Clinical outcomes, patient experience and operational excellence among factors considered for recognition
This week, the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System was named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems® by Modern Healthcare and Premier Inc., placing Sarasota Memorial among the highest-performing health systems in the United States, Sarasota Memorial (SMH) staff has announced.
“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,” a news release explains. “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,” it adds.
Sarasota Memorial ranked No. 3 in the small health system category (those with fewer than five hospitals in their systems), the release notes, “placing it among an elite group that topped a field of 336 health systems representing more than 2,700 hospitals studied nationwide.”
“This recognition reflects the extraordinary commitment of our physicians, nurses, staff and leadership team delivering world-class care for our community every day,” said Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder in the release. “To be ranked among the nation’s top 15 health systems is a tremendous honor and reinforces Sarasota Memorial’s mission to provide exceptional, patient-centered care while continually advancing quality, safety and innovation across our organization,” he added in the release.
“Premier’s annual 15 Top Health Systems® study uses an objective, data-driven methodology based on publicly reported measures, including inpatient and 30-day mortality rates, complication and readmission rates, healthcare-associated infections, length of stay and overall hospital quality ratings,” the release points out. “The annual study is not application-based, and health systems cannot opt in or out,” nor can they pay for inclusion, “ensuring an objective and transparent process,” the release further explains.
This year’s top honorees exceeded the performances of peer health care systems across all indicators included in the study “while continuing to deliver high-quality care and operational efficiency,” the release adds.
Among other findings, this year’s analysis found the 15 benchmark health systems had the following, the release notes:
- 22.3% lower inpatient mortality, in comparison to their peers.
- Fewer health care-associated infections, with a 28.6% difference in performance.
- “Shorter average length of stay.
- “Lower overall episode-of-care costs.”
“Achieving Premier’s 15 Top Health Systems designation is a meaningful accomplishment that reflects a health system’s commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care,” said David Zito, president of performance services at Premier, in the release. “This recognition highlights Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s focus on improving outcomes, strengthening operations and advancing the overall patient experience,” Zito added in the release.
“The comprehensive study, part of the broader 100 Top Hospitals program, was based on the care of Medicare patients assessed through publicly available data from Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) data, and CMS Care Compare performance measures,” the release points out. “If the same standards were applied to all inpatients, Premier noted the impact could have been even greater,” the release says.
“The recognition adds to a growing list of national honors for Sarasota Memorial,” the release notes. “Last week, both Sarasota Memorial hospitals earned the highest 5-Star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota received the distinction for the 11th consecutive year, while SMH-Venice earned its first 5-Star rating since opening in 2021. Earlier this year, the Sarasota campus was named among Premier’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals®, highlighting the health system’s excellence in specialized cardiac care,” the release adds.
“Systems included in the study must have at least two short-term, acute care hospitals and meet established inclusion criteria,” the release says. For more information about the study, visit
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/mh-premier-100-top-hospitals-2026/