COMMUNITY NEWS
$2.3M gift to CF, schools recognized and hospital worker award
From left, CF trustees Fred Roberts Jr., Jose Juarez, Bill Edgar and Rusty Branson; Marion County Hospital District CEO Curt Bromund; CF trustee Charlie Stone; CF President Jim Henningsen; and CF trustees Bobby Durrance and Joyce Brancato. [Submitted photo]
Marion County Hospital District gift supports CF
A $2.3 million gift from the Marion County Hospital District to the College of Central Florida Foundation completes the funding needed for CF’s new AdventHealth Center for Nursing, which opened in January 2025. The check was presented by Curt Bromund, CEO of the Marion County Hospital District, to the college’s District Board of Trustees at the Jan. 28 meeting.
“The College of Central Florida is very thankful for the hospital district’s continued support of our efforts to fill the ranks of health care workers in our region,” said Jim Henningsen, CF president, in the news release. “These funds, along with support from AdventHealth Ocala, the Florida Legislature, the Marion County Board of Commissioners and others made our state-of-the-art nursing education center a reality for our community’s next generation of nursing professionals.”
This is the most recent of multiple gifts the hospital district has made to aid CF in expanding health care education as the college responds to the region’s growing need for nurses and allied health professionals. Enrollment in CF’s Health Sciences programs is up more than 12% for the Spring 2026 semester and, over the past few years, graduates of CF’s Registered Nurse Associate in Science program have achieved a 98% job placement rate, the release noted.
For more information, visit cf.edu/nursing
Marion schools earn awards
Eight Marion County public schools, the most ever, earned national spotlight attention in the latest round of awards from the Magnet Schools of America organization.
“Merit Award of Distinction” honors were announced for:
- Belleview Middle (first-time winner)
- Dunnellon High (five-year consecutive winner)
- Howard Middle (repeat and second-consecutive year winner)
- Madison Street Academy (repeat winner)
- North Marion High (repeat winner)
- North Marion Middle School (repeat winner)
Belleview High, a repeat winner, received another Merit Award of Excellence and, in its first time applying, Vanguard High captured a Merit Award as a Top School of Excellence, the highest award possible, the news release noted.
The results reflect the dedication of school teams and their commitment to provide innovative, high-quality magnet programming to 10,000-plus combined students. School representatives will be recognized and receive their awards at the annual Magnet Schools of America conference in mid-April in San Diego, the release stated.
Dolores Conchas, a patient room cleaner at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, with her cape after earning the C.A.P.E. Award, is shown with Ricky Melendez, director of environmental services at the hospital. [Submitted photo]
Cintas award to Ocala hospital staffer
Cintas Corp. has recognized Dolores Conchas, a patient room cleaner at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, with its C.A.P.E. Award.
Cintas selects just 10 environmental-services workers each year for the C.A.P.E. (Cleaning to Advance the Patient Experience) Award. Conchas was chosen from more than 1,600 nominees.
Cintas executives presented Conchas a $2,500 prize and a matching $2,500 grant for her favorite charity at a Jan. 15 event in Ocala. She donated the matching grant to the Hope Fund, a HCA Healthcare internal charity that provides financial assistance to HCA Healthcare employees facing hardship because of illness, injury or natural disaster.
with her cape after earning the C.A.P.E. Award, is shown with Ricky Melendez,
director of environmental services at the hospital. [Submitted photo]
Conchas also will have her name on a digital billboard in Times Square in New York City, receive a new cleaning cart and qualify for a scholarship to obtain certification from the Association for the Health Care Environment, the release noted.
“I am humbled to receive the C.A.P.E Award. This means so much to me because I love my job, the people I work with and our patients,” said Conchas, who maintains the cardiovascular intensive care unit at the hospital, in the news release. “The Bible tells us about the need to serve others, and I see that as my mission — to care for others, both our staff at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and our patients, even if it can be heartbreaking sometimes.”
“Dolores is an exceptional and inspiring member of our team, and we are extremely proud of her for earning this recognition,” said Ricky Melendez, director of Environmental Services at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, in the release. “She fosters a healing environment through the pride, professionalism and dedication she brings to her work, as well as the compassion, kindness and genuine care she consistently shows to our patients.”
Cintas created the C.A.P.E. Award in 2020 to celebrate the efforts of environmental services technicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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