At HCA Healthcare’s Mission Hospital, sometimes caring for people extends far beyond hospital walls. Throughout Western North Carolina, Mission Health colleagues are committed to supporting the communities they serve, and that commitment includes standing beside military veterans, active-duty service members and military families.

This dedication was recently highlighted during National Hospital Week and Military Appreciation Month, when HCA Healthcare North Carolina Division’s Information Technology Group (ITG) gathered in Asheville for a special ceremony recognizing the service of one of their own: Mission Hospital Associate IT Director and U.S. Army Reserve Officer Caleb Stoudt.

The event centered around an American flag flown during 39 combat missions in the Middle East while Stoudt was deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The flag carried special significance because it had originally been sent overseas by his Mission Health colleagues as part of a massive care package assembled for Stoudt and his platoon while they served abroad.

The care package effort reflected the culture of support that defines Mission Health and HCA Healthcare. Colleagues sent nearly 500 pounds of food, hydration supplies and essentials overseas, along with approximately 75 handwritten cards addressed to members of Stoudt’s platoon.

“The HCA Healthcare NC team sent this flag to me along with substantial care packages, and that gesture meant more than words can fully capture,” Stoudt said during the ceremony. “The flag reminded us that we were supported, valued and not forgotten.”

For Mission Health leaders and colleagues, the ceremony represented much more than recognition of one individual’s military service. It underscored the organization’s broader commitment to veterans and military families across the region.

Across the country, HCA Healthcare has built a strong reputation for supporting veterans through hiring initiatives, mentorship opportunities, colleague engagement and community partnerships. That commitment continues to earn national recognition.

Military Times and VIQTORY recently named HCA Healthcare among the nation’s “Best for Vets” employers for the sixth consecutive year, recognizing the organization’s efforts to recruit, retain and support current and former service members, military spouses and military caregivers. VIQTORY has also recognized HCA Healthcare as a Military Friendly employer for 15 consecutive years. In 2025, HCA Healthcare earned Gold distinction for the third consecutive year for its veteran hiring practices, programs and support initiatives.

Those national recognitions are reflected locally at Mission Health through programs and colleague-led initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for veterans to connect, serve and support one another.

One of the most impactful examples is HCA Healthcare’s Veterans Colleague Network, one of nine Colleague Networks across the organization. These colleague-led groups are designed to strengthen engagement, foster belonging and create opportunities for mentorship and shared experiences among team members.

In 2025, participation in HCA Healthcare’s Colleague Networks grew to more than 24,000 colleagues across 117 active local chapters nationwide. Members logged more than 66,000 volunteer hours, representing nearly 20 percent of all volunteer service hours across HCA Healthcare.

At Mission Hospital, the Military Colleague Network–NC serves as a powerful extension of that mission.

The local network regularly partners with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) to support the Veterans Restoration Quarters in Asheville, a transitional housing and supportive services program for homeless veterans. Volunteers from Mission Health serve meals at least once each quarter and participate in maintenance projects that include painting, cleanup and other facility improvement efforts.

For colleagues involved in the network, the volunteer work is deeply personal.

Many members of the Military Colleague Network have military backgrounds themselves or have family members who served. Others simply want to support those who have sacrificed for their country. Together, they have created a strong sense of connection and purpose within the workplace while strengthening Mission Health’s ties to the community.

Stoudt himself has remained actively involved in volunteer efforts through both the Veterans Colleague Network and organizations such as ABCCM, even while balancing leadership responsibilities at Mission Health and military obligations with the U.S. Army Reserves.

According to colleagues, his story reflects the values Mission Health strives to uphold every day — service, compassion, teamwork and commitment to others.

“These past months have been filled with long nights, hot days and unrelenting stress for me and my platoon,” Stoudt said following his deployment. “When HCA Healthcare says, ‘We Show Up!,’ they truly mean it.”

Mission Health leaders say that commitment to “showing up” extends to patients, colleagues and communities alike.

As the largest health care provider in Western North Carolina, Mission Health operates six acute-care hospitals, an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, numerous outpatient and specialty care locations, and the region’s only ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center. Beyond clinical care, the organization continues investing in workforce development, education initiatives, community partnerships and colleague support programs that strengthen the region as a whole.

Supporting veterans is an important part of that effort.

Whether through nationally recognized hiring initiatives, colleague-led volunteerism or meaningful moments like the recent flag presentation ceremony, Mission Health and HCA Healthcare continue working to ensure veterans and military families feel valued, supported and connected.

For many Mission Health colleagues, the work is not about recognition. It is about honoring service through action, one meal served, one care package shipped and one community partnership at a time.