Jacksonville, Fla. (Oct. 14, 2024)– Over the last six months, Ascension Florida, which comprises Ascension Sacred Heart and Ascension St. Vincent’s, has underscored its commitment to the health of communities across North Florida in a continued effort to increase access, develop complex care programs and keep the sickest patients closer to their homes.
These recent initiatives include capital improvement projects at hospitals, research and fiduciary investments in the latest technology and programmatic expansions to reinforce the health system’s commitment to extend mission-driven care in the regions it serves.
How Ascension Florida's CEO is expanding care for 'most vulnerable patients'
“Ascension Florida will always remain dedicated to fostering strong relationships with the communities we are fortunate to serve, with a focus on the most vulnerable,” said Ascension Florida President & CEO Don King. “It is vital that we grow in a way that reflects the needs of those communities, and offer Mission-centered healthcare for the most complex medical cases. By prioritizing local access to these high-quality programs, we are empowering North Florida residents to receive the care they need close to home.”
Between August and October alone, Ascension Florida announced plans for two new freestanding emergency departments, one in Perdido Key and the other on Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville, and a brand new inpatient rehab facility on the health system’s Pensacola campus. These projects underscore Ascension’s commitment to increase healthcare access and grow alongside the state. These new sites are projected to care for over 30,000 Floridians annually.
Ascension has also placed itself as a leader in providing cutting-edge medical practices to the communities it serves. At Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach and Ascension Sacred Heart Bay in Panama City, the cardiology service line began providing a new pulsed field ablation treatment for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AFib), offering a new alternative to traditional care opportunities. In Jacksonville, Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside added a state-of-the-art Da Vinci 5 surgical robot at its campus. Now, the Ascension facility is one of the first hospitals in the world to utilize the surgical system and increases access to minimally invasive robotic surgery for patients in the community. Additionally, Ascension Florida is actively growing clinical trial infrastructure to provide patients first-line access to promising disease prevention and treatment breakthroughs.
Through Ascension Florida’s expansion, it has also remained committed to quality and positive outcomes. This is exemplified by two Ascension hospitals earning higher acuity designations. Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County hospital recently earned its certification as a primary stroke center, the only one in Northern St. Johns County. This designation gets stroke patients the care they need quicker, helping to reduce complications and increase survival and recovery rates with stronger long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction. In the Panhandle, Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola joined just 10 other Florida hospitals by earning Level I trauma designation. Level I trauma centers offer surgical and medical specialty services to meet the needs of the most complex injuries. Sacred Heart Pensacola’s emergency department is equipped to provide comprehensive care for all injury-related needs across all ages, from prevention to rehabilitation.
In addition to Ascension Florida’s growth, the system’s quality of care has recently been recognized by various organizations committed to measuring quality and safety, including:
- Fortune & PINC AI ranked both Ascension Sacred Heart and Ascension St. Vincent’s health systems in the top 15 in the U.S, the only two health systems in the state to earn this honor
- St. Vincent’s Riverside and Sacred Heart Pensacola were named best regional hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
- Three Ascension Florida hospitals earned ‘A’ scores from the Leapfrog group for Spring 2024
- Sacred Heart Emerald Coast earned a top-rated ‘Five Stars’ in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2024 Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, one of only 15 hospitals in the state to earn this rating
“Our accomplishments over the last six months are major milestones for our Ministry,” said Mike Shaw, Chief Strategy Officer for Ascension Florida. “Our goal is to increase healthcare access, develop programs to serve patients with any medical condition and enhance continuity of care, all in an effort to create a seamless healthcare experience. Our communities can expect more growth in the coming months as we continue to advance our strategic vision.”
To learn more about Ascension Florida and find the care site closest to you, visit the website.
About Ascension Florida
In Florida, Ascension operates Ascension Sacred Heart based in Pensacola and Ascension St. Vincent’s based in Jacksonville. Together, Ascension Florida operates nine hospitals and more than 190 other sites of care and employs more than 11,700 associates. Across the region, Ascension Sacred Heart and Ascension St. Vincent’s have served North Florida communities for more than 165 years. In fiscal year 2023, they provided more than $229 million in community benefit and care for persons living in poverty. Visit www.ascension.org.
