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.
