April 27, 2009 Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola on Friday unveiled a new bronze statue to commemorate the legacy of nursing at Sacred Heart
Hospital and to honor the 760 nurses educated at the Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing from 1916 to 1967. Created by local sculptor Bob Rasmussen, the statue is comprised of three life-sized nursing figures representing the past, present and future of nursing in Northwest Florida, Sacred Heart officials said in a news release. The statue also features a lit lamp being passed from one figure to the other, symbolizing the passing of knowledge from the first generation of nursing students to the nurses of today. It is being purchased with the support of area donors who wish to honor the special nurses in their lives. “The positive impact that Sacred Heart has had on the lives of people in this community would not have been possible without the selfless services of generations of highly-trained nurses who have spent their lives caring for our patients,” said Laura Kaiser, chief operating officer and interim president of Sacred Heart Health System. “Nurses are such an important part of our mission of healing, and this statue will serve as a reminder to all who enter our hospital.” Other speakers at the event included Sister Annina Scharper, a member of the Daughters of Charity who was the last director of the School of Nursing, and Bishop John Ricard of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. He noted that the founders of the Daughters of Charity, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, believed a hospital should be a place where God is most evident in the world. “This image is a reminder of the sacredness of the call to be a nurse,” he added. Approximately 150 people attended the unveiling, many of them graduates of the old School of Nursing. The unveiling of the statue is the first in a series of events that will honor the legacy of nursing at Sacred Heart Hospital. During the weekend of April 24 through 26, the now-closed Sacred Heart School of Nursing will host a special reunion for all former graduates of the school. Festivities include evening get-togethers, tours of the old Sacred Heart Hospital on 12th Avenue, and a special Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. This week, Sacred Heart will honor its nurses during National Nurses’ Week, with special themed gifts, receptions, and guest speakers.
Sister Annina Scharper, who served as the last director of the old Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing in Pensacola, speaks Friday at the hospital during the unveiling of a new bronze sculpture honoring the past and present nurses of Sacred Heart. Standing to the right of Sister Annina is Laura Kaiser, interim CEO of Sacred Heart Health System. (Special to the News Journal)