SMH the only health care system in Southwest Florida to receive the prestigious recognition
This week, Newsweek once again has named Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) among the world’s top medical centers, SMH has announced.
The Sarasota County facility is included in Newsweek’s eighth annual World’s Best Hospitals rankings, which was issued on Feb. 26, a news release notes.
“SMH remains the only health system in southwest Florida ever to earn a place on the prestigious global list,” the release points out. The “flagship Sarasota hospital has been recognized every year since the rankings began in 2019,” it adds.
“The annual rankings, developed in partnership with global data analytics firm Statista, evaluate more than 2,500 hospitals across 32 countries,” the release explains. “Hospitals are assessed based on patient care quality metrics, clinical outcomes data and extensive surveys of thousands of physicians, healthcare professionals and hospital leaders worldwide,” the release adds.
“This recognition reflects the extraordinary commitment of our physicians, nurses and staff to deliver the highest quality care to every patient, every day,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System CEO David Verinder in the release. “In this period of immense growth, with hospitals expanding regionally and globally,” he continued in the release, “this award is especially meaningful and affirms our team’s unwavering focus on quality, safety and superior outcomes.”
The release further points out, “The global honor adds to a growing list of accolades Sarasota Memorial repeatedly has received from respected, independent organizations, including U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and The Leapfrog Group. Sarasota Memorial also is the only hospital in Florida to earn the highest 5-star overall quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services every year since the federal government launched its hospital star rating program in 2016.”
The release also notes, “In addition to the top U.S. hospitals, the World’s Best Hospitals 2026 list highlights leading medical institutions from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.”
“Reliable, transparent data can be invaluable when navigating health care decisions,” said Newsweek Healthcare Editor Alexis Kayser in the Feb. 26 report. “We hope that this ranking serves as a practical resource for patients, families and health care leaders seeking insight into some of the world’s most respected medical institutions,” Kayser added.
The complete report is available here: https://rankings.newsweek.com/worlds-best-hospitals-2026/united-states.