HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and the Okaloosa County School District (OCSD) announced today the launch of a Thank a Teacher—a joint partnership between HCA Florida Fort-Walton Destin Hospital and OCSD. Thank a Teacher is a program celebrating the Okaloosa County School District's dedicated educators. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, students, families, and staff members are encouraged to share their stories about a particular teacher's inspiring actions, supportive words, creative lessons, or just their overall positive impact.
Nominations start on Monday, November 6, 2023, by using the form on the Okaloosa County School District's website. Each month, one teacher will be selected and highlighted on social media for the Thank a Teacher campaign. Event sponsors HCA Florida Healthcare, which operates HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital in Okaloosa County, will provide each winning teacher $250. Winners will be announced at the end of each month during the school year. Teachers selected as a nominee result from nominations from the public that contain words of gratitude and will receive a special email containing those heartfelt messages.
"Every day, our teachers make a difference as they help prepare students to make the next step in life, whether it is college, the military, or the workforce, and they are sometimes the unsung heroes who do so much behind the scenes without seeking recognition,” stated Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “To that end, we are grateful and appreciative of the partnership with HCA Florida Healthcare to allow our parents and students to nominate teachers for their dedication to the teaching profession and daily positive impacts on students' lives."
"We are thankful for the continued partnership with the Okaloosa County School District and look forward to helping students and parents recognize the impact teachers make on the students and our community," stated Zach McCluskey, CEO of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. The only thing left to be answered by Okaloosa County is, "Who are you going to nominate?" Go to the Thank a Teacher webpage to submit a nomination.
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About HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is a 309-bed full-service hospital. It is the only Level II Trauma Center in the Tri-County Area, with nearly 200 highly respected and qualified physicians. For women and children services, we have the area's only in-house midwifery program. Its expanded emergency services include a dedicated Pediatric ER, 24/7 HCA Florida Destin Emergency, 24/7 HCA Florida Navarre Emergency, and the full-service 24/7 HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Emergency. It is the only acute care hospital in the Tri-County area that offers open heart surgery, an Accredited Advanced Primary Stroke Center, an Accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Cancer Care Center that is accredited by the Commission on Cancer and an Associate of the UAB Birmingham Health System Cancer Community Network. HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is the only inpatient acute care rehab facility in the tri-county area – HCA Florida Northwest Rehabilitation Center, located in Destin, FL.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 450 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms, and urgent care centers, offering a collaborative network of personalized care. United as a statewide network in 2021, HCA Florida Healthcare includes approximately 11,000 experienced doctors and 77,000 colleagues working together to deliver high-quality, collaborative care to more than 6.4 million patients each year. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. The network provided nearly $836.6 million in uncompensated care and invested significantly in innovative technologies and facilities across Florida, including the new $360 million state-of-the-art, multi-specialty HCA Florida University Hospital in Davie, Fla. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is also a major supporter of university-based healthcare programs and residencies and fellowships throughout the Sunshine State. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
About Okaloosa County School District
The Okaloosa County School District is a High Achieving A+ School District Nationally recognized for Academics. Our Mission is to place students on a pathway to success by providing high-quality instruction, a wide array of marketable experiences, and unparalleled extracurricular opportunities while developing relationships that meet both their academic and emotional needs. Our vision is to prepare our students for success within and beyond the classroom, whether that be college, the military, or the workforce.