Sarasota Memorial Health Care System marked a century of service with a special reception held Thursday in the courtyard of its flagship Sarasota hospital. With approximately 200 guests that included past and present hospital board members, local and state elected officials, community leaders, physicians and staff, Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder reflected on SMH’s historic milestone and recognized its longest-serving physicians, staff and volunteers.  Back in 1925, the new hospital got off the ground thanks to the support of citizens and businesses who helped fund the $40,000 facility. The 32-bed hospital, which opened Nov. 2, 1925, had about a dozen physicians and 10 nurses and staff, serving a population of roughly 12,000. The hospital had the capacity to treat a few hundred patients a year. Today, SMH is the region’s largest employer, with more than 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, nearly 11,000 staff and about 2 million patient visits a year.

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