The Panama City News Herald recently noted the progress of Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Bay in recovering from 2018’s Hurricane Michael.
The Panama City hospital, which had been a joint venture of Ascension Florida and Ardent Health Services, became fully part of Ascension in March 2019.
Early in the recovery process, hospital administrators projected they would reopen 144 beds and hire more associates by the end of 2019, the story noted.
“Just before Christmas we had clearance from the state to have a full refill of all our beds ... we had 144 beds restored by the end of the year ... we’re very excited to have a remodeled facility,” said Health Evans, President of Ascension Sacred Heart Bay. “We’ve been working to recruit employees ... we’ve got about 140 hired so far.”
Last March, Ascension Sacred Heart announced a $47 million investment plan for the hospital. Now, every patient room has been restored.
“All of the rooms are now private; that’s huge for the patients,” said Lynn Seto, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the hospital. She said the restoration has had a positive impact on patients and associates.
“It’s amazing. You can just tell the difference in everybody’s mood,” Dr. Seto said.
Click here for the full story at the Panama City News Herald.
