of their overall wellness, stated Jason Torrez, interim executive director, Denver Inner City Parish. “The HCA Healthcare funding opportunity will allow us to purchase healthy food for our food pantry program, our Greens-N-Grains healthy after-school meal program, and give us the ability to educate children and families through our Veggie Rx program on proper nutrition choices and physical activity outlets.”

Launched in August 2023, the Health Equity Catalyst Grant provides a one-time operating grant to support organizations and collaboratives addressing health inequities in a defined focus area in order to advance or accelerate efforts to:
• Provide culturally and structurally competent services,
• Advance high-impact health equity programming,
• Support collaborative health equity efforts, and/or
• Address root causes of health inequities.

This year, the grants were given to nonprofits addressing food insecurity and providing access to healthy foods across the country.

The Healthier Tomorrow Fund at the HCA Healthcare Foundation is one example of the many ways HCA Healthcare is making a positive impact in the communities it serves. In 2023, HCA
Healthcare provided charity care, uninsured discounts and other uncompensated care at an estimated cost of $3.7 billion. Additionally, HCA Healthcare contributed more than $43 million to community organizations in 2023. Consistently among the Denver Business Journals’ list of top corporate philanthropists in the Denver-metro area, HCA HealthONE was named as one of the most community-minded organizations through Partner in Philanthropy and contributed more than $1 million through cash and in-kind donations last year alone.

About HCA Healthcare Foundation
The mission of the HCA Healthcare Foundation is to promote health and well-being and strive to make a positive impact in all the communities HCA Healthcare serves. We accomplish this mission by providing leadership, service and financial support to effective non-profit organizations working individually and collectively.

About HCA HealthONE
HCA HealthONE, one of the largest and most comprehensive healthcare systems in the Rocky Mountain region, offers more than 170 care sites in the Denver-metro area. Offering services across the continuum of care to meet patients’ total healthcare needs, HCA HealthONE includes seven acute care hospitals, a dedicated flagship pediatric hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, CareNow® urgent care clinics, mental health campuses, imaging and surgery centers, physician practices, home and hospice care, and AirLife Denver, which provides regional critical care air and ground transportation. HCA HealthONE employs more than 12,000 colleagues and has been named one of the top five large health systems in the country multiple years. HCA HealthONE and its parent company, HCA Healthcare, have been named 14 consecutive times by Ethisphere as a World’s Most Ethical Company and two consecutive years as a LinkedIn Top Company. HCA HealthONE hospitals includes: Centennial, Aurora, Mountain Ridge, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s, Rocky Mountain Children’s, Rose, Sky Ridge, Swedish, and Spalding working together to provide a higher level of care. Consistently among the Denver Business Journals’ list of top corporate philanthropists in the Denver-metro area, HCA HealthONE was named as one of the most community-minded organizations by The Civic 50 and contributed more than $1 million through cash and in-kind donations last year alone, along with more than $400M in federal, state and local taxes.
To learn more about our impact on the communities we serve and how #WeShowUp, visit: HCAHealthONE.com.