News release: 11/11/2026. November 11, 2026 HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE KINGWOOD AND HCA HEALTHCARE NAMED A BEST EMPLOYER FOR VETERANS BY MILITARY TIMES HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation to give $200,000 in support of veterans and military families KINGWOOD, TX November 11, 2026 - HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood as part of HCA Healthcare, today announced that it has been recognized for the seventh consecutive year as a Best for Vets Employer by Military Times. Since 2012, HCA Healthcare has hired more than 75,000 veterans, active-duty and reserve personnel and military spouses The Military Times Best for Vets: Employers ranking is an editorially independent annual assessment of companies' efforts to recruit, hire and support veterans and military-connected employees. The ranking is based on a voluntary survey that evaluates employment practices, workplace benefits and programs that help veterans and their families succeed. HCA Healthcare was also recognized by VETS Indexes as a five star employer for its commitment to hiring and retaining military talent and supporting veterans and the military community. In honor of Veterans Day, HCA Healthcare is contributing $150,000 to three organizations that support veterans, military families and caregivers: * $50,000 to Blue Star Families, an organization that helps military families build connections, find belonging and establish strong communities of support. * $50,000 to CreatiVets, an organization that empowers veterans and their families to find healing from service-related trauma through music and the arts. * $50,000 to Wreaths Across America, an organization dedicated to remembering fallen service members, honoring those who serve and teaching future generations the value of freedom. As part of this commitment, the HCA Healthcare Foundation is also giving $50,000 to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, an organization that provides support and resources to caregivers of wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood in collaboration with Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)3 service organization dedicated to supporting the Armed Forces and their families while promoting patriotism, wrote 1,000 care cards to deployed troops. HCA Healthcare has supported veterans and military families for more than a decade through partnerships with organizations, including the Veteran Jobs Mission and the Department of War's Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Since becoming an inaugural employer partner of the "Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses" campaign in 2018, HCA Healthcare has hired more than 14,000 military spouses. HCA Healthcare helps service members prepare for careers after the military. In 2025, HCA Healthcare became an authorized Department of War SkillBridge provider, through which active-duty service members can gain hands-on experience in clinical and non-clinical healthcare roles before leaving military service. The company also works with organizations, including Hiring Its Heroes, 50-Strong and local veteran service organizations, to help military talent find employment opportunities in healthcare. HCA Healthcare's commitment to veterans and military spouses extends throughout their careers. Through its Military Colleague Network, colleagues across the country can build connections, share experiences and find a supportive community as they grow professionally. For colleagues who continue to serve in the military, HCA Healthcare also provides military leave and supplemental pay to eligible colleagues, helping them balance their commitment to service with their careers. The company's efforts have earned national recognition, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Lee Anderson Award in 2015 and the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in 2021, the highest recognition given by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Since 2024, HCA Healthcare has also been designated as a Tennessee Veteran Ready Business for its commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans. About HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood is a 551-bed acute care hospital serving the Lake Houston area for 35 years. It features the region's only Level II trauma center, a comprehensive stroke center and a certified chest pain center. The hospital is recognized for excellence in advanced neuroscience, orthopedics and women's and children's services, including a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the area's only pediatric emergency department. The hospital is a 2024-2026 recipient of Healthgrades' "America's 250 Best Hospitals" and "50 Best Hospitals for Surgical Excellence" awards. Learn more at HCAhoustonhealthcare.com/kingwood. About HCA Houston Healthcare HCA Houston Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare in the Greater Houston area, treating nearly a million patients annually. With a colleague base of 15,000, HCA Houston Healthcare's comprehensive network includes 14 hospitals, 11 outpatient surgery centers, 26 freestanding emergency centers and numerous freestanding diagnostic imaging facilities. As one of the region's largest healthcare systems, HCA Houston Healthcare recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities Greater EMC Chamber serve. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Houston Healthcare also is a major supporter of the University of Houston College of Nursing and the new University of Houston College of Medicine. For more information, visit HCAhoustonhealthcare.com.

Mobile laboratory brings healthcare careers to life for more than 1,000 Northern Virginia high schoolers. Nov 10, 2026, 17:00 ET New pilot program brings hands-on healthcare activities and industry volunteers directly to Northern Virginia high schools aboard the country's largest mobile STEM lab FALLS CHURCH, Va., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - A new partnership designed to introduce more than 1,000 Virginia high school students to local healthcare career opportunities is launching today in Falls Church. This collaboration between local nonprofit Learning Undefeated and HCA Healthcare, the country's largest healthcare system, will bring hands-on healthcare-focused curriculum and career exploration activities to four Northern Virginia high schools in November and December. Onboard Learning Undefeated's Mobile eXploration Lab (MXLab), students will explore healthcare science through hands-on laboratory activities based on common medical conditions like diabetes, sickle cell anemia, lung cancer, and more. Students will gain in-demand skills like protein purification and aseptic technique, used in biomanufacturing, and learn how an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) experiment can be used to diagnose subtypes of cancer. The country's largest mobile STEM laboratory will visit high schools in Fairfax, Herndon, Sterling, and Reston. "The future of healthcare starts with inspiring the next generation to see the possibilities within our profession," said Nathan Vooys, chief executive officer of Reston Hospital Center, part of HCA Virginia. "By bringing hands-on learning experiences directly to Northern Virginia students, we're helping them explore rewarding careers in healthcare, from caring for patients at the bedside to working in laboratories and technology. At HCA Healthcare, we're proud to invest in opportunities that spark curiosity, build confidence and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals who will help us continue creating healthier tomorrows." Throughout the engagement, HCA Healthcare volunteers from Reston and StoneSprings Hospital Centers will connect classroom learning to real-world healthcare applications and share insights into the wide variety of local career pathways. HCA Healthcare employs more than 320,000 professionals across hundreds of career areas, making real-world engagement an important part of helping students understand the skills, education, and training needed to enter the healthcare workforce. "One of the most exciting moments on our labs is when students make the connection between the science they're learning and the career opportunities it can open up for them," said Brian Gaines, CEO of Learning Undefeated. "Through our partnership with HCA Healthcare, we're bringing hands-on learning to life while giving students the opportunity to engage directly with healthcare professionals, explore career pathways they may not have considered, and begin to see themselves as part of the next generation of healthcare professionals." Healthcare offers opportunities across patient care, medical imaging, laboratory science, technology, and more. Many rewarding, well-paying roles do not require a decade of schooling, making healthcare an accessible career pathway for students with a range of interests and educational goals. Learning Undefeated's MXLab provides nearly 1,000 square feet of flexible laboratory space, bringing professional-grade equipment and immersive STEM experiences directly to schools. By combining hands-on learning with direct engagement from healthcare professionals, the pilot program aims to build awareness of healthcare careers and help develop the next generation of healthcare talent. To learn more about Learning Undefeated, visit www.learningundefeated.org. SOURCE Learning Undefeated

How FileSure would have stopped the HCA Healthcare and Blossom Health data breaches. November 6, 2026 - By Gene Allen Four healthcare organizations just announced data breaches: HCA Healthcare, Blossom Health, El Camino Health, and University of Mississippi Medical Center. The details are still emerging, but the pattern is depressingly familiar. Healthcare is the most targeted sector for ransomware and data theft. The reason is simple: the data is critical, the systems are often old, and the pressure to pay or remediate is enormous. A hospital that can't access patient records isn't just inconvenienced - it's potentially unable to provide care. What actually happens in healthcare breaches. Regardless of the specific attack vector, nearly every healthcare data breach involves unauthorized file system operations on Windows machines: Ransomware delivery: The attacker delivers a payload via phishing email, compromised credentials, or an unpatched vulnerability. That payload has to write an executable file to disk before it can run. Once it runs, it begins encrypting files - writing encrypted versions over the originals or creating new encrypted copies. Unauthorized PHI access: An external attacker or malicious insider uses legitimate or stolen credentials to access patient records. They open PHI files using unauthorized programs - a script, a custom tool, or even just copying files to a personal cloud storage folder via a browser. Data exfiltration: Before PHI can leave the building, it has to be read from disk and copied somewhere - a USB drive, an email attachment, a file upload to a personal webmail account, a sync to Dropbox. All of these are file operations. All of them happen at the Windows kernel level. And all of them can be controlled. How FileSure Prevents it. FileSure Defend operates as a Windows kernel filter driver. It sits between applications and the file system, intercepting every file operation: open, read, write, delete, create, rename. It enforces behavioral policies that define which users, programs, and machines can perform which operations on which files. Here's a specific rule configuration that would apply to a healthcare environment protecting electronic health records: File filter: *.hl7, *.xml, *.dat, C:\ProgramData\EHR\*, \\FileServer\PatientRecords\* Authorized programs: EHRClient.exe, PACS_Viewer.exe, LabSystem.exe Allowed operations: Read, Write (for authorized programs only) Blocked operations: Delete, Rename, Copy to removable drives (USB, external), Copy to network shares outside approved locations Logging: All access attempts - successful and blocked - recorded with user name, machine name, program name, timestamp What this does: * Blocks ransomware payload delivery: If a phishing email delivers a malicious executable, or a compromised RDP session tries to write a payload, FileSure blocks the write operation. The file never lands on disk. The ransomware never runs. Encryption never starts. * Prevents unauthorized PHI access: Only the authorized EHR client, PACS viewer, and lab system can open patient data files. If a PowerShell script, a Python exfiltration tool, or even just notepad.exe tries to open those files, the operation is blocked and logged. * Stops data exfiltration: Even if an attacker has valid credentials and can log in, they can't copy PHI files to a USB drive, upload them via webmail, or sync them to personal cloud storage. The file read operation for unauthorized programs is blocked at the kernel level. The legacy system problem. Here's the uncomfortable truth that most healthcare IT teams live with: a significant portion of medical infrastructure runs on Windows versions that mainstream security vendors stopped supporting years ago. Medical imaging systems. Laboratory equipment. Infusion pumps. Pharmacy dispensing systems. Much of this is locked to Windows 7, Windows XP, or even older versions - not because the IT team is negligent, but because the specialized medical software won't run on anything newer. The vendor won't certify it. The FDA approval is tied to a specific configuration. Modern endpoint security tools won't install on those systems. So they sit unprotected, connected to your network, holding patient data. FileSure installs on all of them. ByStorm Software, LLC. run on legacy and modern Windows systems. The same kernel-level file operation control that protects your modern workstations protects the PACS system running Windows 7 in radiology. HIPAA audit trails. Every access to a file containing patient data is recorded: who accessed it, when, from which machine, with which program. Logs are encrypted, tamper-resistant, and stored separately from the files they record. Your HIPAA audit trail is always ready, because FileSure never stops recording. The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities to implement technical policies restricting PHI access to authorized users and programs, and to record and examine activity. FileSure produces exactly that - automatically, continuously, and in a format your compliance team can actually use. If your EHR, PACS, RIS, laboratory, or pharmacy system runs on an older version of Windows, FileSure still protects it. Your compliance doesn't stop at the edge of your modern infrastructure. Healthcare data breaches are not inevitable. The file operations that enable them can be controlled. Start a free 21-day trial at bystorm.com and see how FileSure protects your patient data - including the systems running on legacy Windows.