United Way Veteran Summit hosted by HCA Florida Lake City Hospital
HCA Florida Lake City Hospital and United Way of Suwannee Valley hosted a Mission United Veteran Summit on November 14, 2025, welcoming more than 75 participants from Veterans Affairs, local social service agencies, community organizations, businesses, and fellow veterans.
To open the event, Jill Adams, chief executive officer of HCA Florida Lake City Hospital, recognized the veterans in attendance, including hospital colleagues who have served, and honored their commitment to our country. Adams and Brian Sellers, director of nursing operations at HCA Florida Lake City Hospital and fellow veteran, presented each veteran with an HCA Healthcare challenge coin — a gesture symbolizing gratitude, respect, and the organization’s enduring appreciation for their service.
“HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is deeply committed to supporting our veterans and ensuring they have access to the resources they deserve,” said Adams. “Partnering with United Way for this summit brought together community partners and our own hospital colleagues to network, share information, and strengthen the support available to veterans across our region.”
The summit’s keynote speaker, Jennifer Jenkins of the Wounded Warrior Project, delivered a powerful and heartfelt presentation. She shared her inspiring journey as the primary caregiver for her brother, a combat-wounded veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Jenkins spoke candidly about the emotional and practical challenges of caring for both her brother and herself, and how the Wounded Warrior Project transformed their lives by providing critical support, resources, and hope during an incredibly difficult season. Her story resonated deeply with attendees and underscored the importance of strong community networks for veterans and their families.
“Hearing Jennifer share her story was truly inspiring and reminded me of the critical role caregivers play in the lives of wounded veterans,” said Sellers. “Having been wounded in combat myself, I understand the sacrifices involved.” Sellers, a Marine veteran, was severely injured by an explosive device in 2004 while deployed to Ramadi, Iraq.
“United Way is committed to driving meaningful community impact, and this summit is just one example of the initiatives we are proud to support,” said Jennifer Anchors, executive director of United Way of Suwannee Valley. “We encourage anyone interested in learning more to contact us or visit unitedwsv.org.”
Veteran service directories were prepared and distributed at the event and are available on the United Way website at unitedwsv.org. These directories will be updated regularly as new resources become available.
HCA Healthcare recently contributed $150,000 to multiple veteran support organizations in honor of Veterans Day. Since 2012, HCA Healthcare has hired more than 65,000 veterans, active-duty and reserve personnel and military spouses. Additionally, VIQTORY has recognized HCA Healthcare as a Military Friendly employer for the 15th consecutive year, earning the Gold designation for the third year in a row. This year, HCA Healthcare also earned Gold designation as a Military Spouse Friendly employer and was recognized as one of the top 10 military spouse employers in the nation by the organization.