Answering God's call to bring health, healing and hope to all.
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01/20/2026
🧸 👶At Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, we’re here to support you with trusted guidance and encouragement.
Join our free Breastfeeding Support Group to learn from our International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC):
• Latch and positioning tips for comfort and effective feeding
• How to build and maintain milk supply, including what’s normal in the early days
• Pumping and safe breast milk storage basics
Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
His words continue to challenge and inspire us to look beyond ourselves and care for one another, especially those who are most vulnerable.
At Ascension, we live this call by caring for our neighbors and walking alongside individuals and families across our community.
01/16/2026
Screening is key when it comes to most cancers including cervical cancer. Learn more about how and when to get checked as well as a new upcoming test option in this interview from WJHG with Dr. Thomas Johnson, oncologist and hematologist: http://ascn.io/6184Cxeu6
Caring for your everyday and long-term health is easier with a primary care provider who truly listens.💗🩺✨
Dawn Bopes, FNP-C, is a nurse practitioner at Ascension Sacred Heart in Destin, FL. She takes the time to understand you, your health concerns, and your family’s health history by creating a personalized care plan designed to support your overall well-being. From diagnosing illness to prescribing medication and providing non-surgical care, Dawn is here for you at every stage of life.
Join us every third Wednesday of the month from 10:00 - 11:30 AM for a supportive and welcoming group where you can connect with others on your breastfeeding journey.
Whether you're navigating newborn behavior, maintaining milk supply, returning to work, or adjusting to night feedings, we've got you covered. Plus, all sessions are guided by an experienced IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant).
This group is open to mothers and infants up to 6 months old. No registration required—show up and share your journey. We can't wait to see you there!
Stroke care is now available close to home for residents and visitors in Walton County. After more than a year of preparation, Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is now a Primary Stroke Center certified by The Joint Commission.
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is opening a second floor on its stroke center in Miramar Beach. The upgraded space is designed to improve response times and…
01/10/2026
2026 is your year. 👑👑
Be ready for the good things to come in 2026 by feeling your best in mind, body and spirit. It starts with finding and connecting to a primary care doctor who will walk with you through every stage of your health journey. It’s the care you deserve, coming your way in 2026.
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald has earned Primary Stroke Center designation by the Joint Commission in collaboration with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. This certification recognizes the hospital’s efforts to meet the unique and specialized needs of patients who have suffered a stroke.
Patients who might benefit from a Primary Stroke Center include those suffering from:
🧠 Ischemic strokes
🧠 Large vessel occlusions
🧠 Hemorrhagic strokes
🧠 Strokes from unusual causes requiring specialized testing or interventional therapies
Congratulations to all who made this accomplishment possible! 👏
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast - Emergency in Miramar Beach, FL, delivers 24/7 emergency care for severe illness and injury.
01/08/2026
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. 💙
Certain factors — such as HPV infection, smoking, a weakened immune system, or not keeping up with regular screenings — can increase the risk for cervical cancer.
Taking a few minutes to understand your personal risk can be an important step in caring for your health.
We invite you to complete this simple, confidential Cervical Cancer Risk Assessment: http://ascn.io/6181ClyIF
01/07/2026
It’s a new year with health goals, and here’s another reason to choose whole foods. Studies show ultraprocessed foods may increase the risk of colon cancer in young women.
🌸 Every nap. Every night. Every baby. Simple as ABC.👶🎈
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is a Cribs for Kids® Gold Certified National Safe Sleep Hospital helping families build a safe sleep environment at home. 🌙🤍
Our maternity care has earned national recognition, including:
✨ U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity Care (2026)
✨ Newsweek America’s Best Maternity Hospitals (2025)
✨ The Joint Commission Level II Maternal Care Verified Facility (2025)
✨ Baby-Friendly Hospital (WHO and UNICEF) (since 2018)
🎄❤️ Holiday Heart Syndrome: When celebrations take a toll on your heart
Between rich meals, holiday toasts and added stress, doctors often see a spike in heart rhythm issues this time of year. Dr. Thomas Riddell, MD, interventional cardiologist and chief of cardiology at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, explains why conditions like Afib increase during the holidays, even in otherwise healthy people.
🎥 Watch the video to learn what Holiday Heart Syndrome is, who’s at risk, and how simple changes can help protect your heart while you celebrate by clicking the link: http://ascn.io/6186CYs9Q
Thomas C. Riddell, MD, is a cardiologist at Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart in Miramar Beach, Florida near Destin, FL. Dr. Riddell specializes in heart catheterization and minimally invasive heart care. He performs procedures to restore blood flow to the heart.
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Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is a nationally recognized 76-bed community hospital located in Miramar Beach, Florida, near Destin, providingi compassionate, personalized healthcare services to residents of Walton, Okaloosa and Bay counties.
Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast is the area’s most preferred and respected hospital. We are proud to be a leader in state-of-the-art medical technology, robotic procedures and provide nationally recognized services for our community, close to home. Through Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart, we offer physician services for a variety of specialties throughout the area with more than 300 highly skilled and qualified doctors on staff. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast provides a complete range of healthcare services including: life-saving heart and vascular services, cancer services, surgery, orthopedics, spine, adult and pediatric rehabilitation and full service 24/7 emergency care. We also offer comprehensive women’s services, including obstetrics, gynecology, and maternity services. Our pediatric services are supported by the specialists at The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola.
Expecting mothers delivering in our Family Birth Place enjoy private labor, delivery and recovery suites in a safe, caring environment. Our team of highly skilled Ob/Gyns and nurses provide the compassionate, skilled care you deserve. For future higher risk deliveries, you'll be reassured to know that our Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit scheduled to open later this year, will have neonatologists available 24/7.
Innovations made possible through Ascension enable patients and their families to connect with their caregivers when, where and how they need it. We continue to develop and provide ways to offer care that is convenient and accessible, such as our online physician visits available 24 hours a day at ascension.org/onlinecare. We strive to bring the best solutions from across our connected system of more than 36,000 aligned Ascension providers to benefit every patient — here and nationwide.
Dedicated to providing high quality, person-centered care, our facility consistently ranks among the top hospitals in the country for patient safety, experience and satisfaction. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has been recognized five times as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for patient satisfaction by Truven Health Analytics and ranked multiple times as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic and Spine Surgery. The hospital has been recognized nationally with Clinical Excellence Awards for Labor and Delivery, Gynecologic and Spine Surgery, Intensive Care and Emergency Department services.
Sacred Heart was founded by the Daughters of Charity and is committed to providing compassionate and personalized care for everyone, especially the poor and most vulnerable. Living out our mission as a faith-based entity, Ascension Sacred Heart provides more than $142 million a year in benefits to our surrounding communities, including more charity care to the area's most vulnerable citizens than any other health care institution. The hospital sees more than 52,000 visits annually, including more than 1,300 infant deliveries and more than 31,000 emergency department visits. We look forward to serving you.
