The Chartis Center for Rural Health recognizes Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf with 2025 Performance Leadership Award

Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf earned a 2025 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Quality and Patient Perspective - ranking in the top quartile among rural hospitals nationwide. The hospital is one of only five in Florida to earn this distinction and one of only two recognized in multiple categories.

Compiled byThe Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards program recognizes top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality and Patient Perspective.

"This is the second year in a row that our care teams have been recognized with Performance Leadership Awards," said Kunal Jani, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Sacred Heart Gulf. "These awards speak to the commitment of our associates to the patients and families we serve."

"This award is a powerful reflection of the daily dedication of our nurses and entire care team to delivering exceptional, compassionate care," said Kelly Beach, Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer for Sacred Heart Gulf. "It underscores our commitment to not only clinical excellence but also to ensuring every patient feels heard and valued."

The Performance Leadership Awards program is based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, a comprehensive and objective framework for assessing how rural hospitals are performing. INDEX benchmarks are relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure performance across multiple areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

"The areas of quality, outcomes, and patient perspective are cornerstones of healthcare delivery across rural America, and this year's Performance Leadership Award recipients are establishing a standard of excellence for their rural peers to follow," said Michael Topchik, Executive Director, Chartis Center for Rural Health. "We are delighted to shine a spotlight on such strong performance and honor the achievement of these hospitals on National Rural Health Day."

For more details about the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, contact Billy Balfour at [email protected].

Sacred Heart Gulf works to address the health needs of the rural communities we serve. Sacred Heart Gulf delivers primary care and specialty care for your everyday health needs, as well as 24/7 emergency care for serious and life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Specialty care includes surgical services and heart and vascular health, as well as a helipad to provide rapid transportation of trauma and critically ill patients. Sacred Heart Gulf also offers a wide range of minimally invasive procedures, imaging, lab tests and rehabilitation services, all on one campus. To learn more visit ascension.org/GulfFL.