NASHVILLE, Tenn. & LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA), one of the nation’s leading healthcare
providers, and Galen College of Nursing, one of the largest educators of
nurses in the U.S., today announced that HCA Healthcare will become the
majority owner of the parent company of Galen.
The innovative new strategic partnership brings together two of the top
nursing organizations in the country in order to increase access to
nursing education and provide career development opportunities in
nursing to improve patient care.
With 94,000 registered nurses, HCA Healthcare is one of the largest
employers of nurses in the country, with nurses holding positions from
bedside caregivers in a variety of healthcare settings to leadership
positions throughout the organization. This new partnership is a
continuation of HCA Healthcare’s focus on nurses and nursing excellence,
which has resulted in a positive impact on clinical outcomes, patient
experience, efficiency of care, and nurse engagement.
“Nurses are the lifeblood of our organization, and we’ve been
intentional about investing in nursing so they can be successful and
provide the best possible patient care,” said Sam Hazen, HCA
Healthcare’s chief executive officer. “Galen has an excellent reputation
in nursing education, and we look forward to working with them to
advance their mission and expand their programs to more of our markets.”
Galen College of Nursing enrolls students in nursing programs across
five campus locations and online. The College will remain Galen College
of Nursing and will continue to be led by its chief executive officer
Mark Vogt. For Galen, a partnership with HCA Healthcare is a natural
outgrowth of Galen’s sole focus on nursing and its mission to expand
access to quality nursing education.
“Every interaction with HCA Healthcare has reinforced that we share
common ideals and cultural expectations of excellence,” said Vogt. “We
are extremely excited about building on the synergies between nursing
practice and nursing education, and the possibilities this unlocks for
years to come. It is an incredible milestone for Galen and we have
confidence that this union will not only strengthen our ability to carry
out our mission, but to expand our vision.”
The partnership with HCA Healthcare is expected to provide growth
opportunities for the 30-year old nursing school. For example, it is
anticipated that Galen’s nursing degree programs will offer additional
career development opportunities for HCA Healthcare nurses. It also will
provide opportunities for Galen to establish nursing programs at HCA
Healthcare affiliates across the country, providing more clinical
education and career opportunities for Galen students.
“We believe this partnership with Galen is another signal that HCA
Healthcare is committed to being the premier career destination for
nurses while helping to address the nation’s increasing nursing
workforce needs,” said HCA Healthcare’s senior vice president and chief
nurse executive Jane Englebright. “Galen has created something
extraordinary, and we want to provide support and resources to help them
enhance their nursing programs to strengthen the nursing profession and
patient care.”
In 2018, HCA Healthcare added more than 6,200 registered nurses and
continued to invest in new technologies to support nursing by improving
communication between patients and nurses and across care teams. HCA
Healthcare also completed the deployment of its advanced one-of-a-kind
documentation system that returned 30 minutes of time to nurses in each
12-hour shift and generated data expected to help drive improvement in
clinical outcomes.
HCA Healthcare’s work in nursing education is not new as the
organization currently has two nursing schools, Research College of
Nursing and Mercy School of Nursing, as well as five advanced nursing
simulation training centers. In addition, last year HCA Healthcare began
investing up to $300 million in more benefits, in large part by adding
or expanding career development programs for nurses. Those programs
include tuition reimbursement for most full- and part-time colleagues,
student loan debt assistance, expanded certification offerings, and
plans for a scholarship program for children of HCA Healthcare
colleagues.
The transaction is subject to pending regulatory approval and other
customary conditions. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About HCA Healthcare
Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers
of healthcare services, comprising 185 hospitals and approximately 1,800
sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care
centers, and physician clinics, in 21 states and the United Kingdom.
With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for
hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to
strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the
practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical
studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is
healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that
identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in
ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning healthcare
system that uses its more than 31 million annual patient encounters to
advance science, improve patient care and save lives. Please click
here to connect with HCA Healthcare on social media.
About Galen College of Nursing
Founded 30 years ago, Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest
nursing educators in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing
education, the College offers baccalaureate and associate degree nursing
programs and practical/vocational nursing programs to students on its
campuses in Louisville and Hazard, Ky., San Antonio, Texas, Tampa Bay,
Fla., Cincinnati, Ohio, along with an Online Campus. Galen is accredited
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on
Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate and masters degrees. The
baccalaureate degree in nursing program at Galen College of Nursing is
accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655
K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001; 202-887-6791. The
associate degree in nursing program offered at Galen College of Nursing
is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing,
3343 Peachtree Road, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 404-975-5000, www.acenursing.org.
For more information about Galen College of Nursing, visit galencollege.edu.
All references to “Company,” “HCA” and “HCA Healthcare” as used
throughout this document refer to HCA Healthcare, Inc. and its
affiliates.
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Mark Kimbrough
615-344-2688
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ed Fishbough (HCA Healthcare)
615-344-2810
Anna Kitson (Galen College of Nursing)
502-494-3460