Business Briefs: May 10

SUGAR SAND RESORTS
Sugar Sand Resorts introduces Krissy Snowden as general manager and Misti Williams as accounting manager for the company. With over 10 years combined experience covering short-term vacation rentals, long-term leases, commercial remodeling, residential design and accounting, their contributions and qualities are great assets toward future growth and performance. Sugar Sand Resorts in Destin manages premiere rental properties along the Gulf Coast in the areas of Okaloosa Island, Destin and Sandestin.  

CRYE-LEIKE REALTY
In March, the top producer for sales at Crye-Leike Realty was Ken Koger.   Sherry Edmundson ws the top producer for listings.

THE BEACH GROUP
The Beach Group Properties congratulates Hilary Farnum on her achievement as the agent of the month for April. She secured over 30 sales in 2007 and has closed $6.5 million in the month of April.

CBA
Joni Barreda has recently taken over Sarah Kalinoski's position as CBA's vounteer coodinator. She is in charge of the volunteer water sampling program and oyster gardening program, and will assist with other volunteer events and CBA projects. Barreda is near completion of a Master's degree in biology at the University of West Florida.
Sarah Kalinoski is now responsible for managing CBA projects in Walton County, including the development and implementation of CBA's Coastal Dune Lakes Initiative as well as other education and outreach activities related to the county's National Pollution and Discharge Elimination System permit.

TAPESTRY PARK
Tapestry Park, a traditional neighborhood development in Panama City Beach, has won several awards for their marketing and advertising campaigns featuring the development and its annual Walk the Park community event. Included in the honors are seven Emerald Coast Advertising Federation ADDY Awards and a Neenah PAPERWORKS Gold award.

SACRED HEART HOSPITAL
Nine out of 10 patients at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast say they would "definitely recommend" the hospital to others, giving Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast the highest rating among hospitals in Northwest Florida and placing it 16th in the nation regarding patient experience.
With the common goal of continually improving patient safety and quality of care, the primary objectives of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems include creating a nationally standardized survey for meaningful comparisons, increasing hospital accountability and incentives for quality improvement, and enhancing public accountability. The survey includes 27 questions bundled into the following 10 composite scores:
• Communication with doctors
• Communication with nurses
• Responsiveness of hospital staff
• Pain management
• Communication about medicines
• Discharge information
• Cleanliness of the hospital environment
• Quietness of the hospital environment
• Overall rating of the hospital
• Willingness to recommend the hospital to family and friends
Hospitals nationwide have been reporting this data since 2006 to the Hospital Quality Alliance, a national public-private collaboration of hospital groups, consumer representatives, physician and nursing organizations and government agencies. The HQA created a public Web site - www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov - to give consumers a closer look at these issues.