Sarasota Memorial Health Care System today won approval from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to build a new hospital in Venice. SMH officials plan to establish a new facility on Laurel Road. “State officials clearly agree there’s a need for Sarasota Memorial to establish a new hospital, and hundreds of community members, physicians and leaders have shown their support, so we believe it’s time to move forward,” said David Verinder, CEO for Sarasota Memorial.

SARASOTA MEMORIAL CEO DAVID VERINDER

The plan will likely draw opposition from Venice Regional Bayfront Health, which can challenge the decision to grant SMH a certificate of need authorizing construction of a hospital in the Venice market. SMH officials say that in that event, they are prepared to demonstrate a new hospital will benefit the community and “improve care throughout the region.”

Verinder also said the hospital has not abandoned plans to also create a hospital in North Port in the future, and said this move should be seen as progress toward that long-term goal. “We believe that the establishment of the Laurel Road facility will greatly help in the recruitment of medical staff throughout south county. Our vision is to establish hospitals in key locations, first on Laurel Road and then in North Port, to bring convenient acute care to these growing communities.”