Blessing of the Fleet at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Jan. 30

[Audrey J]

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is hosting a "Blessing of the Fleet" on Friday, Jan. 30, at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate the addition of their new ground-transport vehicles and AIRHeart air ambulance. The blessing and celebration will be held in a parking area near the Family Birth Place entrance of the hospital, west of the main entrance.

Sacred Heart Health System has increased its fleet of emergency-transport vehicles, including one vehicle that is based at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast (SHHEC) in Miramar Beach.

Additions include:

• A custom-designed Neonatal Critical Care Transport Unit, which is stationed at SHHEC to serve the Emerald Coast and surrounding area. It covers an area within a three-hour radius of SHHEC. This vehicle is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and patient-comfort features, and is staffed by neonatal medical experts. It can transport up to two newborns at a time along with one parent or guardian.

• A Pediatric Critical Care Transport Unit, which is based in Pensacola and covers a three-hour radius from Sacred Heart Hospital. This vehicle also is equipped with lifesaving technology and pediatric-trained staff to transport children needing emergency or intensive care.

• An AIRHeart Bell 407 air ambulance, which covers up to a 250-mile radius of its base in Crestview. The aircraft is equipped to transport both adults and critically ill newborns. A specially trained flight nurse and EMS professional are on board during each transport.

Donors who made the addition of the new Neonatal Critical Care Transport Unit possible are Walmart/Sam’s Club, the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation and the Caduceus Society of the Emerald Coast, a physician organization based at SHHEC in Miramar Beach.

Learn more about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in the SoWal Business Guide.