Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital was just designated as a Primary Florida Resuscitation Center of Excellence in Indian River County, reflecting its commitment to improving cardiac arrest outcomes, advancing evidence-based care, and fostering strong partnerships with local emergency medical services, according to hospital officials.
The designation is awarded through the Florida Resuscitation Centers of Excellence program in partnership with the Florida Association of EMS Medical Directors.
Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital was previously awarded the coveted designation, which is based on multiple interlinked factors that are critical to resuscitation performance – namely, the quality of hospital personnel training, adherence to evidence-based protocols, collection of data, and the implementation of internal quality control and case review mechanisms.
It’s not easy for a hospital to get this accreditation, but being able to assure the public that its work meets a high standard makes the effort worthwhile.
Despite improvements in resuscitation outcomes nationally over the past two decades, survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest varies widely across and within hospitals, according to the Joint Commission, an organization that for 70 years has helped hospitals transform their practices by meeting rigorous performance standards.
Outcomes are even worse for those who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital.
Dr. Bobby Ford, who is the medical director of Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital Emergency Department and Brevard County Fire Rescue EMS, says that centers of excellence are similar to trauma centers in some regards.
“When a patient requires treatment, they’re taken to the specific hospital most trained to treat their area of need, which is not necessarily the closest one,” Dr. Ford says.
“The survival rate from a cardiac incident in the field isn’t good. In Florida on average, it’s 8 percent.
“It’s a rare occurrence when you can airlift a patient in cardiac arrest – they can’t do CPR in most helicopters because there’s not enough room. Although you occasionally come across one that’s large enough, for the most part, you transport active cardiac arrest patients on the ground.”
Dr. Ford adds, “When EMS and hospital teams are aligned around best practices, patients have a better chance of survival. Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital has proven to be a strong partner in resuscitation care, and this designation reflects the strength of that collaboration.”
According to the American Heart Association, “heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest are two completely different conditions. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. A heart attack is a circulation problem. Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. Cardiac arrest is much more likely to be fatal.”
Within the center of excellence certification process, there is a rating system developed by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services that awards between 1 and 5 stars to summarize the quality of care.
“This four star CMS rating is a proud moment for us,” said Dan Bowen, president of Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital.
“It reflects the unwavering dedication of our physicians and team members who show up every day committed to delivering high quality, compassionate care for our community.
“Earning this distinction underscores our promise to continually raise the standard of care close to home. While I’m very happy to see our improvement to a 4-star rating, we will keep working to become a 5-star hospital.”
Dr. Ford explains that once a hospital receives a designation, it is constantly reevaluated for things like transparency of data.
“One of a hospital’s biggest responsibilities is educating the public about its cardiac resuscitation program. Whatever way we can reach the most people is the best way for us to do it,” he says.
“These programs are not state-mandated. Hospitals opt in on their own, making the commitment to work towards receiving this important designation.”
Dr. Bobby Ford, medical director for both Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital Emergency Department and Brevard County Fire Rescue EMS, was licensed as an EMT in 2005, has a BS from Purdue University, a DO degree from West Virginia School of Medicine, and did an emergency medical residency at Mercy St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Ohio. He also has an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Florida Institute of Technology. For more information about Orlando Health Sebastian River and Melbourne Hospitals, visit orlandohealth.com.
