Upon opening in 1925, $40,000 facility had 32 beds and about a dozen physicians
On Oct. 30, the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) marked a century of service with a reception held in the courtyard of its flagship Sarasota hospital, leaders of the health care system announced.
With approximately 200 guests — including 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,” a news release notes.
“From Day 1, the dedication of the people who work here have set this organization apart,” Verinder said. “Our outstanding physicians, employees, volunteers and leaders, and our philanthropic and community partners, have built the health system into the nationally recognized institution it is today.”
In 1925, “the new hospital got off the ground” thanks to the support of residents and businesses who helped fund the $40,000 facility, the release continues. The 32-bed hospital, which opened on Nov. 2, 1925, had about a dozen physicians and 10 nurses and staff members, “serving a population of roughly 12,000. The hospital had the capacity to treat a few hundred patients a year,” the release adds.
“Today, SMH is the region’s largest employer, with more than 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers,” nearly 11,000 staff members and about 2 million patient visits on an annual basis, the release points out.
“Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD, noted that at the time SMH opened in 1925, penicillin had yet to be discovered, and insulin was emerging as a new treatment for diabetes,” the release says. “Today, we have state-of-the-art treatments ranging from advanced genetic therapies to robotic surgical procedures,” he pointed out. “We have a robust research institute that ensures our community has access to the latest treatments.”
The release also notes that “Fiorica recognized new and veteran physicians who have overseen SMH’s quality initiatives and clinical research,” and he paid tribute to Sarasota Memorial’s two longest-serving, active physicians: pulmonologist and critical care specialist Dr. Bruce Fleegler and Dr. Harold “Hesch” Kulman, a surgeon. “Both joined SMH in 1976 and helped shape vital policies and procedures in critical care, pulmonary medicine and surgery over distinguished 50-year careers,” the release adds. Moreover, both “have received SMH Lifetime Achievement Awards and continue to serve as physician educators and mentors on the Florida State University College of Medicine faculty.”
Further, longtime registered nurse Clara Rock “was honored as SMH’s longest-serving employee. Rock, too, started her career at SMH in 1976; she was “a high school nursing assistant,” the release says, before she became an RN. “She joined the Labor & Delivery team in 1986 and has helped deliver more than 5,000 babies. Described as the ‘rock’ of her nursing unit,” the release points out, “she has mentored generations of nurses. She and her husband Carlos, another longtime SMH hospitality employee (now retired) were named Employees of the Year in 2012.”
SMH was built, and has been supported over the decades, by dedicated volunteers and generous donors, the release continues.
SMH leaders took the opportunity to honor Ginny Rosenhaus, one of the longest serving volunteers, “who has given more than 10,000 hours to SMH the past 25 years,” the release points out. “Verinder and Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation President Stacey Corley thanked many of the donors in attendance for their generous support through the decades.”
Further, during the event, “Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert presented a proclamation from the City of Sarasota, commending SMH for a century of care. The original 32-bed hospital, first named Sarasota Hospital, was annexed into the city and renamed Sarasota Municipal Hospital” shortly after its opening, the release continues. In the 1950s, the release points out, it was renamed Sarasota Memorial Hospital “to honor the veterans of World I and II. SMH expanded its name to Sarasota Memorial Health Care System during the 2000s to reflect its growing network of outpatient centers, medical offices and community services,” the release adds.
“Verinder wrapped up the event by sharing upcoming milestones, including the groundbreaking of SMH-North Port,” which was scheduled on Nov. 7, and the opening of the Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion early next year, the release notes.
“Throughout the decades, the hospital has grown with our community,” Verinder said. “But as we’ve grown, some things haven’t changed. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to educating and empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals … expanding access to life-saving care … and ensuring that everyone who needs us, across the entire region, receives the world-class, compassionate care they deserve.”