SARASOTA, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2026) – Pamela Ramhofer, chief information officer at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, was recognized with Florida’s prestigious ORBIE Award on Feb. 6. She was one of six leading CIOs to win the prestigious leadership award for industry innovation and impact.
Ramhofer has served as chief information officer at SMH since May 2015 and has worked at the 100-year-old community health system for more than 40 years. Early in her career, she worked as a cardiac and intensive care nurse and played a leading role in the implementation of electronic medical records. After 12 years as a nurse, she transitioned to clinical and business systems, where she has directed major IT initiatives supporting critical systems.
“Pam’s unique perspective as a former critical care nurse and expertise in clinical information systems have been invaluable as she guided our health system through four decades of transformative change,” Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder said. “Her work represents decades of progress that have positioned Sarasota Memorial to deliver secure, integrated and efficient care and meet the health care needs of our community for years to come. We are deeply grateful for her contributions to SMH and the broader healthcare community.”
Under Ramhofer's leadership, Sarasota Memorial has been ranked repeatedly among the world’s “Most Wired” hospitals. Some of her many accomplishments include:
- Leading technology initiatives that strengthened hospital operations and improved patient care.
- Building a secure, resilient network ensuring continuity during disasters and cyber threats.
- Enabling telehealth growth and safe care delivery.
This year, as Sarasota Memorial continues to expand regionally, she is leading the largest technology and operational initiative in SMH’s 100-year history— an organization-wide transition to the Epic EHR— scheduled to go live in October 2026.
Since 1998, the ORBIE Awards have recognized leadership excellence, building relationships between executives and trusted business partners, and inspiring the next generation of executives. Christos Ruci, chair of CentralFloridaCIO, and Lisa Cochran, chair of the NorthFloridaCIO, spotlighted Ramhofer along with five other CIOs honored in six award categories. The five other ORBIE recipients this year are: Melissa Fulmore Hardwick, CSI Companies; Sabet Elias, BNY; Jonathan Fozard, Florida State University; Joe Tenczar, Sky Zone; and Marcus Johnson, Children’s Home Society of Florida.
For more information about the 2026 ORBIE Awards, click here.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with about 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, nearly 11,000 employees and 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice, freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, behavioral health hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Founded in 1925, SMH’s flagship Sarasota hospital is the only Florida hospital to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — every year — since the federal rating program began in 2016.