Health System Expanding Services Throughout South Sarasota County

The demand for Sarasota Memorial’s services has been increasing rapidly throughout South Sarasota County, driven by significant population growth and the closure of the privately owned 312-bed ShorePoint Venice Hospital on Venice Island in 2022. SMH has been working hard to fill gaps in care and expand its services in all areas of the region. Here’s an update on our progress:

SMH-Venice Expansion to Double Campus’ Capacity

SMH-Venice’s patient volumes have continued to soar since the 110-bed hospital opened in 2021 on Laurel Road off of I-75 in North Venice. Admissions in 2023 increased by 32 percent from the prior year, while emergency care registrations increased by 60 percent and surgeries were up an incredible 97 percent.

To boost the campus’ capacity, a five-story patient care tower, now under construction, will nearly double the number of inpatient beds at the hospital to 212. The new tower will open in phases, starting in April 2024 with the 4th and 5th floor, each with 34 patient rooms, followed by the second floor with 34 more patient rooms by the end of the year. The third floor will have mechanical space, while the first floor will be built to accommodate future needs.

Construction to expand the hospital’s Emergency Care Center and surgical capacity also is under way. In the fall of 2024, the size of the ER will increase from 28 to 61 rooms. In early 2024, the hospital will increase its number of surgical suites from six to eight and add space for eight more ORs in the future.

Watch for more information as these projects near completion.

SMH-Venice’s new 5-story patient tower, seen at left in the photo above as well as in the image at the top of this post, will open in phases starting in April 2024. Work on the hospital’s ER and OR expansion also has begun, with the blue fenced-in construction site visible at right.

Planning Continues for Wellen Park and Sumter Boulevard Campuses

To improve access to care in the North Port region, Sarasota Memorial plans to construct a hospital on a 32-acre vacant site on Sumter Boulevard near I-75, and another medical campus on a 28-acre vacant site in Wellen Park (see map below).

The health system is in the process of identifying architects, engineers and general contractors to help plan and build both new campuses.

“Our goal is to develop master plans for each campus that are forward thinking, financially sound and flexible enough to meet the needs of North Port and south county residents well into the future,” said Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder. “If all goes smoothly, we hope to be breaking ground on both campuses in 2025, the same year we celebrate our health system’s 100th anniversary.”

The health system’s existing North Port Freestanding Emergency Room and Health Care Center continues to serve the North Port community.

New Urgent Care Center Opens in South Venice

Sarasota Memorial recently opened its seventh urgent care center, offering people who live near U.S. 41 and Jacaranda Boulevard in South Venice a more convenient place to seek care for urgent health concerns.

“Our urgent care centers fill an important gap by providing immediate care for conditions that can’t wait until the next day or until their next doctor’s appointment, but do not warrant a trip to an emergency room, said Reuben Holland, MD, medical director of the Sarasota Memorial’s Emergency Care and Urgent Care Centers. “We stitch up a lot of lacerations, set broken bones and care for many routine ailments, like the common cold, flu, sore throat, chest congestion, cough, ear and sinus infections and urinary infections.”

The new South Venice facility is roughly five miles south of the existing SMH urgent care center located on the Venice Bypass.

All SMH urgent care centers are open seven days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm, and staffed by board-certified emergency and family medicine physicians. No appointment is necessary. CLICK HERE for locations and other information.