Cancer Specialist Dr. James Fiorica Named New Chief Medical Officer

Cancer Specialist Dr. James Fiorica Named New Chief Medical Officer

Tuesday, October 3, 2017


SARASOTA, Fla. (Oct. 3, 2017) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System has named local cancer specialist James Fiorica, MD, to serve as the organization’s top physician administrator. Dr. Fiorica succeeds Steve Taylor, MD, who retired last week after serving seven years as chief medical officer.

In addition to his women’s cancer practice, Dr. Fiorica has served as associate chief medical officer, working alongside Dr. Taylor since he announced plans to retire last year.

“We are extremely fortunate to have an outstanding leader of Dr. Fiorica's caliber ready to take over, as he has been a longtime medical staff leader and highly respected clinician,” said Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder. 

As chief medical officer, Dr. Fiorica will serve as the liaison between hospital administration and the 900-plus members of SMH’s medical staff. He also will assume oversight of the health system’s quality, population health and patient safety initiatives and practices. 

“Dr. Taylor provided exceptional leadership during a time of enormous growth and change,” said Verinder. “In addition to his day-to-day medical and quality oversight, he was a champion in establishing a number of programs that have greatly enhanced the community's access to top-quality care, including the opening of our Level II Trauma Center and Internal Medicine Residency Program — two critical yet highly complex undertakings. We wish him the best during his long-planned and well-deserved retirement.”

Before becoming associate chief medical officer in 2016, Dr. Fiorica served as Sarasota Memorial’s chief of staff in 2014 to 2015, also playing an integral role in the establishment of SMH’s trauma and residency programs. Dr. Fiorica specializes in Gynecological Oncology and serves as director of Sarasota Memorial’s Women’s Cancer Specialty Program, working with physicians throughout the region to ensure that women have access to the most successful treatments available. He has led innovative research trials and been at the forefront of the hospital’s robotic surgery program for gynecological cancer patients. 

Before joining Sarasota Memorial’s First Physicians Group in 2005, Dr. Fiorica was the leader of the Gynecology Oncology Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. 

First Physicians Group is in the process of adding a new gynecological oncologist, and Dr. Fiorica will continue his active practice until the new specialist comes on board early next year. 

About Sarasota Memorial 
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 900,000 patient visits each year. Sarasota Memorial’s flagship 829-bed, acute-care hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s largest and best, with superior patient outcomes and a complete continuum of outpatient services – from urgent care, trauma and emergency services to laboratory and diagnostic imaging, home health, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Sarasota Memorial is the only hospital in Florida with the highest five-star ranking from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid for quality and safety.