On November 2nd, Sarasota Memorial celebrated its 97th anniversary! On this date in 1925, Sarasota Hospital opened its doors. A modest 32-bed facility, it was the county’s first modern hospital. Sarasota Memorial has grown significantly over the past 97 years, expanding to meet the region’s evolving health care needs. Today, with two hospitals (the nationally ranked flagship medical center in Sarasota and new acute-care hospital that opened last year in Venice), a freestanding ER in North Port, and network of urgent care clinics, outpatient centers and physician practices that stretch from North Port to east Manatee County, SMH is one of the most comprehensive health care systems in the nation, and one of the most respected. The health system manages more than a million patient visits a year, caring for 951 inpatients between its two hospitals and 544 patients in its ERs yesterday alone. As SMH looks forward to its 100th anniversary in 2025, more plans are in the works, including a new hospital and healthcare campus in North Port and Wellen Park, expansion of the SMH-Venice hospital, a new behavioral health pavilion and outpatient cancer pavilion on the Sarasota campus, and continued growth of outpatient services throughout the county.

Click here for historical timeline.