Hospital Board Reviews SMH Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Hospital Board Reviews SMH Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

SARASOTA, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2023) – On November 29, 2022, the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board voted to conduct a review of the care provided by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. A COVID-19 Panel was assembled to review policies, procedures and practices instituted as part of its pandemic response.

The Panel found that Sarasota Memorial performed strongly across a wide range of assessment areas when compared to other Florida hospitals and U.S. hospitals, and was pivotal to the strong COVID survival rate and clinical outcomes seen in the Suncoast region. The report reflects deep lessons learned and outlines how Sarasota Memorial intends to move forward on behalf of the community we faithfully serve.

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board voted 7-2 to accept the Panels’ report and approve several recommendations to help guide the health system moving forward.

"The performance of the health system and its hospital physicians and staff was impressive and the report demonstrates that,” said Hospital Board Chairman Tramm Hudson. “We encourage everyone to read the report, which reflects deep lessons learned and outlines how Sarasota Memorial intends to move forward on behalf of the community we serve.”

A full copy of the report is available here.

About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 1 million patient visits each year across its 2 hospital campuses, free-standing ER, skilled nursing and rehab center and network of outpatient care centers. Its flagship 901-bed Sarasota hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and comprehensive network of outpatient. In November 2021, the public health system opened its second acute-care hospital, SMH-Venice, with 110 beds and full range of specialties to serve the growing south Sarasota County region. For information, visit smh.com.