Roger Hall — a job very well done

The “founding father” of Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast/Gulf is honored upon his retirement

“Healthcare is only as good as the community it is serving.”

If you know Roger Hall, you know that is his mantra. Our grateful community honored Roger in a virtual ceremony marking his retirement and the end of his 17-year tenure as President of Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast/Gulf. A dedicated, compassionate and serving leader, the community has always been what drives him.

“The community challenges the hospital to provide services to meet its needs; at the same time, the hospital is challenged to be a servant of the community by taking care of those in need. And, what better way to do that than to ask them to help us?” Hall said. “Give us direction, help us fund it. Every project we’ve done has been through gifts from our community. I think that’s what’s made us successful: partnership with our community, partnership with our doctors and having the oversight of Ascension. It hasn’t been me — I am happy to have been the conduit. I am blessed.”

And, through his leadership and service, Roger, in turn, has blessed the community. He took Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast (ASHEC) from concept to reality to award-winning status — honored five times as a Top 100 Hospital® in America. He has overseen multiple expansions, including the Family Birth Place, which this year saw a 10-bed Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit open, and the introduction of numerous medical specialties, including the Cancer Center and most recently the greatly enhanced Spine Center.

In addition to being a Top 100 Hospital®, honors include: Five Stars from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for both ASHEC and Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf — two of only nine hospitals in all of Florida to receive five stars; HealthGrades’ Outstanding Patient Experience awards in 2018 and ’19; the highest score in Florida for Patient Experience; and honors for several clinical services.

Over the course of his tenure, Roger helped raise over $30 million to fund Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast and its expansions. It has grown from 50 to 72 beds and from 138 to more than 700 associates. Deliveries in the Family Birth Place have grown from 500 to over 1,500 a year.

In recognition of his vision and leadership, a plaque with Roger’s picture will be placed in the main lobby at ASHEC, and the Department of Surgery will be named in his honor.

Roger will have plenty to do in retirement, especially spending more time with Susan, his wife of nearly 40 years, his daughter and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed on a daily basis, but he will remain a fixture with a shining legacy on the Emerald Coast.

Well done! Thank you and Godspeed, Roger Hall.