SMH Closes 2021 with $1 Billion+ Investment in Health of Community

December 15, 2021 – Sarasota

This month, as Sarasota Memorial Health Care System reflects on an unrelenting year of hardship, challenge and growth, the health system is celebrating several milestones that amount to a billion-dollar investment in the health of the community.

In the midst of a global pandemic that left workers, materials and other essential resources in short supply, Sarasota Memorial opened Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice, a 65-acre medical campus and new 110-bed hospital in Venice on Nov. 4, the same day it unveiled the heart of its new Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, an 8-story oncology and surgical tower on its Sarasota campus. The health system also spent the past several weeks paving the way for construction to begin on a new, state-of-the-art behavioral health pavilion in the New Year.

“When we launched these transformative initiatives a few years ago, no one could have predicted the pandemic and how it would put so many lives and projects at risk,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System President and Chief Executive Officer David Verinder. “It’s been a difficult journey, one that has placed an enormous strain on our capacity and resources, but thanks to the incredible work and dedication of our team and partners, we are welcoming patients into new groundbreaking facilities, and moving forward with more expansion plans that will help us meet vital community needs and promote health and wellness throughout the region for years to come.”

Collectively, the much-needed projects represent a $1.2 billion capital investment and the most significant expansion in the publicly owned, not-for-profit health system’s nearly century of service. All are designed to address pressing community needs. Sarasota Memorial’s inpatient volumes have increased by more than 30% over the last 5 years. The hospital’s Sarasota campus was regularly at capacity before the onset of COVID-19, and stretched beyond its limits during pandemic-related patient surges. The two recently opened facilities have increased system-wide inpatient capacity from 839 beds to 1,005 beds, allowing the organization to better respond to evolving patient needs and improve access to care. Meanwhile, the behavioral health pavilion will expand essential services at a time when COVID-19 has disrupted lives and led to an increase in people struggling with mental health challenges. 

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is the leading provider of healthcare services in southwest Florida, with more than 1 million patient visits each year at its 895-bed Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota, freestanding ER, and network of medical offices, urgent care and outpatient centers.