Sacred Heart receives top honors for hospital care

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems recently ranked Sacred Heart Hospital of the Emerald Coast as the 16th best in that nation in customer experience.
Rankings were based on a survey of 27 questions that were scored in 10 different categories. One of the questions was to rank the overall experience of the hospital, in which 90 percent of those participating said they would definitely recommend Sacred Heart to others.
For comparison, the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center received a 55 percent recommendation ranking and Baptist Hospital in Pensacola received a 69. The national average is 75 percent.
 “It’s always (Sacred Heart’s) objective to make a difference improving healthcare,” Sacred Heart Emerald Coast President Roger Hall said. “Not only for the people we have the privilege of serving, but the people we have the privilege of touching as well.”
Hall also said the backbone of the hospital’s success has been community and staff support and that the hospital is always striving to create a better environment for its patients.
“We are disappointed any time we do not meet and exceed every patient experience at our hospital,” he said. “We are here to care for our patients and make each patient better within all of our capacity.”
According to a press release from Sacred Heart, hospitals across the country have been submitting data to the Hospital Quality Alliance since 2006, but the HCAHPS survey is the first nationally standardized survey on customer satisfaction.
“It’s been a five year journey with our community so far,” said Hall, “but we are only a few footsteps into the journey of bringing the high quality hospital that this community deserves.”