Gift to St. Mary's University in Support of Greehey School of Business announced by Methodist Healthcare

San Antonio, Texas — Methodist Healthcare is delighted to announce that HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA), one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers and a 50-50 co-owner of Methodist Healthcare, will gift $200,000 to St. Mary’s University’s Greehey School of Business to support scholarships, fellowships, and training for faculty in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

This gift is part of HCA Healthcare’s larger commitment to give $10 million over three years to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

“This incredible partnership is founded on our mission of ‘Serving humanity to honor God,’ which aligns seamlessly with St. Mary's University's commitment to education, excellence, and community,” shared Dan Miller, President and CEO of Methodist Healthcare. "Together, we embark on a journey of investing in and supporting the future leaders of San Antonio, who will be catalysts for elevating the health and wellness of our community for many years to come.”

St. Mary’s University, a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts university, is the oldest institution of higher education in San Antonio, Texas. It is also a nationally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, serving a diverse population of more than 3,000 students in a multicultural environment.

“HCA Healthcare remains committed to partnerships with HBCUs and HSIs within our organization’s footprint to expand opportunities for future healthcare leaders and advance health equity,” said Sherri Neal, chief diversity officer of HCA Healthcare. “Our partnership with St. Mary’s University is an exciting and innovative opportunity that will allow us to develop a more culturally competent workforce to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

This gift will support at least four scholarships per year, over the next two years, for graduate students in the St. Mary’s Online MBA for Professionals program and seeking leadership roles. Funds will also provide support for students who serve as a graduate or research assistant to faculty members in the Greehey School of Business. All of these scholars will also have access to internship opportunities with Methodist Healthcare, as well as year-round leadership development and guest lecture opportunities.

“St. Mary’s University is thankful, not just for this generous gift, but also for the strong connection between our institutions, which will have a lasting impact on our MBA program, our faculty and the quality of the education St. Mary’s University provides,” said St. Mary’s University President Thomas M. Mengler, J.D.

In addition to funding scholarships, a portion of the gift will be dedicated to improving the online teaching methods for faculty in the MBA program. 

“We express our sincere gratitude to HCA Healthcare and Methodist Healthcare for their investment in St. Mary’s University and the Greehey School of Business,” said Rowena Ortiz-Walters, Dean of Greehey School of Business at St. Mary’s University. “This partnership, which we look forward to further cultivating, will create opportunities for access to higher education and leadership preparation for talented, diverse professionals. The scholar’s program will be the premier scholarship program within the St. Mary’s MBA program and will certainly help to develop the Hispanic healthcare leaders of tomorrow.”

HCA Healthcare has a history of partnering with higher education institutions to help create a more diverse workforce. Last fall, HCA Healthcare gave $620,000 to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) to support scholarship for students in the UCR School of Medicine. In 2022, HCA Healthcare gave $1.5 million to Tennessee State University (TSU) to create scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate school students pursuing careers in healthcare and computer science and $1.5 million to Fisk University to support scholarships for students pursuing healthcare careers and a dual degree with Galen College of Nursing. The same year, the organization also gave $750,000 to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to create multiple graduate-degree opportunities for students interested in healthcare administration careers. Additionally, $1.5 million was given to Florida International University’s (FIU) Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences (NWCNHS) to expand its faculty, offer scholarships to increase enrollment and help address the national nursing shortage.

Methodist Healthcare has been creating meaningful partnerships for over 50 years, focused on building community health awareness and enriching the professional landscape across South Texas. Earlier this year, Methodist Healthcare forged an historic agreement with The University of Incarnate Word (UIW) to provide affordable educational and developmental resources for staff and their families. Understanding the future prosperity of our community relies on international support, Methodist Healthcare aligned with the Alamo Colleges District in 2023 to provide international upskilling and workforce development opportunities for nurses from Mexico and Latin America.