2023 Ends with a Series of Notable Honors for Service, Safety and Quality

In recent months, Sarasota Memorial earned numerous national honors for its overall quality of care and for its specialized services. Here’s a summary of our latest accolades:

‘A’ Grade for Safety

SMH continued to receive top marks in Hospital Safety Report Cards released by the Leapfrog Group, an independent hospital watchdog organization.

Leapfrog assigned letter grades to nearly 3,000 hospitals based on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents and infections. In the Fall Report Card, SMH-Sarasota continued a straight “A” streak it has held since 2016. It has been among a select group of hospitals that maintained its strong safety record throughout the pandemic and its aftermath. In the Fall 2023 cycle, nearly 30% of hospitals around the nation earned an “A,” 24% earned a “B,” 39% earned a “C,” 7% earned a “D” and less than 1% earned an “F.”

SMH-Venice, which opened in 2021, was not yet eligible for the Leapfrog rating.

SMH-Venice Joins ‘Age Friendly’ Systems

The SMH-Venice Campus was named an “Age-Friendly” health system, joining approximately 1,900 hospitals, medical practices, clinics, and nursing homes committing significant training and resources to enhance care for older adults.

“Age-Friendly Health Systems” is an initiative of the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Hospitals and health systems achieving the designation follow rigorous standards and evidence-based interventions specifically designed to deliver safe, reliable, high-quality care based on what matters most to older adults as individuals.

The SMH-Sarasota Campus earned “Age Friendly” designation in 2019, and the SMH Rehabilitation Pavilion has also received the recognition.

SMH Honored for Weather-Ready Efforts

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service recently named Sarasota Memorial as one of their 2023 “Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors of Excellence,” an honor given to a select number of organizations who are helping to improve readiness, responsiveness and overall resilience against extreme weather.

“Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a great example of an organization that promotes awareness and preparedness for dangerous weather to their employees,” said the NOAA and National Weather Service in their announcement of the 2023 Ambassadors.

Severe weather readiness has long been a priority for the health system due to its vulnerable location on the west coast of Florida. The organization has comprehensive emergency management plans to help its campuses and staff get ready for and mitigate risks from hurricanes and other disasters to the fullest extent possible.

This is the second national weather-ready honor earned by the health system: Last year, SMH-Sarasota, SMH-Venice and the North Port Emergency Room & Health Care Center were all designated as “StormReady Supporters” by the National Weather Service, affirming the three campuses met certain criteria for preparing for severe weather.

Leader in Health Care Technology

Sarasota Memorial once again earned a spot among the world’s “Most Wired” hospitals, a list established by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) recognizing hospitals with digital health systems that promote safer care and more secure hospital systems.

According to CHIME, Sarasota Memorial ranks in its highest Level 9/10 category, recognizing leaders in health care technology who actively push the industry forward, leveraging new and emerging technologies in innovative ways.

“As a result, they are realizing meaningful outcomes, including improved quality of care, improved patient experience, reduced costs and broader patient access to health care services,” CHIME noted in its 2023 report.

Nursing & Rehab Center Named a ‘Best Nursing Home’

The Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center was named among the nation’s best nursing homes for short- and long-term rehabilitation in U.S. News’ annual “Best Nursing Homes” ratings released recently.

The nursing homes were evaluated on patient and resident outcomes including infection rates, staffing levels, health inspection results and other indicators of quality.

Located at 5640 Rand Blvd., the Nursing & Rehabilitation Center offers skilled nursing and rehabilitation for people recovering from surgery, injury or illness.

In 2023, SMH-Sarasota also was ranked by U.S. News among the best hospitals in the nation for Rehabilitation and OB/Gyn services and 18 other types of care.

HealthFit Named Medical Fitness Facility of the Year

The Medical Fitness Association named Sarasota Memorial’s HealthFit its Medical Fitness Facility of the Year for 2023, recognizing the center’s range of medically supervised fitness programs and commitment to excellent outcomes.

Focused on functional fitness and strength training for all ages, HealthFit also provides specialized classes to assist people with past injuries or those living with or recovering from illness to rebuild their strength safely.

In 2017, the SMH HealthFit facility was first the fitness center in Florida to be certified by the Medical Fitness Association. It remains one of only two certified facilities in the state.

‘Best in State’ for Staff and Patients

SMH was included on Forbes’ fifth annual list of America’s “Best-in-State” employers, ranking #4 overall and #1 among all health care employers on the Florida list.

Forbes, in partnership with research company Statista, evaluated more than 2 million employer recommendations from employees working at large companies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Of 90 companies listed in Florida, SMH ranks #4 overall, sharing the top tier with NASA, Google, Microsoft and Costco, and is the highest ranked of all Florida health care organizations on the list. 

The companies were ranked based on surveys of 70,000 workers at companies (minimum 500 employees) representing 25 industries. They were asked to rate their employer overall and in categories such as work environment, gender pay equity, opportunities for career advancement, pride in the company’s services and more.

Sarasota Memorial also was named among the nation’s leading hospitals in Newsweek’s first-ever “Best-in-State” hospital rankings released this year.

SMH-Sarasota was the only hospital in southwest Florida recognized on Newsweek’s list, ranking #4 out of 21 Florida hospitals in the report. Hospitals were selected based on indicators that included low mortality, complication and readmission rates, as well as recommendations from medical professionals and patient survey results.