Daytona Beach, FL (May 6, 2025) Our Halifax Health - Foundation announced the launch of a new career initiative: The Elevate Education Fund, established by longtime Halifax Health supporters Joe and Barbara Petrock. The fund was unveiled at the 51st Daytona International Speedway Pro-Am Golf Classic, benefitting the Halifax Health Betty Jane France Center for Women and Children.
Joe and Barabra Petrock are both cancer survivors and received their care right here in the community and appreciated the care and compassion shown to them by the entire care team. Now they are generously making a $1 million legacy gift, which will serve as a matching fund to support innovative education initiatives focused on building a strong, local healthcare workforce for the future. Through this fund others are encouraged to contribute to sustain the community owned health system which has employed and provided so many opportunities in so many ways.
“As our community continues to grow, so does the demand for dedicated and well-trained healthcare professionals,” said Joe Petrock, Executive Director Emeritus of our Halifax Health - Foundation. “Barbara and I are proud to make this legacy gift to inspire others to invest in our youth and ensure Halifax Health remains home to world-class care for generations to come.”
According to national and regional labor data, the need for healthcare workers is expected to increase by more than 6%, with certain roles such as surgical technologists, X-ray technologists, certified nursing assistants, and other allied health professionals projected to face shortages of 20% or more in the coming years.
The Elevate Education Fund is designed to directly address this challenge. It will:
Provide local youth with career exposure opportunities in healthcare;
Offer access to the Education to Employment program at Halifax Health;
Fund scholarships for training in high-demand roles;
Pair participants with professional mentors to support them from classroom to career.
“This fund represents more than dollars—it’s a long-term investment in people,” said Kim Fulcher, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Halifax Health. “We are not just filling jobs. We are building careers, empowering local students, and ensuring our patients have access to compassionate, skilled caregivers for years to come. The Halifax Health Foundation is proud to lead this mission.”
The Elevate Education Fund is now open to matching contributions from individuals, families, and businesses who wish to support the next generation of healthcare professionals in Volusia County and beyond.
For more information or to contribute to the fund, please contact our Halifax Health - Foundation at foundation@halifax.org or visit halifaxhealth.org/foundation.
About Halifax Health
Halifax Health is the leading healthcare provider for Volusia and Flagler counties, offering a comprehensive range of services through a network that includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care network, psychiatric services, and a specialized cancer treatment center with multiple outreach locations. As the area’s only provider of a Level II Trauma Center, Center for Transplant Services, and a Pediatric Emergency Department staffed 24/7 by board-certified pediatricians, Halifax Health is also home to the region's longest-standing Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services. In addition, Halifax Health has collaborated with UF Health to bring over fourteen specialties to the area.
Recognized for excellence and innovation, Halifax Health consistently receives top ratings, including a 5 STAR rating in the CMS Quality of Patient Care, multiple accreditations from CARF International for inpatient rehabilitation, and the prestigious Novalis Certification of Excellence for its cancer treatment center. The organization has also achieved a 3 Star Rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgery for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, is designated as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital, with high performance in heart failure and knee and hip replacement. Halifax Health Hospice is repeatedly honored as the Top Rated and Most Recommended Hospice in Central Florida, underscoring its commitment to providing the highest level of care. With a legacy of excellence and community service since 1928, Halifax Health continues to set the standard for quality and compassionate care in the region.
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Halifax Health will ensure that those we serve are treated with courtesy and respect in a safe, compassionate, and professional environment.
Halifax Health will provide exemplary medical, emotional, and spiritual care for each of our patients and their families.
To be the community healthcare leader through exceptional talent and superior patient-centered service delivered in a financially sustainable manner.
To develop talented teams dedicated to providing competent, accountable patient-centered healthcare in a financially sustainable manner.
At Halifax Health, we cultivate a positive workplace where each team member is valued, respected, and has an opportunity for personal and professional growth.
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