NASA landing launches Ascension Sacred Heart emergency teams into national spotlight

When SpaceX’s Crew-8 members needed medical assistance after 235 days in space, Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola was ready to assist, becoming the first civilian hospital in NASA’s 60-year history to provide medical care to astronauts.

As the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, Ascension Sacred Heart was prepared to respond at a moment's notice. Christine Jandora, director of emergency services, said NASA notified the care teams before the scheduled landing off the coast of Pensacola. 

“We’ve gone through extensive training and drills with NASA for years and there has never been a single incident,” Christine said. 

But a pre-dawn call changed everything. Shortly after the spacecraft splashed down, NASA alerted Sacred Heart that the astronauts were en route to the hospital for medical evaluations. Kelsey Deason, director of acute services at Ascension Sacred Heart, was waiting at the emergency bay when astronauts and aerospace medicine personnel arrived.

“We coordinated closely with their medical team to provide smooth care transitions,” Kelsey said. “The NASA team said they were impressed with our well-organized protocols and the cleanliness of our facility and friendly staff.”

While three of the crew members returned to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston that day, one astronaut stayed overnight for further observation.

A couple of months later, Christine and Kelsey attended a post-flight news conference in Houston, where astronauts shared insights about the ongoing research being conducted on the International Space Station. NASA took this opportunity to acknowledge Sacred Heart for their exceptional care of the astronauts.

“The audience made us feel like we were the stars of the show!,” Kelsey said.”Everyone told us how thankful they were. An astronaut's wife gave me a hug thanking us for caring for her husband.”

Christine said the event highlighted Sacred Heart’s readiness and capability to handle medical emergencies, ranging from the routine to the extraordinary.

“It was a shining moment for our care teams, proving we are prepared for whatever emergency arises,” she said.