SARASOTA, Fla. (March 3, 2026) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) is proud to announce that Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD, has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2026 list of “Chief Medical Officers to Know.”
According to Becker’s, the national recognition honors leaders who are steadfast advocates for patient safety, trusted liaisons between medical staff and executive leadership and catalysts for meaningful change.
Dr. Fiorica has served as Sarasota Memorial’s Chief Medical Officer since September 2017. As CMO, he is the primary medical liaison between hospital administration and approximately 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, as well as nearly 11,000 team members across the health system. He oversees safety and quality initiatives for the community-owned health system’s two full-service hospital campuses and extensive network of outpatient, specialty and research services across the Suncoast.
“I am honored to be recognized alongside so many respected physician leaders across the country,” said Dr. Fiorica. “This recognition truly reflects the extraordinary commitment of everyone at Sarasota Memorial. Every day, our team members demonstrate what it means to put patients first by advancing quality, strengthening safety and embracing innovation to ensure our community receives the very best care possible. It’s a privilege to serve as their Chief Medical Officer.”
Under Dr. Fiorica’s clinical leadership, Sarasota Memorial has sustained exceptional quality outcomes and national recognition. SMH is the only hospital in Florida to have earned the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) highest 5-star rating for overall hospital quality and safety every year since the program’s inception in 2016. The health system has also received consecutive “A” grades for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group since 2016 at its Sarasota campus, with SMH-Venice earning “A” grades on its first eligible report cards since opening in 2021. In 2025-2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked Sarasota Memorial among the nation’s top 50 hospitals for obstetrics and gynecology and recognized it as a top performer in more than 20 types of care.
To see the full list of honorees, 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.