Sacred Heart blesses Women’s Diagnostic Center
The new Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf Women’s Diagnostic Center facility received a chaplain’s formal blessing last month, following the completion of a renovated 1,096 square foot space inside the Medical Office Building adjacent to the hospital.
On March 7, wellwishers gathered to celebrate the center’s opening, a half million-dollar project aided considerably by a $350,000 gift from The Murphy Family Foundation.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Brendan and Cindy Murphy for their investment to improve health outcomes for women in our area,” said Kelly Beach, administrator and chief nursing officer for Sacred Heart Gulf.”
The contractor working on the project, Mickelson Construction Services, Inc., had an overall budget goal for the Women’s Diagnostic Center of $500,000, which includes some equipment including the new 3D Mammogram machine added in March 2023, and updates to existing equipment and software. The construction portion of the project was roughly $220,000.
Funding for the new center was joined by other influential donors including The Junior Service League of Port S Joe, The Tapper Foundation, The Women Helping Women Brunch – Trish Warriner, and the Alfred I. duPont Foundation.
“Current data shows that only half of the women in our area had a mammogram in the past year and access can be a barrier for screening,” said Brendan and Cindy Murphy. “With this donation, we are ensuring women in our community have life-saving mammograms close to home.”
The location is expected to make it easier for residents of Gulf and Franklin counties to get their annual mammogram.
“As a non-profit hospital, we provide mammograms for women who are uninsured and underinsured to help remove the cost barrier in partnership with other local non-profit organizations,” said Beach. “The Cricket Fund assists women who live in Gulf County, Franklin County, and Mexico Beach.”
For more information on how to obtain a free mammogram or breast ultrasound, call Sacred Heart Gulf Women’s Diagnostic Center at 850-229-5680. Franklin Needs provides free mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies for uninsured and under-insured residents of Franklin County and surrounding areas. You can get more information about Franklin Needs by emailing info@franklinneeds.com or visiting their website at franklinneeds.com.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.