PORT ST. JOE, Fla. – Sacred Heart Health System recently hosted a special blessing and dedication ceremony for Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf in Port St. Joe. The new 25-bed hospital is scheduled to open its doors to patient care on March 15.

“This community and our health system have been on quite a journey over the past few hundred years,” said Roger Hall, president of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf. “Our journeys have crossed paths with the need for a hospital – a hospital that will not only bring high quality, compassionate healthcare to this area but also a hospital that will support economic development and continuous growth of the Forgotten Coast in the future.”

The new $38 million hospital will feature a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient services, surgical services, a full complement of diagnostic and laboratory services, and a helipad to be used by Sacred Heart's regional air ambulance service to provide rapid transport for trauma or critically ill patients.

“Together, we have accomplished what Americans are best at doing – coming together for a far greater purpose than any one of us can accomplish alone,” said Dr. Henry Roberts, president of Sacred Heart Foundation. “Today we have a new hospital because Sacred Heart and the St. Joe Company partnered together, because churches and civic organizations pooled their resources, and because financial institutions and community leaders came together to make a difference. Relish in the joy of what you have accomplished by coming together!”

In response to tremendous support from the public, Sacred Heart Foundation raised over $10 million in donations and pledges for the new hospital. St. Joe Foundation was a key supporter that donated 20 acres of land for the hospital as well as $5 million to be paid over a period of 10 years. Gulf County residents also voted to provide revenues from a ½ cent sales tax to support the provision of care to the indigent at the new hospital. The community’s support, combined with Sacred Heart Health System’s financial commitment and vision, led to the creation of an outstanding patient care environment.

A Medical Office Building is scheduled to open in the summer of 2010 adjacent to the hospital and will provide convenient access to primary care and specialty physicians, dialysis services, women’s diagnostic and imaging services, and Sacred Heart Rehabilitation.

Community Open House
To preview the new facility, please join Sacred Heart at an open house on Saturday, March 6 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the hospital’s campus, which is located at 3801 East Highway 98 in Port St. Joe.

About Sacred Heart Health System
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf is part of Sacred Heart Health System based in Pensacola. Surveys by National Research Corporation have found that for 14 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 new hospital, please visit www.sacredheartonthegulf.org.
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