SARASOTA, Fla. (July 29, 2025) – Today, U.S. News & World Report ranked Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) in its list of 50 best hospitals for obstetrics/ gynecology and among the nation’s top performers in 22 medical specialties, procedures and conditions.
Of nearly 5,000 hospitals evaluated each year by U.S. News, SMH has remained the only hospital in the Suncoast region ever to earn a spot on U.S. News’ annual 50 Best Hospitals list.
The 2025-2026 edition of Best Hospitals includes regional awards of 504 hospitals that have demonstrated superior outcomes. SMH continues to rank #1 in the Suncoast region and among the top 10 in Florida.
David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, said SMH’s consistently high rankings from U.S. News and other independent quality rating organizations reflect the physicians and hospital team’s unwavering focus on quality and safety through generations and decades of change.
“Sarasota Memorial was founded 100 years ago by and for the people of this community,” Verinder said. “Although our health system and the region we serve has greatly expanded, our public mission and spirit of community has never changed.”
As in previous is years, SMH set national and regional benchmarks across a wide range of cancer, cardiac and orthopedic conditions (see full list of awards below). Notably, SMH’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute was recognized as a high performer in multiple cancer specialties, conditions and procedures, including gastroenterology/gastrointestinal surgery; gynecological, lung and prostate cancer surgeries; and leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
This year, among other methodology refinements, U.S. News added ratings for two new procedures and conditions, Heart Arrhythmia and Pacemaker Implantation. SMH-Sarasota earned U.S. News’ highest marks in both new cohorts.
SMH-Venice earned its first national Best Hospitals rating for achieving superior outcomes in patients with hip fractures. It is the Venice hospital’s first U.S. News recognition since opening in late 2021 (most U.S. News ratings are based on performance spanning multiple years).
“These local hospital rankings, entirely performance-driven, equip individuals and their families, in consultation with their medical providers, to choose the highest quality care available in their own communities,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.
SMH-Sarasota received 22 top rankings and ratings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 “Best Hospitals” list.
Here is a breakdown:
Best 50 Hospitals – Nationally Ranked # 46
High Performing Specialties – Top 10% in Nation
- Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal Surgery
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonary/Lung surgery
- Urology
High Performing Conditions/Procedures
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
- Aortic Valve Surgery
- Back Surgery
- Colon Cancer Surgery
- Gynecologic Cancer Surgery
- Heart Arrhythmia
- Heart Attack
- Heart Bypass Surgery
- Hip Replacement
- Knee Replacement
- Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma
- Lung Cancer Surgery
- Pacemaker Implantation
- Prostate Cancer Surgery
- Stroke
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
In a separate U.S. News study released in the fall of each year, SMH-Sarasota also has earned high performer ratings in Maternity Care for 2024-2025 (2026 rankings are still pending).
SMH-Venice – High Performer rating
The full list of U.S. News and World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” rankings can be clicking 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 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 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 is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2025 and encouraging community members to visit smh.com/100 throughout the year for centennial events and updates.