Orange Park Medical Center named 1st asthma-friendly hospital in state

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Orange Park Medical Center has been named the first asthma-friendly hospital in the state by the Florida Asthma Coalition.

Hospital officials said they earned the distinction by dedicating hospital resources to caring for asthmatics and having more than 50 employees participate in asthma education and specialized testing administered through the Asthma Coalition of Northeast Florida.

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Kay Lockhart-Horner, the hospital's director of respiratory therapy, said all emergency department nurses, respiratory therapists and pediatrics nurses have taken the tests.

“I am over the moon excited (about the recognition),” Lockhart-Horner said. “I was a child of asthma myself.”

Asthma is the leading cause of pediatric visits to the OPMC emergency room, Lockhart-Horner said.

“This is a huge win for Orange Park Medical Center. I am so proud to work with a team that makes helping those that live with asthma a priority,” Lockhart-Horner said. “The high level of asthma care we are able to offer is due to the collaborative efforts of our physicians, respiratory therapists, pediatric and emergency department nurses and pharmacists.”

The steps taken by hospitals to earn this recognition helps to significantly reduce unnecessary hospital visits, re-admissions and overall health outcomes due to asthma, the Florida Asthma Coalition said.

Lockhart-Horner said that in addition to higher levels of training than other hospitals, OPMC also gives patients a bevy of tools to care for themselves at home after they're discharged.


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Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.