MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – Medical Partners International recently awarded Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast with the 2009 C.A.R.E.S. Designation©, which stands for (C)ompassion, (A)ttitude, (R)espect, (E)nvironment and (S)ervice. Sacred Heart is one of only 33 hospitals out of more than 5,000 hospitals nationwide that received this prestigious award.

This designation is awarded to organizations that have achieved service excellence and are in the top one percent of all healthcare organizations in the United States in regards to the overall patient experience, as measured through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). HCAHPS is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey that captures the patients’ perception of the care they received and is available to the public online at www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov.

“Patients want to be treated with dignity and respect, and the C.A.R.E.S. Designation© is based on recognizable criteria that revolves around the ‘Service of healthcare,’” said Jeff Tully, chief executive officer of Medical Partners International. “Everything you do in the hospital matters, and this healthcare team is doing something right.”

Dedicated to improving service by focusing on people-centered environments, the mission of Medical Partners International is to partner with organizations to enhance the overall service of healthcare around the globe.

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is a 58-bed hospital located just east of Destin in Miramar Beach. 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 was recently named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Reuters and was also among 23 hospitals in the country to receive the Everest Award for National Benchmarks.

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast offers a wide range of medical and surgical services, including 24-hour emergency care, an intensive care unit, a dedicated joint replacement program, cardiac diagnostics, cancer care, rehabilitation services, laboratory and radiology services, and comprehensive women’s services with the Family Birth Place and the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center.

The hospital is part of Sacred Heart Health System based in Pensacola. Surveys by National Research Corporation have found that for 13 consecutive years, consumers in Northwest Florida have rated Sacred Heart Health System as the healthcare provider with the best reputation and best overall quality.

For more information about the Medical Partners International and the C.A.R.E.S. Designation©, visit www.mpicares.com. For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, call (850) 278-3600 or visit www.sacredheartemerald.org.
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