Health First Accreditations, Certifications & Awards

Our commitment to continuous Quality Improvement has taken the form of rigorous benchmarking. This philosophy has led to a commitment of achieving Accreditation and Certifications to the highest national standards available for our clinical programs. As a result, Health First hospitals and facilities have earned the following distinctions:

Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission
• Accredited by ICAEL (International Commission for Accreditation of Echo Laboratories)
• Certified by the College of American Pathologists (CAP)-Blood Gas Laboratory
• Designated as a "Baby-Friendly Hospital™" by the World Health Organization/UNICEF (first hospital in the southeastern United States to receive this designation)
• Florida Governor's Sterling Achievement Award (recognition given to organizations that represent role model practices)
• "Get with the Guidelines - Stroke" Gold Plus Award from the American Stroke Association
• Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) Certification
• Jean Byers Memorial Award for Excellence in Cancer Registration
• Named one of the "Top 100 Hospitals for Patient Satisfaction" by WomenCertified®
• Primary Stroke Center Certification by The Joint Commission
• Women's Diagnostic Center: Accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR) for Mammography and Stereotactic Breast Biopsy

Health First Diagnostic Centers

Melbourne: Accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR) as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (Breast and General Ultrasound, Stereotactic & Ultrasound-guided Breast Biopsy, and Mammography) as well as for CT
Merritt Island: ACR Accreditation for Digital Mammography and CT; Accreditation by ICAEL for Echo-cardiology (International Commission for Accreditation of Echo Laboratories)
Sykes Creek (Merritt Island): ACR Accreditation for MRI
Viera Medical Plaza: ACR Accreditation for Mammography

Health First Health Plans

• Accreditation status of "Excellent" from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improve healthcare quality
• 2012-2013: MA-PD (Medicare Advantage Medical + Part D) plans ranked #2 in Florida according to NCQA’s Medicare Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2012-2013.
• 2012-2013: Group plans ranked #2 in Florida according to NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings, 2012-2013.
• 2013: Earned 4.5 stars out of 5 Overall Plan Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Plan performance star ratings are assessed each year and may change from one year to the next.

Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission
• Accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR) in CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT, and Ultrasound
• American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Accreditation - Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
• Certified by the American College of Pathologists (CAP)-Laboratory Services
• Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Council
• "Get with the Guidelines-Stroke" Gold Plus Award from the American Stroke Association
• HRS Certification for Pre-Hospital Care - Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center and First Flight Aeromedical Transport
• Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) Certification
• Jean Byers Memorial Award for Excellence in Cancer Registration
• Level II Trauma Center Certification by Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration
• National Institution for Occupational Safety and Health Certification - Pulmonary Laboratory
• Primary Stroke Center Certification by The Joint Commission
• 2012 TransLife Award of Excellence and Medal of Honor from the US Department of Health & Human Services

Health First Home Care

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission

Health First Medical Equipment

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission

Health First Palm Bay Hospital

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission
• Accreditation by the American College of Radiology in Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, Mammography, Breast Ultrasound, CT, and MRI
• Accreditation by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)
• Accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP)-Laboratory Services
• Jean Byers Memorial Award for Excellence in Cancer Registration

Health First Physicians Group

• Certified as Patient-Centered medical Homes (PCMH) through the National Center for Quality Assurance (all Primary Care Physicians practices, with seven (7) practices receiving Level 3 certification, the highest possible award
• Primary Care Physicians performed highest in Florida for preventive services, including Mammography and Colorectal Cancer Screenings, as well as influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations (EHR 4 Prevention-FMQAI)

Health First Sleep Center

• American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Accredited Hospital-based Sleep Center (based at Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital

Health First Viera Hospital

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission
• Accreditation by the American College of Radiology in Mammography, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and CT
• Certified by the College of American Pathologists (CAP)

Hospice of Health First

• Accreditation by The Joint Commission

(last updated 10-22-12)