Frisbie selects Share Fund to receive $25G HCA Healthcare Foundation grant

From left, Chris Finley, HCA associate VP of community engagement, city Mayor Paul Callaghan; Tim Jones, CEO of Frisbie; Donald "Skip" Smith, Share Fund director; Jerry Rainville, Share Fund board chair; and Megan Gray, Frisbie chief nursing officer (Cou

ROCHESTER - Frisbie Memorial Hospital announced on Thursday that the HCA Healthcare Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Share Fund as part of its new Health Equity Catalyst Grant Program.

The funding is through the HCA Healthcare Foundation's Healthier Tomorrow Fund, a community impact fund with an initial investment of $75 million focused on addressing high priority community needs and health equity.

"At HCA Healthcare, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life," said Tim Jones, Frisbie Memorial Hospital's chief executive officer. "The Share Fund shares our values, and is committed to helping the people in our communities. Our partnership with Share Fund addresses food insecurity in Greater Rochester, and I can think of no better example of our mission in action than combating health inequality among our neighbors."

The Share Fund is a nonprofit charitable outreach agency that provides various types of material support, such as food, clothing, and diapers, as well as financial support to families and individuals in need during emergencies or times of severe hardship. In addition to providing services to families, Share Fund also refers to other agencies and resources when eligible. The funds provided through the Health Equity Catalyst Grant will support initiatives like the food pantry to help families receive adequate supplies.

"We operate the largest food pantry in the Rochester area and also deliver to approximately 60 households unable to come to us," said Donald "Skip" Smith, Share Fund's executive director. "Our food requests are currently up more than 30 percent compared to 2022, so we deeply appreciate this support from Frisbie Memorial Hospital and HCA Healthcare, which will go a long way toward helping our community members."

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:

Funding 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 2022, HCA Healthcare provided charity care, uninsured discounts, and other uncompensated care at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion. Additionally, HCA Healthcare continues to invest in the ongoing education and development of its colleagues and, as an enterprise, contributed $44.2 million to community organizations in 2022.

"At HCA Healthcare, we believe partnerships are essential to advancing our mission to care for and improve human live," said Joanne Pulles, president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation. "Partnering with organizations like Share Fund allows us to do more for our communities than we can do separately."

For more information on the HCA Healthcare Foundation, visit www.hcacaring.org.