Sacred Heart Celebrates Completion of Hospital and Emergency Department Expansion

Sacred Heart Celebrates Completion of Hospital and Emergency Department Expansion

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast has completed a $30 million expansion that includes a new inpatient unit, a new maternity wing, and an enlarged emergency department. The new patient care areas will officially open on Jan. 10.

The hospital is part of Sacred Heart Health System and is a member of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.

Hospital leaders, staff, volunteers and community members gathered yesterday for an open house and dedication.

“We are honored to celebrate this milestone with our community,” said Roger Hall, president of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. “It is incredible to think about the journey that began 14 years ago when we opened our healing ministry.

Since opening, we have completed six major expansions to increase access to world-class care in our community, including comprehensive women’s services, life-saving heart and vascular services, cancer services, and now increased capacity for inpatient and emergency services. The hospital truly is part of the fabric of the community, and we are forever grateful for the continued support.”

Hall noted that the expansion was sorely needed because the hospital has operated at capacity or near capacity about 70 percent of the time.

The inpatient expansion includes 12 new inpatient rooms and 12 new post-partum rooms, bringing the total number of inpatient beds to 76 for the hospital. All inpatient rooms throughout the hospital are private rooms with a private bathroom.

The emergency department expansion features 13 new rooms, including an eight-room unit to serve patients who need extended observation. The emergency department now sees over 30,000 patients a year, and the expansion brings the total number of patient rooms in the emergency department to 30. The increased capacity will provide patients with shorter wait times in a state-of-the-art environment.

The hospital’s Family Birth Place has seen growing demands for its services and also needed additional space. The Family Birth Place now delivers more than 1,200 babies a year. The added rooms for new mothers nearly double the previous capacity for maternity services.

For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, please visit www.sacredheartemerald.org.