Hospital Donates Supplies to Local Elementary School

DELAND, Fla., August 22, 2016 On Aug. 10, Florida Hospital DeLand hosted a blessing ceremony for more than 200 backpacks that staff stuffed with school supplies and donated to first graders at Edith I. Stark Elementary.

Employees joined Florida Hospital DeLand chief operating officer Hector De Jesus and chaplain Dan Ocampo to pray over the backpacks, filled to the brim with pencils, notebooks and various other school supplies.

This has been an important ministry to our hospital for more than 10 years, said Nicole Garbacik, event organizer and Florida Hospital DeLand clinical informatics manager. With these donations, our local children in need will have everything they need to start the school year and their overall education off right. Its something we are all so honored to be a part of.

About Florida Hospital DeLand

Florida Hospital DeLand is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. With 164-beds, Florida Hospital DeLand is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 923 beds and more than 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.