PORT ST. JOE, Fla. – Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf is pleased to announce the talented group of physicians selected to serve as the Medical Executive Committee for the new hospital. The Medical Executive Committee represents the organizational body that oversees the functions and duties of the hospital’s medical staff.

The committee meets on a regular basis to discuss a variety of patient care initiatives and to make recommendations to the hospital’s Board of Directors. Topics range from patient safety and medication practices, to new physicians and hospital policies. The Medical Executive Committee includes Dr. Thomas Curry, Dr. James Ward, Jr., Dr. Gary Pablo; Dr. Betty Curry; and Dr. Owen Oksanen.

Dr. Thomas Curry, a specialist in internal medicine and nephrology, is the Chief of Staff for the new hospital in Port St. Joe. Dr. Curry completed medical school, internship and residency training at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Curry has practiced medicine since 1985, including starting his private practice in Port St. Joe at the Shoreline Medical Group in 1995. Dr. Curry also serves as the director of Gulf County Emergency Medical Services and has done so since 1995.

Dr. James Ward, Jr., a cardiologist with Sacred Heart Medical Group, serves as the Medical Director for Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf. Dr. Ward attended medical school at the University of Tennessee, received internship and residency training at the City of Memphis Hospitals, and completed residency and fellowship training at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Ward also serves as the Medical Director for Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast (in South Walton County) and has done so since the hospital’s opening in 2003. He has practiced cardiology since 1978.

Dr. Gary Pablo, an emergency medicine physician, serves as the Medical Director for Emergency Services for Sacred Heart Health System, ensuring high quality and coordinated care between Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach, and the new hospital. He completed medical school at the University of Miami followed by internship and residency training at Highland General Hospital. He has practiced medicine since 1979.

Dr. Betty Curry, pediatrician, completed medical school, internship and residency training at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Curry has specialized in providing children’s medical services since 1990, specifically serving the Port St. Joe area since 1995 when she and her husband established Shoreline Medical Group.

Dr. Owen Oksanen, a family medicine physician, completed medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, followed by internship and residency training at the University of Virginia Hospitals’ Department of Medicine. Dr. Oksanen has been practicing medicine since 1978 and opened a private practice in Port St. Joe in 1988.

The new 25-bed Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf opened on March 15. It features 24-hour emergency services, inpatient services, surgical services, a full complement of diagnostic and laboratory services, and a helipad to be used by Sacred Heart's regional air ambulance service to provide rapid transport for trauma or critically ill patients. A medical office building is scheduled to open in the fall and will provide convenient access to primary care and specialty physicians, dialysis services, women’s diagnostic and imaging services, and Sacred Heart Rehabilitation.

For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf, visit online at www.sacredheartonthegulf.org or call (850) 229-5600.