Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital Awarded Indian River County’s first Primary Florida Resuscitation Center of Excellence
The hospital achieved the designation by meeting statewide criteria for cardiac care and community involvement
SEBASTIAN, Fl (July 20, 2026) — Recognized for its coordinated, high-quality cardiac emergency care, Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital has earned designation as a Primary Florida Resuscitation Center of Excellence. The recognition, awarded through a statewide program, highlights the hospital’s performance in treating cardiac arrest and its collaboration with local emergency responders. Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital is the first and only facility in Indian River County to achieve this distinction.
“This recognition highlights the depth of coordination and expertise required to care for cardiac arrest patients,” said Dan Bowen, president of Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital. “From the moment a patient enters our care, our teams are focused on delivering highly specialized, time-sensitive treatment that helps give people the best possible chance at recovery.”
The criteria also include a strong emphasis on community involvement, such as programs to train bystanders in resuscitation intervention efforts and bystander CPR training. Centers of Excellence are tasked with promoting wellness and enhancing necessary rehabilitation for cardiac arrest patients as well as providing support for their loved ones and caregivers.
“Successful cardiac arrest care depends on a highly coordinated approach that begins in the field and continues seamlessly in the emergency department,” said Dr. Robert Ford, EMS Medical Director for Brevard County Fire Rescue and emergency department medical director at Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital. “This designation reflects the strength of collaboration between EMS and hospital teams, as well as our ongoing commitment to evaluating performance and refining care to improve survival outcomes.”
Each year, approximately 350,000 individuals die from cardiac arrest in the U.S., and it remains the third-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Sudden cardiac Arrest Foundation.
The designation is awarded through the Florida Resuscitation Centers of Excellence (FRCE) program in partnership with the Florida Association of EMS Medical Directors (FAEMSMD). Hospitals earning the designation demonstrate strong performance in resuscitation care, continuous quality improvement and coordinated systems of care with local EMS agencies, setting a standard for cardiac arrest treatment across Florida.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $15 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States – including Florida and Alabama – and Puerto Rico. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida the system provides a complete continuum of care across a network of medical centers and institutes, community and specialty hospitals, physician practices, urgent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare, and long-term and behavioral health care services. Founded more than 100 years ago, Orlando Health’s mission is to improve the health and the quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. The system provided nearly $2 billion in community impact in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 24, the most recent period for which the information is available. For more information, visit orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
