Clean Hands Are Cool Hands Comes to Broadlands

Reston, Virginia, October 30, 2008 – One thousand students from Legacy Elementary School in Broadlands got an up-close and personal look at a real television star today when Mitchel Musso, best known as “Oliver” in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, paid them a surprise visit during an assembly.

Musso’s appearance was made possible by The HCA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Nashville-based hospital company Hospital Corporation of America.  In Northern Virginia HCA operates Reston Hospital Center and Dominion Hospital and has received state approval to build Broadlands Regional Medical Center in Ashburn.

HCA has launched a Clean Hands are Cool Hands campaign to prevent the spread of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), a common and highly contagious bacteria that frequently inhabits a person’s skin or nostrils.  Because of its resistance to antibiotics, MRSA accounts for 19,000 deaths in the United States each year, 86% of which are healthcare-associated and 14% which are community acquired.[i]

Clean Hands are Cool Hands features Musso in a Public Service Announcement and an interactive Website – www.cleanhandsarecoolhands.com.  He has been visiting schools located in markets where HCA operates its hospitals, including Las Vegas, Tampa, Nashville and San Antonio.

“I am happy to be a part of this important campaign to prevent the spread of MRSA and help raise awareness among my fans and kids of all ages to stay healthy,” said Musso. “Hopefully they will see me in this PSA and get the message that clean hands are cool and most importantly are less likely to spread germs.”

On their best behavior after hearing introductory remarks by Principal Rob Duckworth, the students gave their full attention to all of the presenters.  First in line was Martin Forman, MD, a pediatrician affiliated with Reston Hospital, who used a black light box to demonstrate how germs are passed from person to person by ordinary contact (eliciting a chorus of ‘yuck’ and ‘eeooh’ from the crowd) but then showed how using a hand sanitizer kills those same germs.  He was followed by Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, HCA’s Chief Medical Officer, who told the students that hand washing should take as long as it does to sing Happy Birthday twice.  

The biggest reaction of the day – an earsplitting series of screams – greeted the Hannah Montana co-star when he walked from the back of the auditorium to the front.  Together, Musso and Dr. Perlin talked about when and how often students should wash their hands, took questions from students and passed out autographed pictures of Musso.   

“The growing prevalence of MRSA in hospitals and communities, including in schools, is creating new challenges for the healthcare community,” said Perlin in discussing the reasons behind the campaign. “It is important to make parents and kids aware of the little things they can do at home and at school to prevent its spread, such as washing their hands with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer.”

“Mitchel’s presence here today should send a strong message to these students – that hand washing is an easy and healthful habit that’s important for people of all ages,” said Margaret Lewis, President of HCA’s Capital Division, which has offices in Reston and Richmond.  “It’s our belief that hospitals sometimes do their most meaningful work outside of their four walls, and that’s exactly what we’re hoping to accomplish today.”   

About HCA Virginia

HCA caregivers have helped to improve the health and welfare of Virginia residents since 1972.  With headquarters in both Reston and Richmond, HCA Virginia is the most comprehensive healthcare delivery network in the commonwealth and one of its largest private employers with a workforce of more than 13,000.  Each year HCA Virginia provides $100 million in free or discounted care to uninsured patients of all income levels and pays an equal amount in taxes.     

About The HCA Foundation and HCA

The HCA Foundation was established by Nashville-based hospital company Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) to provide leadership, service, and financial support to non-profit organizations. As the philanthropic arm of HCA, its mission is to promote health and well being, support childhood and youth development and foster the arts in Middle Tennessee and beyond. The HCA Foundation supports organizations that have a well-defined sense of purpose, a demonstrated commitment to maximizing available resources and a reputation for meeting objectives and delivering quality services with caring and compassion. Actively providing grants since 1998, The HCA Foundation has contributed more than $119 million in grants to more than 200 agencies and organizations. Additional information on the Foundation is available at www.hcacaring.org.

HCA Inc. is the nation’s leading health care services provider. It operates 169 hospitals and 113 surgery centers in 20 states, and England (including eight hospitals and nine freestanding surgery centers operated through equity method joint ventures).