Ascension Sacred Heart awarded more than $2.8 million to expand rural health care

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 service rural counties on the I-10 corridor, including Oklaloosa, 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.