PENSACOLA, Fla. – Ascension Sacred Heart Health System has been awarded more than
$2.8 million in funding to expand access to health care in rural communities, part of Gov. Ron
DeSantis’ announcement of nearly $188 million through Florida’s Rural Health Transformation
Program.
The largest portion of the funding, $2.4 million, will support a new mobile stroke unit for
Ascension Sacred Heart Health System. The unit will serve rural counties on the I-10 corridor,
including Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, and Jackson counties. These counties have
higher rates of strokes than the state average, with many residents living long distances from
hospitals with stroke accreditation.
“When a stroke happens, time is brain,” said Will Condon, President and CEO of Ascension
Sacred Heart Health System. “Providing rural communities with a CT scan to begin treatment
while a patient is being transported helps support stroke care to help prevent disability and
death.”
Because of the uniqueness of the mobile stroke unit, it will be custom-built. The unit will be
equipped with a CT scanner and a CT technologist to assess strokes in the field through
imaging and a secure telehealth connection to the care team at Ascension Sacred Heart in
Pensacola. It will also be fully stocked with treatments for stroke, including clot-busting
medications, when clinically appropriate. It is expected to be complete and in use by summer
2027.
In addition, the Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Family Medicine Residency program
received $450,000 for diagnostic and imaging equipment. This equipment will be used at a
variety of sites of care where physician residents see patients in rural Walton County, including
through home visits and mobile health options. The goal of this program is to train these
doctors to provide care for many conditions that affect individuals living in rural communities.
Having this equipment aims to help patients, regardless of their ability to pay, receive a timely
diagnosis and treatment to support their quality of life.
“With this new equipment, we are expanding access to healthcare for individuals in Walton
County while providing training for our physician residents to help equip them with additional
skills as they complete their program and continue to serve rural communities,” said Joshua A.
Hodge, MD, Program Director, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Family Medicine
Residency.
Administered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, the Rural Health
Transformation Program is designed to strengthen healthcare access and delivery in rural
communities across Florida.
To learn more about Ascension Sacred Heart Health System or to find care, visit
GetSacredHeartCare.com.
About Ascension Sacred Heart
Ascension Sacred Heart, based in Pensacola, Florida, operates five hospitals and more than 100
other sites of care and employs more than 6,440 associates. In fiscal year 2023, Ascension
Sacred Heart provided more than $142 million in community benefit and care for persons living
in poverty. Ascension is one of the nation’s leading non-profit and Catholic health systems, with
a Mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons
living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2023, Ascension provided $2.2 billion in care of
persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes
approximately 134,000 associates, 35,000 affiliated providers and 140 hospitals, serving
communities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
Photo Credits: Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola.
