High School seniors from across Hillsborough County applied for six scholarships, which included five HCA Florida Brandon Hospital Healthcare Achievement Awards and the HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and Physicians Healthcare Scholars Award.
Students from about 30 public and private high schools and homeschooled students were considered, and it was a highly competitive group of candidates.
“These students will be caring for the patients of tomorrow. They value empathy and care, which aligns with HCA Florida Healthcare and our medical staff’s commitment to excellence in patient care. It is important to support their dreams and ease their financial burden of education. It is with that goal that HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and the medical staff collaborated in sponsoring these scholarships. We look forward to welcoming them to the medical world and future partnerships with HCA,” said Dr. Anjan Shah, orthopedic surgeon at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.
The inaugural HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and Physicians Healthcare Scholars Award was a highly competitive $20,000 scholarship, and the students were required to have plans to attend the University of South Florida to be eligible. This scholarship was jointly funded by HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and the medical staff. The scholarship winner was Middleton High School senior Suchi Patel.
Patel stood out due to her involvement in student government and various clubs, honor societies and athletics. She’s a leader in many of those organizations and has committed to making a difference in the community through volunteerism.
The HCA Florida Brandon Hospital Healthcare Achievement Award was given to five students who were exceptional in both academics and extracurriculars. The students were also required to have a desire to pursue a career in healthcare. They were each awarded $1,000.
Erin Evans (Middleton High School), Devin Blunt (Strawberry Crest High School), Javier Landa Pulido (Middleton High School), Kayla Dinh (Sumner High School) and Keira Kurto (Bloomingdale High School) were all awarded the HCA Florida Brandon Hospital Healthcare Achievement Award by Brandon Hospital leadership team members at their high school award ceremonies.
The high school seniors who were awarded these scholarships have qualities that align with the values of HCA Healthcare, of which, according to its website: “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.”
The hospital is located at 119 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon. For more information, visit www.hcafloridabrandonhospital.com.
