Wellness Realm in Sarasota avoids quick fixes. After years of working in traditional medicine, Wellness Specialist Meka Schurr and Medical Director Michelle Gratton built Wellness Realm as a space to understand the root cause of illness.

They met during the COVID-19 pandemic, when their conversations as two exhausted healthcare workers laid the groundwork for what became Wellness Realm. Schurr remembers asking, “Wouldn’t it be so cool to just open our own clinic someday?”

The clinic is built to identify the underlying factors causing illness in people today. As Schurr explains, “A lot of medications can be like a Band-Aid—we’re not really getting to the root of what is causing high blood pressure, or what is causing diabetes, or weight gain.” Wellness Realm, however, follows a protocol designed to promote overall well-being, rather than creating short-term solutions.

Every client begins with a free intake consultation. From there, the clinic makes a customized treatment plan, including lifestyle changes, supplementation, lab work, IV therapy and anything else the client may need. Schurr emphasized that the most important part of their program is MyDNA genetic testing, which helps create “a roadmap to optimal wellbeing.”

Some of the clinic’s most popular areas are IV therapy, gut health testing and especially women’s hormone health. “One of the biggest things that we’re seeing right now is peptide therapy,” Schurr explains.

Schurr believes that chronic stress is the most common issue affecting overall health today. “Elevated cortisol is going to then break down and create inflammation,” Schurr explains, “It’s going to cause disease in the body.”

Wellness Realm’s main goal is to make its clients feel understood. According to Schurr, in traditional medicine, people often feel dismissed by doctors and practitioners. However, she hopes that the clinic can become a space where people are supported. “There is a place for everyone to be heard, and to be validated and to be helped back to wellness,” she says.

4141 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, 941-344-2082, wellnessrealmsrq.com

Pictured: Wellness Realm specialists are ready to help with your wellness needs. Provided photo.

HCA Healthcare West Florida Division President Jyric Sims announced today that Philip Marchesini been named chief executive officer (CEO) and market lead for HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital. Marchesini served as CEO of HCA Florida Northside Hospital since 2024, where he led significant operational and clinical advancements. 

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Sarasota Memorial Health Care System has been named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® by Modern Healthcare and Premier Inc. today, placing Sarasota Memorial among the highest-performing health systems in the United States. The annual study recognizes 15 standout health systems that demonstrate superior and sustained performance across a balanced scorecard that includes patient outcomes, operational performance and patient experience. This year’s awards recognize health systems that not only perform well overall, but also set the national benchmark for delivering consistent, balanced and sustainable high performance across all facilities in their network. Sarasota Memorial ranked #3 in the small health system category (those with less than five hospitals in their system) placing it among an elite group that topped a field of 336 health systems representing more than 2,700 hospitals studied nationwide. 

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More than 150 residents attended a public event Sunday, May 17 in Ellenton to learn and discuss ways to catalyze community-led change in the North River area of Manatee County. The event featured the unveiling of a new community report, “Growing Together in North River Manatee County: Shaping a Shared Future,” which explores how residents experience life and highlights opportunities to strengthen civic culture. "Growing Together in North River Manatee County: Shaping a Shared Future" was developed by The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in partnership with Bishop-Parker Foundation and The Patterson Foundation following months of conversations with residents across Ellenton, Palmetto, Parrish, Rubonia and the broader North River area.  

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Michael Saunders & Company, Southwest Florida’s leading independently owned real estate firm, is pleased to announce luxury waterfront specialist Lysette Ketterer has joined the company’s growing St. Petersburg office. A Tampa Bay native with more than a decade of experience in Pinellas County real estate, Ketterer specializes in luxury waterfront homes, coastal communities, and lifestyle-driven properties throughout St. Petersburg, the Gulf Beaches, and the greater Tampa Bay region. 

HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital is proudly celebrating National EMS Week by recognizing the extraordinary dedication and lifesaving work of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals throughout the community. Observed each year in May, National EMS Week provides an opportunity to thank paramedics, EMTs and other first responders who serve on the front lines of emergency care. Throughout the week, HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital and its freestanding emergency rooms HCA Florida Tamiami Trail Emergency and HCA Florida Cape Coral Emergency, are welcoming local EMS partners for a series of special events designed to show appreciation and strengthen the hospital’s longstanding partnership with these essential healthcare professionals.

Wellen Park, one of the best-selling communities in the nation, has introduced Westlake, a gated neighborhood of luxury custom and semi-custom single-family homes featuring private modern amenities and a highly walkable location across from Downtown Wellen. The neighborhood’s 156 homesites overlook a 30-acre lake and scenic wetland preserves, creating a private residential setting connected to the energy and experiences of the community’s vibrant downtown district and Grand Lake trail. Wellen Park’s second neighborhood dedicated to custom and semi-custom homes, Westlake will offer luxury custom homes by regional builders Lee Wetherington Homes and Neal Signature Homes on premium 85-foot homesites, with presales now underway. Custom homebuyers select from the neighborhood’s 46 prime lots and work closely with the builder to personalize their home. Westlake also offers semi-custom homes by ICI Homes and Homes by WestBay on 75- and 65-foot homesites. 

HCA Florida Englewood Hospital celebrated the official ribbon-cutting and opening of its new $1 million state-of-the-art helipad during National EMS Week, honoring the hospital’s longstanding partnership with first responders and emergency transport teams who provide lifesaving care on the ground and in the air. Now fully operational, the new helipad enhances emergency access across the growing Southwest Florida region and strengthens the hospital’s ability to rapidly transport critically ill and injured patients when every second matters. Designed to prioritize speed, all-weather reliability and enhanced safety for patients and flight crews, the helipad represents another major investment in emergency care infrastructure at HCA Florida Englewood Hospital. Visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.  

Sarasota Memorial’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute is among the first wave of hospitals and cancer centers introducing a breakthrough, non-surgical treatment for liver tumors – a major advance in cancer care that offers new hope for people with limited options. A low-risk, ultrasound procedure that can target and destroy inoperable and hard-to-reach liver tumors, the Edison Histotripsy System is completely non-invasive, making it a safe, viable option for patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed, or who may not be good candidates for surgery.  Learn more at smh.com/cancer. 

A new, high-rise ultra luxury condominium residence, Mira Mar Residences, hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday morning, May 20, 2026, on South Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota. On hand for the ceremony were Patrick DiPinto, head of Seaward Development, and his business partner, Michael Markovitz, of Miramar Acquisition Company; Rick Gonzalez, the historic architect for the project of REG Architects; Igor Reyes with Nichols Architects; and local dignitaries that included President / CEO Of Greater Sarasota Chamber Heather Kasten, Commissioner Liz Alpert, Commissioner Jen Ahern-Koch, and Commissioner Kyle Battie. The 70 condominiums will be spread across two 18‑story towers. The development—located on one of Sarasota’s most historically significant sites—will pair timeless architectural design with modern luxury living while preserving parts of the original Mira Mar apartments, the last remaining elements of the famed 1920s Mira Mar hotel.  

HCA Florida Englewood Hospital is inviting experienced healthcare professionals to explore career opportunities during an upcoming hiring event designed to connect top talent with a team committed to compassionate, patient-centered care. Qualified candidates may receive same-day job offers during the event, Tuesday, June 9, 3 pm to 6 pm at 700 Medical Boulevard in Englewood. To learn more, visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com. 

Hurricane season is almost here, and Sarasota County officials encourage residents, businesses and visitors to take steps now to prepare. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. After experiencing multiple storms in 2024, including Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, much of the community continues to recover. While Sarasota County has weathered powerful storms before, preparation — not past experience — should guide residents’ decisions as a storm approaches.
For more information and preparedness resources, dial 311 or visit scgov.net/beprepared.