Hundreds of community members, physicians, staff and supporters gather for celebratory events
The Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) welcomed several hundred community members, supporters, physicians and staff to a series of events last week that celebrated the opening of the new Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion, “a transformative addition to the health system’s nationally recognized Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute,” SMH has announced.
The three-day celebration culminated on June 12 “with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community tours of the state-of-the-art facility, which expands access to advanced treatments, innovative technologies, clinical research and comprehensive care for patients and families throughout the region,” a news release points out.
“Today represents far more than the opening of a new facility,” said Kevin Cooper, chair of the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board, in the release. “It reflects our community’s commitment to ensuring that patients and families facing cancer have access to exceptional care, advanced treatment options and compassionate support close to home,” Cooper added in the release.
“The outpatient cancer pavilion is the third premier facility in SMH’s evolving Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute,” the release explains. “Sarasota Memorial opened its first outpatient radiation center at its University Parkway campus in 2020 and dedicated the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute later that year as it was completing construction of an 8-story inpatient and surgical Oncology Tower, which opened on the Sarasota campus in 2021,” the release notes.
“Located across the street from the Oncology Tower, the newly opened Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion brings together a full spectrum of outpatient services and seamlessly connects to the Oncology Tower via a pedestrian skybridge, providing one healing and supportive environment for every stage of cancer care,” the release points out.
“With the addition of the outpatient pavilion, Sarasota Memorial Chief Operating Officer Jeff Limbocker said Sarasota Memorial’s widening range of fellowship-trained oncology specialists and subspecialists will be able to meet with patients and one another in a single location and host multi-disciplinary clinics that offer a personalized, collaborative approach focused on each patient’s unique cancer,” the release continues.
“That integration is essential,” Limbocker told attendees of the June 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, and our goal is to make every step of the journey — from screening and diagnosis to treatment, recovery, and survivorship — as seamless and supportive as possible. Together, these new centers of care have transformed our ability to deliver world-class oncology services right here in Sarasota,” Limbocker added.
“Guests had the opportunity to tour the pavilion, learn about its advanced treatments and patient-centered approach, and meet many of the clinical teams who will provide care within the facility,” the release continues. “The pavilion is home to the Boscia Breast Health Center, surgical oncology suites, infusion center, radiation oncology center, high-risk oncology clinic, advanced imaging, genetic testing and counseling, and oncology specialists with First Physicians Group and Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute,” it notes.
During a special event for donors on Thursday, Stacey Corley, president of the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, “recognized the vision, generosity and partnership that made the project possible, including the ongoing philanthropic support of Susan Milman, which made the cancer pavilion possible, and the foundational grant from the Jellison family, which spurred development of the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute,” the release adds.
“This evening is a reminder of what can be accomplished when generous donors, dedicated health care professionals, and an entire community come together around a shared vision,” Corley said.
During a special event for Sarasota Memorial’s oncology team on June 11, Ryan Jowers, vice president of the Jellison Cancer Institute, thanked the physicians, care teams and supporters whose expertise, dedication, and relentless pursuit of excellence made the Jellison Cancer Institute a reality,” the release continues.
“You are the heart of this institute, and the reason this vision matters so deeply,” he said. “And to our many donors and supporters, your generosity has created something far greater than a facility — you have created hope. You have ensured that families facing one of life’s most difficult journeys can do so close to home, surrounded by support, strength, and possibility. Today, we celebrate not just what has been built, but what will happen here in the days, months and years to come — lives changed, lives extended and lives saved.”