Tenet Healthcare has announced a challenge grant of up to $100,000 to support its 2016 Healthy Over Hungry - Cereal Drive, an annual campaign designed to provide a healthy, well-balanced breakfast for children and families struggling with hunger during the summer months. The drive will be held June 3-10, 2016 in support of Feeding America and its nationwide network of local food banks and distribution partners.

More than 140 Tenet hospitals and other facilities, including its Conifer Health Solutions and United Surgical Partners International (USPI) subsidiaries, will conduct food drives and fundraising efforts as part of the campaign, benefitting more than 70 local not-for-profit organizations.

“Children who regularly stay active and eat a healthy breakfast have fewer chronic health problems and do better in school because they have increased concentration and more energy,” said Dian Adams, chief nursing officer at Tenet Healthcare. “Unfortunately, during the summer months many children do not have access to the school meals that they rely on. Tenet’s Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive aims to fill the gap by providing a well-balanced breakfast for anyone in need.”

The 2015 campaign collected more than 2.6 million servings of cereal and over $75,000.

“By issuing a challenge grant, Tenet hopes to encourage even more financial donations, which are crucial for purchasing perishable items such as milk, fruit, and lean protein for a complete, healthy breakfast,” said Dan Waldmann, senior vice president of Public Affairs at Tenet Healthcare.

“One in seven people in America struggles with hunger, including 15 million children. Every day, the Feeding America network works hard to help people who may not know where they will find their next meal. We are thankful to Tenet for its commitment to ending hunger and support of children and families in need through its Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive,” said Nancy Curby, vice president of corporate partnerships at Feeding America.

During the week of the drive, local participating Tenet, Conifer and USPI facilities will encourage employees, neighbors and community partners to donate money, boxes of healthy cereal and other healthy food items to benefit those struggling with hunger in their local community. Financial donations made to campaigns sponsored by Tenet hospitals and other facilities between June 3-10 will be matched by Tenet, up to $100,000 collectively.

The Cereal Drive was launched in 2010 by Pam Taurence, a nurse at Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan, a Tenet hospital. Ms. Taurence and her colleagues realized that many children were coming to the hospital hungry during the summer months when they were not attending school. In recognition of her efforts, Ms. Taurence was inducted into the Tenet Heroes Hall of Fame in April of 2014.

For more information about Tenet’s work to fight hunger, including a list of participating Tenet locations and local beneficiary organizations, please visit www.tenethealth.com/community-main/fighthunger.

About Tenet Healthcare

Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a diversified healthcare services company with 130,000 employees united around a common mission: to help people live happier, healthier lives. Through its subsidiaries, partnerships and joint ventures, including United Surgical Partners International, the company operates 79 general acute care hospitals, 20 short-stay surgical hospitals and over 470 outpatient centers in the United States, as well as nine facilities in the United Kingdom. Tenet’s Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary provides technology-enabled performance improvement and health management solutions to hospitals, health systems, integrated delivery networks, physician groups, self-insured organizations and health plans. For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com.

The terms "THC," "Tenet Healthcare Corporation," "the company," "we," "us" or "our" refer to Tenet Healthcare Corporation or one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates as applicable.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, Facebook or Twitter.