We are called...
"The
associates of Sacred Heart Health System and its parent organization,
Ascension Health, share a common call to action. Together, we
are called to deliver: Healthcare that works, Healthcare
that is safe, and Healthcare that leaves no one behind."
Humble
beginning lead to nationally acclaimed health ministries ...
Whether
sharing in the joy of a new baby’s arrival, repairing a
damaged heart, or teaching a patient how to cope with a chronic
health condition, Sacred Heart has touched the lives of generations
of families in countless ways over the past 90 years.
When
Sacred Heart first opened on 12th Avenue as “Pensacola Hospital”
on Sept. 1, 1915, the English Gothic building with all of its
modern technology of the times was hailed as the pride of Northwest
Florida. The hospital’s opening filled an extreme need in
the city for a modern hospital that could provide care for the
most seriously ill citizens of Pensacola. Before this new facility
opened, those who became seriously ill had an hours-long journey
to Mobile or New Orleans for care.
Soon
after opening, Sacred Heart established a nursing school and trained
its own nurses in its special brand of care for 52 years. (When
it closed in 1967, the School of Nursing had graduated 750 nurses.)
In those early years, challenges included a flu epidemic, war,
the Depression, financial strife, hurricanes, and outbreaks of
disease. Through it all, the Sisters, physicians and staff remained
committed to caring for all who sought care at their door.
In 1948, the hospital’s name was changed to Sacred Heart
to reflect the Daughters’ devotion to those concepts represented
by the sacred heart of Christ - compassion and a love of humanity.
Volunteers joined forces with the Daughters of Charity and staff
as the 1940s and ‘50s proved to be a time of rapid growth
for Pensacola. It was at that time that Sacred Heart recognized
the need for larger, more up-to-date facilities. Oddly enough,
raisin bread proved to be a key to securing Sacred Heart’s
future!
In
1965, the hospital relocated to a new, 300-bed facility on Ninth
Avenue. During the next 10 years, patient numbers increased 250
percent and the need for services grew even greater.
With
a special place in their hearts for sick babies and children,
the Daughters of Charity established Sacred Heart Children’s
Hospital in 1969. Sacred Heart continued to add new facilities
and services to meet the ever-growing needs of people of all ages.
Emphasis on convenient access to healthcare services grew. Today,
Sacred Heart reaches out far beyond Ninth Avenue to embrace an
area spanning 25,000 square miles, from Sacred Heart Medical Group
offices in Foley, Ala., to Panama City Beach. A second hospital
—Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast in Destin - will celebrate
its third anniversary in 2006.
“Today,
we stand on the shoulders of those giants, those pioneering Daughters
of Charity, who had an unwavering commitment to our community
to establish a modern hospital and expand Sacred Heart’s
services as the needs of our area grew,” said Patrick Madden,
President/CEO of Sacred Heart Health System. “Their loving
legacy of care is in the hands of our physicians, staff and volunteers
who continue that tradition of compassionate care.” Sacred
Heart’s 90-year history is woven through the medical histories
of hundreds of thousands of people whom we have had the privilege
to serve. Sacred Heart is deeply grateful for the community support
that has enabled us to remain true to the Sisters’ original
mission of care - to provide Christ-centered care to all, regardless
of financial ability.
