Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has been named to Newsweek’s prestigious 2026 list of the best-in-state hospitals, placing them alongside just 30 other hospitals in Florida. Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is the only hospital in the tri-county area to be featured on the list.
“This award reflects the level of quality our care teams provide to our patients,” said Trey Abshier, President and CEO of Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. “We appreciate their work and our patients who recognize these associates by sharing their positive experiences.”
Newsweek and Statista highlighted 800 hospitals across the United States to help consumers make informed decisions about their care. This year’s methodology incorporates significant updates: expanded hospital quality metrics, broader accreditation coverage, integration of prior-year expert recommendations and a stronger emphasis on care quality and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures. The scoring rests on four pillars: quality metrics (50 percent), reputation (30 percent), patient experience (15 percent) and PROMs implementation (5 percent).
Sacred Heart Emerald Coast also continually earns national recognition as one of the best places for maternity care by multiple well-known organizations. The hospital received a “4-star rating” from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) in their 2025 Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings for performing above average in quality care and patient experience with a “5-star” rating for patient recommendation. For more information about Sacred Heart Emerald Coast visit ascension.org/EmeraldCoastFL.
