SMH Honors More than 750 Employees for Milestone Work Anniversaries

April 26, 2024 | Sarasota

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System honored more than 750 employees celebrating milestone work anniversaries this year, including longtime staffers reaching 40 and 45 years of service.

With more than 10,000 employees, Sarasota Memorial is Sarasota County’s largest employer, and one of the most respected employers in the nation, according to multiple best employer/workplace awards it has received (see list at end). At the health system’s annual service anniversary celebration on Tuesday, Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder and Sarasota County Public Hospital Board Chair Sarah Lodge paid tribute to the longest-serving employees and hundreds more following in their footsteps.

“Whether they are celebrating 45 years or 5 years of service, our team members are Sarasota Memorial’s most important asset,” said Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder. “Their dedication, experience and expertise have made SMH the nationally recognized health system it is today.”

The longest serving honorees were Spence Hudon (clinical manager), Gayle Manitz (registered nurse) and Victoria Troutman (patient relations), who were celebrating 45 years of service, and Sandra Erickson (medical laboratory scientist); Craig Gammon, (facilities management supervisor), Terria Gibbs (registered nurse), Richard Mellott (patient care tech), Mary Moretti (vascular access nurse), Vicki Smith (clinical data coordinator) and Shirley Swain (OR multi-skilled tech lead), who were marking 40 years of service. In addition to the 40- and 45-year honorees, SMH recognized hundreds of other employees celebrating 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35-year work anniversaries.

It’s not often you see that kind of loyalty and longevity in today’s workplace, noted Sarasota County Public Hospital Board Chair Sarah Lodge, who credits SMH leaders for creating a supportive work environment that fosters a committed, highly engaged staff. 

“It’s a tremendous honor for the Hospital Board to take part in these annual celebrations recognizing employees who have made Sarasota Memorial what it is today,” said Lodge. “On behalf of the board and the entire community, I’d like to express our deepest gratitude to every staff member for their unwavering service over the years and the enormous difference they make in the lives of our patients and their families.”

Among other rankings and awards, Sarasota Memorial’s recent workplace achievements include:

• Newsweek’s Greatest Workplaces for Women, 2024
• Forbes’ America’s Best Large Employers, 2024
• Becker’s Top 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare, 2024
• Forbes’ Best-in-State Employers, #4 overall and #1 among Florida healthcare employers, 2023

The video SMH produced from the event is posted here: https://youtu.be/zR74OguB6KQ