Halifax Health Recognized as a Homeward Bound Hospital All-Star by Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative

Daytona Beach, FL – (September 11, 2025) Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach has been awarded a five-star rating by the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC) for its exceptional performance in the statewide Homeward Bound initiative. This recognition places Halifax Health among an elite group of hospitals that met all five key quality measures designed to improve Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Neonatal ICU) discharge readiness and support for families transitioning home.

The Homeward Bound initiative, launched in January 2024, is FPQC’s largest infant health quality improvement effort to date, involving 48 Neonatal ICU units across Florida. The program was developed in response to the complex challenges families face when preparing to bring their Neonatal ICU infants’ home, including emotional, social, and logistical barriers. By integrating evidence-based practices and national guidelines, the initiative aimed to ensure that families were not only technically prepared but also emotionally confident in continuing their infant’s care after discharge.

Over the course of nearly two years, our Halifax Health – Neonatal ICU team demonstrated unwavering commitment to excellence. Through training, family education, and quality improvement interventions, the team achieved sustained progress across all five performance metrics. These included parental technical readiness, emotional preparedness, discharge planning, structural sustainability measures, and active participation in initiative activities and data reporting.

The five-star rating reflects the success at Halifax Health in implementing a comprehensive, family-centered discharge process that begins at admission and continues through the infant’s transition home. The Neonatal ICU team at Halifax Health also contributed valuable insights and shared best practices with peers across the state, helping to elevate the standard of care for Neonatal ICU families statewide.

“This recognition reflects the dedication and compassion of our Halifax Health - Neonatal ICU team,” said Tanya Wolfe, Nurse Manager of our Halifax Health - Neonatal ICU. “Their commitment to quality improvement and family-centered care has made a lasting impact on the lives of our smallest patients and their families.”

The FPQC praised Halifax Health for its leadership, collaboration, and innovation throughout the nearly two-year initiative. The hospital’s team not only met but exceeded goals, contributing valuable insights and best practices to the broader healthcare community.

For more information about the Homeward Bound initiative, visit fpqc.org/homeward-bound.

For more information about our Halifax Health – Neonatal ICU, visit halifaxhealth.org/baby.

About Halifax Health

Halifax Health is the leading healthcare provider for Volusia and Flagler counties, offering a comprehensive range of services through a network that includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care network, psychiatric services, and a specialized cancer treatment center with multiple outreach locations. As the area’s only provider of a Level II Trauma Center, Center for Transplant Services, and a Pediatric Emergency Department staffed 24/7 by board-certified pediatricians, Halifax Health is also home to the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services. In addition, Halifax Health has collaborated with UF Health to bring over fourteen specialties to the area.

Recognized for excellence and innovation, Halifax Health consistently receives top ratings, multiple accreditations from CARF International for inpatient rehabilitation, and the prestigious Novalis Certification of Excellence for its cancer treatment center. The organization has also achieved a 3 Star Rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgery for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, is designated as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Hospital, with high performance in heart failure, knee and hip replacement, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, heart bypass surgery and TAVR procedures. In addition to being the region's longest-standing Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach has consistently earned AHA’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Honor Roll. With a legacy of excellence and community service since 1928, Halifax Health continues to set the standard for quality and compassionate care in the region.