For the fifth year in a row, Newsweek has named the hospital one of America’s Best Maternity Care Hospitals
MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – For the fifth year in a row, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has earned the honor of being on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Maternity Care Hospitals at the highest five ribbon level.
"The doctors, nurses, and associates that work in the Family Birth Place consider their jobs as a calling to serve our community," said Trey Abshier, CEO and President of Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. “We thank them for their commitment to quality, personalized care that earns these awards.”
The Best Maternity Care distinction recognizes facilities that have provided exceptional care to mothers, newborns, and their families based on three data sources. These include nationwide online surveys of hospital managers and maternity healthcare professionals, medical key performance indicators relevant to maternity care and patient satisfaction data.
The hospital also earned the distinction of being a U.S. News & World Report 2025 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care. This is the highest recognition a hospital can earn in the Best Hospitals for Maternity Care annual ratings. Additionally, U.S. News recognized Sacred Heart Emerald Coast as a Maternity Care Access Hospital, for its essential role in serving underserved communities at risk of becoming maternity care deserts. Only 118 hospitals – representing just 14% of all evaluated hospitals – earned this distinction for their critical contributions to maternity care access.
“One of the cornerstones of our mission is the care of moms and babies,” said Erica Bottom, MSN, RN-C, OB, Family Birth Place Manager for Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. “Our Family Birth Place team actively participates in initiatives to improve maternal health outcomes.”
Sacred Heart Emerald Coast’s Family Birth Place recently became a Maternal Levels of Care verified hospital by The Joint Commission through its collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and support from the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative. The hospital is Baby-Friendly designated for its commitment to the highest level of breastfeeding support and education. It is the only hospital in the area to hold this accreditation.
One year ago Sacred Heart’s facilities in Pensacola and Miramar Beach began participating in the state’s first postpartum wristband initiative. The new program involves giving a silver rubber wristband to mothers to voluntarily wear for up to a year postpartum. This has helped prioritize them as patients and spotlight their medical history when they seek care through EMS, ERs or other medical sites.
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Family Birth Place is the home to the only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) serving families from Walton and Okaloosa counties close to home. The NICU celebrated five years of serving the community last week with more than 1,000 families served. Neonatal specialists are available 24/7 for neonates needing routine and specialty care.
About Ascension Florida
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 2024, Ascension Sacred Heart provided more than $193 million in community benefit and other care for vulnerable persons. Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.
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