MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – Chosen from a list of over 340 hospitals from around the United States, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast has been named the Fire Starter of the month for December from The StuderGroup. The StuderGroup is an outcomes based health care consulting firm devoted to teaching evidence-based tools and processes that partner hospitals can use to create and sustain results. The Fire Starter award is the highest honor The StuderGroup awards to hospitals.

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is a 58-bed hospital located in Miramar Beach, Florida. Since opening its doors to patient care in January 2003, the not-for-profit hospital has grown steadily and continues to fulfill its mission to improve the health of the community at large, with special attention to service of the poor. The hospital offers a wide range of medical and surgical services, including an intensive care unit; general and specialized surgery; cardiac diagnostics; cancer care; comprehensive radiology and laboratory services; rehabilitation programs; as well as 24-hour emergency care. Comprehensive women’s services arrived in 2007 with the addition of the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center and the Family Birth Place.

What is a Fire Starter?
In the earliest civilizations, Fire Starters were people who kept the flame alive. This is very important because access to fire back was essential to survival. Today’s Fire Starter reflects passion and commitment to the journey of creating an environment where patients feel confident about their care, physicians enjoy practicing medicine, and employees are proud to be part of the organization.

“This award is in recognition of the great start our young hospital has had, and what an honor to successfully bring on our first additional service line this fall with the Family Birth Place,” said Roger Hall, president, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. “This recognition, on top of the Florida Medical Quality Assurance, Inc. (FMQAI) recognition earlier this year, which placed our hospital in the top 10% nationwide for meeting quality standards, reflects the difference our associates make each day.”

Our healthcare team’s efforts in improving the patient’s experience, using key words at key times, rounding for outcomes, and as always, putting the patient’s safety first, drives high quality, compassionate healthcare and service from the heart. Patients truly perceive the difference, which is evident in our patient satisfaction scores, which consistently rank well above the 90th percentile.

Third Quarter Patient Satisfaction Scores (Overall Assessment):
• Emergency Department: 99%
• Inpatient Services: 99%
• Ambulatory Surgery: 99%
• Outpatient Services: 96%

“Our team’s passion and commitment to providing quality care to each and every patient is truly admirable,” said Nina Jeffords, VP Patient Care/Chief Nurse Officer. “It is an honor to work with this outstanding group of healthcare providers whose healing touch blesses countless lives. Keep the fire burning!”

“I cannot think of a more deserving hospital than SHHEC,” said Lucy Crouch, StuderGroup coach. “You are role models and this award spotlights you as an example for other health care leaders to follow.”

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