Baptist Hospital Recognized as Primary Resuscitation Center of Excellence

6/24/2025

Baptist Hospital has been recognized by the Florida Resuscitation Center of Excellence for its commitment to improving cardiac arrest outcomes. The Florida Resuscitation Center of Excellence certification requires that eligible hospitals meet or exceed program standards for resuscitation care, distinguishing them as leaders in life-saving practices. This includes offering 24/7 emergency, critical care and ECMO services. Baptist Hospital is the only Regional Primary Resuscitation Center of Excellence in Northwest Florida.

The FRCE program is a statewide initiative that launched in 2022. The goals are to develop recommendations on increasing the survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest, standardizing resuscitation protocols, enhancing education for health care teams and providing data-driven insights for continuous improvement.

“Baptist Hospital meets statewide criteria set out by the committee to earn this designation,” said Beau Pollard, Baptist Health Care vice president and Baptist Hospital administrator. “Being a Primary Resuscitation Center of Excellence is a testament to our team’s dedication to providing the highest quality of care and saving lives.”

Cardiac arrests remain the leading cause of death in Florida. Survival rates remain low despite advances in health care technology and medical care. In addition to developing standardized in-hospital protocols, the center of excellence initiative puts a strong emphasis on community involvement to train bystanders in resuscitation intervention efforts. As a Primary Resuscitation Center of Excellence, Baptist Hospital is tasked with promoting wellness and enhancing necessary rehabilitation to cardiac arrest patients, as well as offering support to loved ones and caregivers.