Baptist Health Care History

1950’s – 1970’s  |  1980’s – 1990’s  |  2000  |  01  |  02  |  03  |  04  |  05  |  06  |  07  |  08  |  09  |  10  |  11

1950’s

  • 1951 Baptist Hospital opens with 140 beds and a post–operative recovery room, the first in Florida and possibly the second in the United States.
  • 1956 First expansion adds 40 beds
  • 1956 Baptist Hospital begins working with Pensacola Junior College to create the first Associate of Arts nursing program in the southern portion of the United States
  • 1959 A major addition opens, bringing Baptist Hospital’s bed capacity to 325.

1960’s

  • 1964 A year of innovation: – An expansion provides space for one of the nation’s first two outpatient surgery centers. – An intensive coronary unit opens, one of the first four ICC units in the United States.
  • 1969 Baptist Hospital acquires the Hillhaven Home and converts it to the Rainwater Specialty Care Center.

1970’s

  • 1972 Baptist Hospital completes the largest expansion in its history, bringing total bed capacity to 520.
  • 1974 Construction begins on the first medical office building adjoining Baptist Hospital
  • 1975 Baptist Hospital acquires the Mallory House apartments complex to provide housing for older people.
  • 1975 The Baptist Health Care Foundation is established.
  • 1977 LifeFlight helicopter ambulance service is brought to Baptist Hospital, becoming the first hospital–based emergency helicopter program in Florida, the third in the United States.
  • 1977 Baptist Hospital joins other leading health care institutions in chartering Voluntary Hospitals of America as a national cooperative. With more than 800 hospitals, VHA is now the largest health care system in the United States.
  • 1978 Baptist Regional Health Services is created to extend Baptist Hospital’s sophisticated care to smaller hospitals throughout Northwest Florida and South Alabama.
  • 1979 The closing of Jay Hospital is averted when the Baptist Regional Health Services organization leases it from Santa Rosa County.
  • 1979 Pensacola Retirement Village I opens.

1980’s

  • 1981 Azalea Trace life care community opens.
  • 1983 Baptist Care Incorporated is formed, encompassing both Baptist Regional Health Services and BCI Enterprises, which includes several for–profit enterprises.
  • 1983 Jim Vickery named President of Baptist Care, Incorporated; Pat Groner becomes President Emeritus.
  • 1983 Home Health Care of Baptist Hospital is created.
  • 1983 Doctor’s Urgent Care Center opens on Davis Highway.
  • 1983 Gulf Coast Health Cooperative launches a mobile CT unit to serve outlying areas.
  • 1983 Mizell Memorial Hospital joins Baptist Care.
  • 1984 Baptist Manor nursing home and Pensacola Retirement Village II opened.
  • 1984 Jay Hospital opens a three–bed intensive care unit.
  • 1984 Construction begins on expansion of Baptist Hospital and construction of Gulf Breeze Hospital.
  • 1985 Gulf Breeze Hospital opens.
  • 1985 SurgiCare outpatient surgical center opens in the Professional Office Building.
  • 1985 MD Line, Pensacola’s first physician referral and appointment service, is launched.
  • 1985–86 Mizell Memorial Hospital undergoes a $2.7 million construction and renovation project that greatly enhanced its facilities although it did not increase its bed count.
  • 1986 Work completed on $12 million expansion to Baptist Hospital that adds 45,000 square feet and includes a new surgical suite with a 16–bed recovery room, state–of–the–art surgical intensive nursing unit, clinical lab, central sterile area, energy center, and greatly enlarged and renovated lobby area.
  • 1986 Swings beds approved and added at Jay Hospital.
  • 1987 Baptist Hospital files first Certificate of Need application for open heart surgery services.
  • 1988 Swing beds approved and added at Mizell Memorial Hospital.
  • 1989 Baptist Care Incorporated is reorganized as Baptist Health Care Corporation.
  • 1989 Azalea Trace is expanded to 284 units.
  • 1989 Baptist Manor expands to 170 beds.
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1990’s

  • 1991 Children’s Stress Treatment Program opens as the first children’s inpatient psychiatric unit in the service area.
  • 1991 Kugelman Cancer Center opens in the new Baptist Medical Tower.
  • 1992 After the Escambia County Commission closes University Hospital, Baptist Health Care and Sacred Heart Hospital develop a joint venture to keep its primary care clinics open. The clinics begin operating as Escambia Community Clinics.
  • 1992 Baptist Health Care acquires the psychiatric beds that were part of University Hospital.
  • 1992 Third Baptist Medical Tower opens along with a medical mall on the ground floor connecting the towers. The medical mail area includes a pharmacy, a durable medical supplier, and a cafe along with many outpatient services.
  • 1992 Expanded cardiac catheterization laboratory is opened near the coronary care unit at Baptist Hospital.
  • 1993 Baptist acquires The Friary, a residential treatment center for addictive diseases in Gulf Breeze, as a subsidiary of Baptist Hospital. The Friary of Baptist Health Care also includes outpatient treatment centers in Pensacola.
  • 1993 Scenic Highway Family Medicine Center is opened, becoming the fourth family practice clinic owned and operated by Baptist Health Care.
  • 1993 A new Heart Center is opened on the first floor of the Baptist Medical Towers. The Heart Center consolidates outpatient cardiology services under one roof.
  • 1993 The new centers for hyperbaric, wound and infusion services are opened at Baptist Hospital.
  • 1993 The former Century Memorial Clinic, which was operated by University Hospital, becomes a department of Jay Hospital and is renamed Century Family Health Center.
  • 1994 Baptist Health Care expands its primary care network, opening four new practices (West Side Family Medicine Center/Gulf Breeze Internal Medicine Center/ Pensacola Beach Family Medicine Center/Orange Beach Family Medicine Center) An additional existing family medicine practice is acquired.
  • 1994 Baptist Health Care purchases Holbert Physical Therapy, which provides physical and occupational rehabilitation in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Name changed to Professional Rehab Affiliates.
  • 1994 Baptist Health Care acquires the Avalon Center community mental health center in Santa Rosa County.
  • 1995 Baptist Health Care and Sacred Heart Hospital jointly fund a community health needs assessment for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The two organizations become the founding members of Partnership for a Healthy Community, a coalition that seeks to improve the service area’s health status. Has evolved to be a 501 (a)(3) corporation.
  • 1995 Baptist Health Care’s primary care network is expanded to 14 centers.
  • 1995 Two hospitals – D. W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton, Alabama and Atmore Community Hospital in Atmore, Alabama – affiliate with Baptist Health Care as Escambia County Alabama Community Hospitals. The two hospitals were part of the Gulf Coast Cooperative.
  • 1995 Baptist Hospital’s skilled nursing unit moves to the fourth floor of the Hospital, becoming part of a 57–bed subacute unit that includes four ventilator beds.
  • 1996 Baptist Health Care opens two new primary care centers. With the addition of several existing practices, this brings the total number of primary care centers to 21.
  • 1996 Lakeview Center Inc. affiliates with Baptist Health Care and assumes management of The Friary. The Avalon Center and Behavioral Medicine Center.
  • 1996 Baptist Hospital and Gulf Breeze Hospital earn accreditation with commendation from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
  • 1997 Baptist Hospital was granted a Certificate of Need to begin providing open heart surgery services.
  • 1997 Baptist Health Care initiates a program to involve employees in finding ways to reduce non–salary expenses, saving more than $2.3 million in the first fiscal year.
  • 1997 Baptist Health Care begins system–wide "BRIDGES" leadership development and management training program.
  • 1997 Announced plans for Baptist Medical Park at Pensacola’s Nine Mile Road and University Parkway, with two phases totaling $55.8 million.
  • 1997 Launched Baptist HealthSource, a round–the–clock call–in service that allows people to describe health problems to registered nurses and receive advice on what treatments to seek.
  • 1997 Initiated SportsCare of Baptist Health Care, a specialized health care marketing program that connects athletes and the physically active with our services.
  • 1997 Azalea Trace received its 16th superior rating from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration for the Azalea Trace Health Care Center.
  • 1997 Azalea Trace broke ground for a 28–bed assisted living center and raised more than $976,000 for its construction.
  • 1997 Baptist Hospital and Gulf Breeze Hospital shared the 1997 Voluntary Hospitals of America Leadership Award for organizational management in recognition of the hospitals’ patient satisfaction initiative.
  • 1997 Baptist Hospital broke ground on $2.5 million emergency room expansion.
  • 1997 Baptist Hospital receives the 1997 Marriott Service Excellence Award sponsored by Marriott Health Services and Modern Healthcare Magazine
  • 1997 Baptist Manor received its ninth consecutive superior rating from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
  • 1997 Consolidated primary care centers under the name FirstPhysicians. Added 16 physicians to the group including the area’s first hospital–based physicians. Opened five new medical offices.
  • 1997 Gulf Breeze Hospital was ranked number one in patient satisfaction among more than 600 hospitals nationwide consecutively for 24 months.
  • 1997 Jay Hospital begins a renovation project that involves refurbishing all patient rooms and nurses stations.
  • 1997 Professional Rehab Affiliates changed its name to FirstRehab. It acquired Gilg Prosthetics Inc. and the sports clinic in Baptist Medical Tower, consolidating all Baptist Hospital outpatient occupational and physical therapy services to that location.
  • 1997 Kugelman Cancer Center becomes first facility in region to offer radioactive seed implants for prostate cancer.
  • 1997 Baptist Health Care completes and begins implementation of new brand identification program.
  • 1998 Open heart surgery services are initiated at Baptist Hospital
  • 1998 Gulf Breeze Hospital continues to rank first in the nation in Press, Ganey patient satisfaction survey. Baptist Hospital in 99th percentile.
  • 1998 Lakeview Center is recognized as the nation’s outstanding community mental health center , receiving the Award of Excellence from the National Council for Community Behavioral Health Care.
  • 1998 Baptist Health Care receives the highest credit rating in it’s history for a tax–exempt financing.
  • 1998 D. W. McMillan Memorial Hospital completes a building project that included the addition of an outpatient clinic area and renovation of the business office, medical records, respiratory therapy, and administration areas. Construction of a nine–suite physician office building is also completed.
  • 1998 Baptist Health Care completes an agreement with HealthFirst physician group to enter into joint managed care contracting arrangements.
  • 1998 Construction begins on Baptist Medical Park.
  • 1999 Baptist Health Care introduces updated Mission/Values/Vision for the future.
  • 1999 Baptist Hospital initiates the region’s first autologous bone marrow transplant program.
  • 1999 Al Stubblefield succeeds Jim Vickery and becomes the third President and CEO in Baptist Health Care’s 48–year history.
  • 1999 Senior Vice President Jerry Maygarden (R–District 2) becomes majority leader of the Florida House of Representatives.
  • 1999 Baptist University leadership development program is initiated for over 500 leaders. The Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute is also created to extend leadership development training to other health care providers across the nation.
  • 1999 Baptist Health Care reduce employee turnover rates below area, state and national averages.
  • 1999 Baptist Health Care and Mizell Memorial Hospital mutually agree to conclude 17–year affiliation.
  • 1999 Gulf Breeze Hospital continues to lead the nation in the Press, Ganey Associates survey of patient satisfaction through 48 consecutive months. Baptist Hospital, Atmore Community Hospital, D. W. McMillan Hospital rank in top five nationally.
  • 1999 Baptist Health Care Foundation "Tradition of Excellence" capital campaign begun with goal of raising $7,500,000.
  • 1999 Modern Healthcare and MMI award Baptist Health Care the 1999 Risk Management Award for demonstrating that greater patient satisfaction results in lower risk management costs.
  • 1999 Baptist acquires and proceeds with plans to operate former Arcon outpatient facility at Navarre. Considering operation of Arcon sites in Destin and DeFuniak Springs.
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2000

  • 2000 Over 1,300 leaders from 265 health care organization across the country have traveled to Baptist Health Care to benchmark patient satisfaction processes and leadership development programs.
  • 2000 Baptist Medical Park–Pensacola opens as 112,000 ft. ambulatory care complex at University Parkway and 9–Mile Road in Pensacola.
  • 2000 Baptist Medical Park–Navarre, and ambulatory clinic in south Santa Rosa County, opens at 8888 Navarre Parkway.
  • 2000 Baptist Health Care is named a recipient of RIT/USA Today 2000 Quality Cup Award.
  • 2000 In response to requests from across the country, the Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute is created to share the principles and practices behind the organization’s success.
  • 2000 Jay Hospital receives $2.5 million in state funding for renovations and expansion of its business office and emergency room waiting area.
  • 2000 Diane Wilbanks succeeds Gail Boylan as Baptist Health Care’s vice president for patient care services.
  • 2000 Baptist Hospital Inc., which includes Baptist Hospital, Gulf Breeze Hospital and Baptist Medical Park, is one of eight American businesses, and the only healthcare organization, to undergo a site visit from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program.

2001

  • 2001 Baptist Health Care launches Get Healthy Pensacola! to encourage fitness, weight control and smoking cessation.
  • 2001 Baptist Health Care mourns the loss of Dixie Beggs, one of the organization’s last surviving founding fathers. Beggs served as Baptist’s vice president for 23 years and as president for four.
  • 2001 Baptist Hospital’s doctors reattach the severed arm of an 8–year–old shark attack victim after the limb is recovered from the shark’s gullet. The episode triggers world–wide interest, attracting an estimated 3,000 media calls within the first 10 days after the attack. Local reporters say no story in recent memory has brought such a response.
  • 2001 Press, Ganey Associates presents Baptist Health Care with its inaugural Preceptor Award for improving healthcare leadership across America. Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush is among those attending the ceremony.
  • 2001 In the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Baptist Health Care cancels its annual Awards Night celebration so that the money that would have been used for the celebration could instead be donated to recovery efforts.
  • 2001 Baptist Hospital celebrates its 50th anniversary by conducting 50 community service projects throughout October.
  • 2001 Baptist Hospital Inc. receives its second consecutive site visit from the Baldrige National Quality Program.
  • 2001 Lakeview Center is awarded the state contract to provide foster care and related services to children in Florida’s District 1, which includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

2002

  • 2002 Baptist LifeFlight celebrates its 25th anniversary.
  • 2002 Baptist Health Care ranks 10th on Fortune magazine’s list, "America’s 100 Best Companies to Work For." Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush is among the first to send congratulations.
  • 2002 Fitness guru Richard Simmons helps Baptist Health Care launch its 90–day Get Healthy Pensacola! fitness challenge to encourage people to lose weight, exercise and quit smoking. More than 700 people attended the event.
  • 2002 Baptist Hospital Inc. receives its third consecutive site visit from the Baldrige National Quality Program.
  • 2002 Lakeview Center opens its $2 million therapeutic activities center.
  • 2002 Baptist Health Care is awarded the Employer of Choice designation by the nationally recognized authorities on employee retention and workplace trends, Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia.

2003

  • 2003 LifeFlight’s medical director, Dr. James Leker, is honored as the Medical Director of the Year at the National Air Medical Transport Conference held in Reno, Nevada. He was selected from more than 400 directors nationwide.
  • 2003 Baptist Health Care once again is included on Fortune magazine’s list, "America’s 100 Best Companies to Work For."
  • 2003 Baptist Health Care launches Women’s HeartAdvantage with the national health cooperative, VHA.
  • 2003 Baptist Health Care is included in Training magazine’s list of "Training’s Top 100" companies for providing employees with the training they need to advance in their careers.
  • 2003 Gary Bembry, a certified public accountant with 15 years of service to behavioral health organizations, is named president and CEO of Lakeview Center as Dr. Morris Eaddy retires after 37 years of leadership.
  • 2003 Baptist Health Care CEO Al Stubblefield and Lakeview Center’s recently retired chief executive, Dr. Morris Eaddy, are named winners of the PACE Award given by the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce for contributions to northwest Florida. Stubblefield received the "Business Leader of the Year" honor, and Eaddy received the "Spirit of Pensacola" honor.
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2004

  • 2004 President George W. Bush presents the 2003 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award to Baptist Hospital Inc., which includes Baptist Hospital, Gulf Breeze Hospital and Baptist Medical Park. Accepting the honor, the highest given to American businesses, are Baptist Health Care CEO Al Stubblefield and Baptist Hospital Inc. President John Heer.
  • 2004 Gulf Breeze Hospital opens an oncology center, outpatient physical therapy center and a second medical office building as part of a multi–phase, $25.5 million expansion.
  • 2004 Bob Murphy, who joined Baptist Health Care in 1989 as a nurse–paramedic aboard LifeFlight, is appointed administrator of Baptist Hospital. After becoming LifeFlight’s program director in 1993, Murphy earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy State University and a Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law.
  • 2004 Jay Hospital completes a $2.5 million expansion of its emergency and radiology departments and its surgery center, which includes an operating room, special procedures room and private recovery areas.
  • 2004 Portofino Medical Spa, which specializes in enhancing appearance, improving health and promoting longevity, opens in Gulf Breeze.
  • 2004 Hurricane Ivan batters northwest Florida and south Alabama, causing catastrophic damage throughout the area. All of Baptist Health Care’s five hospitals remained in operation throughout the storm and as the area recovers. Although hundreds of employees either lost their homes or sustained heavy damage to them, the organization remained focused on providing the best possible services to its patients.

2005

  • 2005 Baptist Health Care’s exceptional employee morale is recognized with the VHA Leadership Award for Operational Excellence. VHA is the nation’s largest healthcare alliance.
  • 2005 Baptist Hospital launches its Critical Assessment Team to bring intensive–care expertise to the bedside of any patient whose condition shows early signs of deteriorating. Also known as a rapid response team, the CAT team evaluates and stabilizes the patient before communicating its findings to the patient’s physician for further instruction.
  • 2005 Internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon James Andrews, M.D., joins Baptist Health Care in planning a world–class center for sports medicine. The $30.3 million Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine will include a clinical facility, an athletic performance enhancement center, and a research and education center.
  • 2005 Less than a year after Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Dennis lashes the Pensacola area. Once again, Baptist Health Care’s hospitals and nursing homes weather the storm.
  • 2005 Baptist Health Care affiliates with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, the state’s leading cancer institute. The alliance promises to enhance services to oncology patients throughout Northwest Florida and South Alabama.
  • 2005 Baptist Hospital is selected as one of the nation’s 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by a study featured in Modern Healthcare magazine. More than 860 U.S. hospitals were evaluated, using information from Medicare cost reports and data on nearly 12 million hospitalized Medicare patients.
  • 2005 Baptist Hospital becomes the first in Northwest Florida to offer a test that can reveal whether a person carries genes for certain familial cancers of the breasts, ovaries and colon.

2006

  • 2006 Baptist Health Care celebrates its fifth consecutive year as one of FORTUNE magazine’s "100 Best Places to Work For," placing 18th on the annual list.
  • 2006 The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations awards its Primary Stroke Center designation to Baptist and Gulf Breeze hospitals. The designation, which comes with the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval, certifies that the hospitals meet stringent national standards in their provision of stroke care.
  • 2006 Baptist LifeFlight expands again, providing coverage to south central Alabama and northern Escambia County, Fla. LifeFlight 3 is based in Evergreen, Ala., and serves a 60–mile radius including Century, Fla., and the south central Alabama region below Selma and Montgomery.
  • 2006 Baptist Health Care receives Ochsner Health System’s equivalent of the Oscar, the "Ochsner," for assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. More properly known as the Spirit of Leadership Award, the bronze statue of Dr. Alton Ochsner is presented to Baptist during the New Orleans–based health system’s annual awards banquet.
  • 2006 VHA, the nation’s largest healthcare alliance, honors Baptist Hospital for clinical excellence. A coalition of more than 2,400 not–for–profit organizations, VHA presents its 2006 Leadership Award to hospital officials in recognition of its highly successful Critical Assessment Team.
  • 2006 A Baptist Hospital patient becomes the first in northwest Florida to undergo a new less–invasive surgical procedure that corrects atrial fibrillation by using high–intensity ultrasound energy to ablate selected heart tissue.
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2007

  • 2007 For the sixth consecutive year, Baptist Health Care is listed as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
  • 2007 The Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine opens. A team effort between Baptist Health Care and world–renown orthopaedic surgeon James Andrews, M.D., the Andrews Institute includes a state–of–the–art ambulatory surgery center, an athletic performance center, and a research and education center.
  • 2007 The region’s first three Tesla – or 3T – MRI, the most powerful magnetic resonance scanner available, is located at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Twice as powerful as conventional MRIs, the 3T scanner means faster, more precise diagnoses and treatments.
  • 2007 Baptist Hospital is the first in northwest Florida to acquire a robotic da Vinci® S HD Surgical System that allows doctors to perform extremely complex operations through button–size incisions. Da Vinci robotics offers reduced pain, blood loss and scarring while providing surgeons with more precise control.
  • 2007 Baptist Hospital, Gulf Breeze Hospital, Jay Hospital, Atmore Community Hospital and Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile receive the Press Ganey Summit Award for excellence in patient satisfaction. Baptist Health Care facilities have consistently ranked in the 99th percentile since 1996 for patient satisfaction.
  • 2007 Lakeview Center launches Project Search, a one–year program that provides students with disabilities a chance to gain real world experience as they begin the transition from high school to competitive employment.
  • 2007 The Baptist Cancer Institute launches the oncology patient navigator program. The program is designed to help patients from diagnosis to recovery. Patient navigators focus on providing patients one–on–one guidance through the health care system; advocating on the patient’s behalf with health care professionals and staff; working with patients and families to identify additional resources and support; ensuring that the patient’s treatment plan and follow–up care are in place; and educating patients on the disease process and treatment plans.

2008

  • 2008 Jay Hospital goes smoke–free, making the facility the first hospital in the Baptist Health Care system to prohibit smoking on its campus.
  • 2008 Al Stubblefield, president and CEO of Baptist Health Care, is presented with the 2008 Award of Honor by the American Hospital Association (AHA). The AHA Award of Honor recognizes outstanding contributions and initiatives that improve the health status of individuals, communities and the nation.
  • 2008 Baptist Health Care’s first Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pat Neff Groner, is inducted into the national American College of Healthcare Executives’ Health Care Hall of Fame for his lifelong leadership and extraordinary contributions to the health care field.
  • 2008 Gov. Charlie Crist presents Baptist Hospital with a Florida Exceptional Employer Award for its support of Project Search of Lakeview Center, a workplace training program for high school students with developmental disabilities. Selected by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Baptist Hospital is recognized for providing job opportunities to Project Search students. Lakeview Center launched Project Search at Baptist Hospital in October 2007.
  • 2008 Baptist Hospital, Gulf Breeze Hospital, Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile Surgery Center, Jay Hospital and Atmore Community Hospital were honored with Summit Awards. Hospitals that sustain the highest level of patient satisfaction scores for three or more consecutive years are honored with Summit Awards. Baptist Health Care has consistently ranked in the 99th percentile since 1996 for patient satisfaction.
  • 2008 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presents Baptist Hospital with a Medal of Honor for organ donation. This award recognizes select hospitals for achieving and sustaining a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors. Baptist Hospital is the only hospital in northwest Florida, from Pensacola to Panama City, to receive the Medal of Honor.
  • 2008 The Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute (BLI) is named one of the Top 100 Leadership Development Programs in America by Executive Excellence, a global leadership development firm, in the October issue of its monthly magazine, Leadership Excellence.
  • 2008 Bariatric Surgeon Jeffrey E. Friedman, M.D., joins David Nye, M.D., and the Baptist Bariatric Center of Excellence. As a result, the Bariatric program increases surgical case volume by 33 percent this year.
  • 2008 Gulf Breeze Hospital and Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine welcome orthopaedic surgeons Barry Callahan, M.D. and Lonnie Paulos, M.D., as well as orthopaedic specialist Erik Nilssen, M.D.
  • 2008 Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Space Florida partner to offer Project Odyssey, a first–of–its–kind personal spaceflight medical program for commercial space tourists.
  • 2008 Four Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine physicians join the faculty of The University of West Florida (UWF) as research associates. The partnership provides world–class training to students studying athletic training and other health care disciplines.
  • 2008 To complement the Baptist Cancer Institute’s comprehensive breast care program, Baptist begins offering breast magnetic resonance–imaging (MRI) for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. MRI scans are more sensitive and can detect tissue abnormalities earlier. As a result, the American Cancer Society issued new guidelines for high–risk women to add an MRI scan to their annual mammogram.
  • 2008 The Baptist Cancer Institute offers Stereotactic radiosurgery, a new option for some hard–to–treat cancers and neurological dysfunctions. Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers a highly concentrated, tightly focused dose of cancer–killing radiation. This treatment strategy can be more effective at killing or controlling certain types of cancer, making them more manageable and giving patients a higher quality of life.
  • 2008 Baptist Hospital’s da Vinci ® S HD surgical system begins offering minimally invasive heart valve repair procedures. Since the robotic system’s first case in Oct. 2007, more than 260 prostatectomy and hysterectomy procedures have been performed.
  • 2008 Baptist Heart and Vascular Care implements comprehensive vascular initiative to complement robust cardiac services.
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2009

  • 2009 Baptist Health Care launches LifeFlight 4 in Hattiesburg, Miss. LifeFlight 4, based out of the Bobby Chain Airport, complements the LifeFlight fleet: LifeFlight 1, Pensacola; LifeFlight 2, Mobile; and LifeFlight, 3 Evergreen. Freddie Parker is the base manager for the LifeFlight 4 operation.
  • 2009 Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine achieved the Florida Press Association award for first place in Special Section - Best Historical Program or Anniversary for newspapers with a circulation less than 100,000. Pensacola News Journal nominated the Institute for the section “Andrews Institute – A Year of Community Excellence.”
  • 2009 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presented Baptist Hospital with a Medal of Honor for organ donation. This award recognizes select hospitals for achieving and sustaining a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors.
  • 2009 Baptist Health Care was chosen by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) as one of six locations in America to participate in the “Cancer Patient Navigation” pilot project. The project is designed to help community hospitals enhance patient advocacy programs and increase outcomes and patient satisfaction. Baptist Health Care was one of 100 selected facilities.
  • 2009 The Baptist Health Care Foundation Women’s Board hosted “An Evening with Robin Roberts,” co–anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America and breast cancer survivor.
  • 2009 Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile invested more than $2 million in the latest imaging technology, and the area's first wide–open 3T MRI.
  • 2009 Baptist Health Care Senior Vice President and Gulf Breeze Hospital Administrator, Bob Harriman, Ph.D., was recognized with two prestigious community honors in 2009. First, Harriman was named Gulf Breeze Rotary Club Citizen of the Year. Later in May, the combined Rotary of Pensacola and the University of West Florida School of Business honored Harriman with the 2009 Ethics in Business Award.
  • 2009 Baptist Health Care formed a new multi–specialty physician company, Baptist Medical Group (BMG) – providing physicians with the support needed to allow them to focus on their one true purpose – caring for patients. BMG physicians and staff are located in clinics throughout the communities of Pensacola, Pace, Perdido, Gulf Breeze and Navarre.
  • 2009 Baptist Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, David Wildebrandt, was presented with the University of South Alabama Hall of Fame Award. This honor recognizes past graduates for outstanding achievements, leadership and a strong commitment to giving back to both the university as well as the community.
  • 2009 The Baptist Bariatric Center for Excellence was accredited in the LAP–BAND® Total Care Program – a comprehensive set of clinical and operational best practices designed to optimize outcomes prior to and following LAP–BAND®  procedures. In addition, the Bariatrc Center became one of the first hospitals in the country to offer patients REALIZE–Band C – a new adjustable gastric band.
  • 2009 The Women’s Boutique at Baptist Hospital became the first Pensacola facility to receive the American Board for Certification (ABC) post–mastectomy accreditation.
  • 2009 After a 12–year partnership with Explorer Post – a venturing post of the Boy Scouts of America that focuses on training children for medical careers – Baptist Hospital mentored its first Eagle Scout. Pre–med student, Paul Woody received a full four–year tuition scholarship to Emory Oxford College.
  • 2009 Baptist LifeFlight was featured in the Discovery Channel’s annual series, Shark Week. The segment highlighted Baptist Hospital’s and LifeFlight’s amazing role and life–saving efforts in the Jesse Arbogast case — a young shark–attack victim from July 2001.
  • 2009 Baptist and Gulf Breeze Hospitals were awarded the 2008 Jean Byers Award for Excellence in Cancer Registration by the Florida Cancer Data System. The award recognizes both hospitals’ timeliness and completion of reporting cancer cases. It also marks Baptists’ 13th consecutive year of excellence in cancer registration honors.
  • 2009 Baptist Health Care and Jay Hospital celebrated 30 years of affiliation and service to the communities of Jay, Century and Flomaton.
  • 2009 Press Ganey Associates, Inc. recognized four Baptist Health Care facilities – Atmore Community Hospital, Jay Hospital, Gulf Breeze Hospital and Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile Surgery Center – with Summit Awards for sustaining the highest level of customer satisfaction.
  • 2009 In an effort to provide a healthier environment for patients, visitors and employees, all Baptist Health Care campuses went smoke–free on Nov. 19, coinciding with the Great American Smoke–Out.
  • 2009 Baptist Home Health Care was named to the 2009 HomeCare Elite list – a compilation of top performing Medicare–certified home health care agencies in the United States.
  • 2009 Baptist Bariatric Surgeon, Jeffrey Friedman, M.D., was recognized as a Center of Excellence surgeon for consistently providing high quality bariatric care and proven surgical outcomes.
  • 2009 Baptist Hospital acquired the new LightSpeed VCT XTe 64–slice CT scanner and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) technology. The new LightSpeed scanner reduces a patient’s exposure to radiation, whiling increasing the clarity and quality of the image.
  • 2009 Baptist Hospital acquires second da Vinci ® S HD surgical system to meet growing demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures.

2010

  • 2010 Baptist Health Care is voted as "Best Place to Work" in The Pensacola News Journal Best of the Bay 2010 reader survey.
  • 2010 Baptist Health Care is voted as one of the "Top Places to Work" awarded by St. Petersburg Times to Gulf Coast Enterprises.
  • 2010 Baptist Health Care is awarded employer of the year by Virginia College of Pensacola.
  • 2010 Sperduto and Associates ranks Baptist Health Care No. 1 out of 15 health care organizations that conduct employee surveys. BHC facilities held the top four spots for employee morale.
  • 2010 Baptist Health Care is included in Training Magazine’s Top 125 for commitment to employee training and career development.
  • 2010 Mark Faulkner is named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Baptist Health Care and president of Baptist Hospital.
  • 2010 David Wildebrandt is named administrator of Baptist Hospital and senior vice president for Baptist Health Care.
  • 2010 James Andrews, M.D., earns Pace Award for his contribution to health in the community through the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.
  • 2010 Baptist is awarded the Ney Award to Pensacola Naval Air Station for best food services provided by Gulf Coast Enterprises.
  • 2010 Press Ganey Associates, Inc. recognizes Gulf Breeze Hospital with the Summit Award for sustaining the highest level of customer satisfaction.
  • 2010 Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile and Baptist Medical Park – Navarre each celebrated 10 years of service.
  • 2010 Gulf Breeze Hospital celebrates its 25th anniversary of serving the community and providing quality health care. Baptist Health Care opened the facility in 1985 to provide convenient access to hospital services for residents of south Santa Rosa, Escambia, Okaloosa and Walton counties.
  • 2010 Baptist Health Care receives a gold standard of laboratory accreditation in the nation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
  • 2010 Baptist Hospital receives the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s Silver Performance Achievement Award for sustaining high standards and excellence in cardiovascular care.
  • 2010 Baptist Health Care is awarded an unconditional three-year accreditation by Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
  • 2010 After just one year, Baptist Medical Group celebrated substantial growth, adding cardiology, oncology, hematology, urology, vascular surgery, rheumatology, obstetrics, gynecology, wound care and primary care specialties to Baptist Health Care’s growing network of world class physicians.
  • 2010 Gulf Breeze Hospital breaks ground for an expansion that will add 10,000 square-feet to the second floor on the east side of the building. This will provide 10 new inpatient beds, a family waiting area and a 1,200-square-foot department for inpatient physical therapy.
  • 2010 Baptist Hospital breaks ground on a $24 million expansion project that will add a 2-story addition, which will include a new main entrance on Moreno Street, new operating rooms and updated restrooms.
  • 2010 A December groundbreaking ceremony launched construction of a specialized, three-story, 48,600-square-foot facility for children receiving outpatient mental health services at Lakeview Center.
  • 2010 Lakeview Center opened a 20-bed short-term residential treatment unit for adults who require additional hospitalization after treatment in an acute stabilization unit.
  • 2010 Atmore Community Hospital leased the former Greenlawn Pharmacy building across from the ACH emergency department. Plans were drawn to remodel the facility and open an urgent care center, sleep disorders center and physician specialist offices.
  • 2010 Lakeview Center’s drug and alcohol detoxification unit was integrated with its crisis stabilization unit, creating Florida’s first designated receiving facility for adults experiencing either mental health or substance abuse emergencies.
  • 2010 Escambia Community Clinics began offering services on the Lakeview Center campus, providing greater access to medical care for people with mental illness or addiction disorders.

2011

  • 2011 Baptist Health Care is voted as "Best Place to Work" in The Pensacola News Journal Best of the Bay 2011 reader survey for the second year in a row and the Independent News’ 2011 Best of the Coast for "Best Place to Work."
  • 2011 Gulf Breeze Hospital completed a $5 million expansion that added 10,000 square feet, an inpatient physical therapy department, and increased the number of total licensed beds from 65 to 77. This includes two additional ICU beds for a total of eight.
  • 2011 Baptist Medical Group celebrated reaching 100 primary care and specialist physicians - a milestone in providing convenient, quality care to the region.
  • 2011 Baptist Health Care celebrates 60 years of compassionate service in October 2011.
  • 2011 Baptist and Gulf Breeze hospitals both earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in hospitals.
  • 2011 Baptist Hospital received the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s NCDR ACTION Registry-Get with the Guidelines (GWTG) Gold Performance Achievement Award for sustaining high standards and excellence in cardiovascular care for 2011.
  • 2011 Baptist Manor was named a 2011 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality National Quality Award for its outstanding performance in the health care profession. The honor was presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.
  • 2011 FMQAI, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Florida, presented Gulf Breeze Hospital with a 2008-2011 Patient Safety Award in recognition of the hospital’s unwavering commitment to quality improvement in patient safety.
  • 2011 Baptist Hospital unveils a new system of technology called the cobas® 6000 analyzer series, which analyzes blood samples for routine and innovative chemistry tests that are ordered by physicians.
  • 2011 Baptist Health care completes the first of five new hybrid i-Suite® operating rooms, the first in the region, designed to support minimally invasive surgeries.
  • 2011 Baptist Health Care launched digital mammography at Baptist and Gulf Breeze Hospitals and Baptist Medical Parks on Nine Mile Road and in Navarre. The benefits are improved ability to screen for and detect potential breast cancers. Baptist Hospital is the first hospital in Florida to gain FDA approval to perform tomosynthesis (3-D digital mammography).
  • 2011 On Sept. 12, 2011, Baptist Health Care reached the 1,000th da Vinci® S HD Surgical System milestone, designating Baptist the most experienced and best equipped robotic surgical program in northwest Florida.
  • 2011 Baptist Health Care launches its newest publication, Gulf Coast Health and Life Magazine.
  • 2011 Atmore Community Hospital opened ACH MedPlus, a modern health care facility housing an Urgent Care Center, Sleep Disorders Center and Physician Specialty Offices.
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