SARASOTA (Oct. 21, 2026) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System has once again been named to Newsweek's list of the "World's Best Smart Hospitals," earning international recognition for its leadership in health technology and innovation.
The annual ranking, developed by Newsweek and global data firm Statista, recognizes leading hospitals around the world for their use of advanced digital health tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and other technologies designed to improve patient care, safety and efficiency.
The recognition comes as Sarasota Memorial launched its new Epic electronic medical records system this month. For SMH, this transition represents the largest technology and operational initiative in the health system’s history, designed to improve the patient experience and strengthen coordination of care across the growing network of hospitals, outpatient facilities and physician practices.
"Being recognized among the world's best smart hospitals reflects our continued commitment to investing in technology that improves the way we care for our patients," said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Chief Operating Officer Jeff Limbocker. "Our transition to Epic and MyChart represents a major milestone in that commitment, helping us create a more connected, coordinated and convenient health care experience for our patients and the teams who care for them."
In addition to rolling out Epic and MyChart, SMH continues to make significant investments in robotic-assisted and minimally invasive surgical tools, virtual reality for clinical simulation and education, and life-altering AI technology that is yielding faster, more accurate diagnostics, more effective treatments and rapid advances in medical research. Recently, SMH earned national recognition for its efforts to diagnose lung cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.
"What makes Sarasota Memorial a smart hospital isn't just the technology we invest in, but how our people use it to deliver exceptional care," said Limbocker. "We all talk about AI and robotic process automation among other tools, but ultimately, we have a lot of smart people here, a lot of dedicated people on our team. They make us a truly smart health system."
For more information about Sarasota Memorial's transition to epic and the MyChart patient portal, visit smh.com/MyChart.
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, 11,000-plus 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 (and third under construction in North Port), freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and First Physician Group primary and specialty care practices. Founded in 1925, SMH’s flagship Sarasota campus also is home to the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion and Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute. Both Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice have earned the highest 5-Star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). SMH-Sarasota is the only Florida hospital – and one of just 11 in the nation – to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from CMS every year since the federal rating program began in 2016.