COMMUNITY PROFILES

Newcomers will find first-rate educational opportunities on every academic level, including well-managed public school districts, private schools, three public university campuses, and two private colleges. The University of West Florida (UWF) enrolls more than 12,000 students in a wide variety of disciplines leading to degrees from bachelor through doctorate. Nestled on a natural preserve bordered by two rivers and Escambia Bay, UWF is recognized for its progressive approach to technology and environmental policy. Recent additions include a state-of-the-art School of Science and Engineering with prototype robot fabrication/testing laboratories and 3-D virtual reality simulators. Pensacola State College focuses on baccalaureate and associate degrees along with career training and continued education. Florida State University College of Medicine maintains a Pensacola campus for clinical training in family and internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, geriatrics, psychiatry and emergency medicine through affiliations with local physicians and hospitals. Private institutions include Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, the largest and oldest aviation-focused university in the world.

Advanced healthcare is another hallmark of the region, where several major medical centers and hospitals serve a regional population with advanced diagnostics and treatment. West Florida Healthcare in Pensacola includes a full-service, emergency care facility specializing in cardiac and cancer care. The health system is proud of its recognized level of clinical excellence including consistent recognition as Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by the Joint Commission. The Sacred Heart Health System is another regional leader with a 566-bed hospital in Pensacola that houses the area’s only Children’s Hospital. Other vital services at Sacred Heart Health include a Regional Heart and Vascular Institute, a regional Stroke Center, a Level II Trauma Center, and a Cancer Center associated with MD Anderson Physicians Network. The third major healthcare institution is Baptist Hospital of Baptist Health Care. As part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Baptist Health Care physicians have the advantage of collaborating with Mayo specialists on challenging cases.