Pictured: David Verinder has served as President and CEO for Sarasota Memorial since 2014. Photo courtesy Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.

For the second time, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System President and CEO David Verinder will lead Florida’s Safety Net Hospital Alliance. During his two-year term as chair, Verinder will help set the organization’s strategic direction and work with its member health systems and leadership to advance policies and funding efforts that support high-quality care for Floridians.

What was your reaction to receiving the honor of chair of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance for the second time?

It’s an honor to once again have the opportunity to serve as chair of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance and work alongside healthcare leaders from across Florida. We provide essential, highly specialized services and train the next generation of physicians to serve our communities. I’m grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me and look forward to working together to strengthen that mission.

What are some of your responsibilities within this position as chair?

As chair, I’ll work closely with SNHAF’s executive leadership and the CEOs of our member health systems, which are all public or nonprofit mission-driven organizations that reinvest earnings in health services, facilities, jobs, equipment and innovation that serve our communities. A significant part of the work is sharing our patients’ needs as state and federal leaders develop healthcare policies and funding priorities. Ultimately, our focus is preserving access to high-quality care for all Floridians and supporting the hospitals that provide the state’s most complex and essential services.

How do you hope to impact the Safety Net Hospital Alliance as chair, and in turn, how do you hope this role will impact your work as SMH CEO and President?

My goal is to continue to strengthen the collective voice of Florida’s safety net hospitals and ensure they have the resources and support necessary to continue serving their communities. Sarasota Memorial shares many of the same challenges and responsibilities as our fellow safety net health systems, so there is tremendous value in learning from one another and working collaboratively on issues affecting access, quality and the future of healthcare.

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Pictured: David Verinder has served as President and CEO for Sarasota Memorial since 2014. Photo courtesy Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.