Sarasota Memorial Hospital

Dr. Rabih Loufti is director of Sarasota Memorial Hospital Sleep Lab. He's among experts in the field who recommend we switch to standard time for good.

Lung health specialists at Sarasota Memorial Health System have discovered a detection program that can catch lung cancer early – at Stage I or Stage II --when patients have the best chance of survival from the disease.

The Dog Obedience Club of Lee County will hold a Responsible Dog Owner Day this Saturday, November 15.

On November 2, 1925, Sarasota Memorial Hospital opened as a 32-bed community hospital. Now one of Florida’s largest public health systems, it has grown with the area to serve residents’ needs. We spoke with President and CEO David Verinder about the system's growth.

Lee Health broke ground for a new campus off Challenger Boulevard in the eastern part of the county while the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved a $450 million plan Tuesday to build North Port’s first hospital on North Sumter Boulevard in North Port.

To help serve northeast Sarasota County, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System on Monday opened a new emergency care center at 7250 University Parkway in Lakewood Ranch.The 21-room, 15,000-square-foot freestanding ER facility is about 3 miles east of I-75 near Lorraine Road.

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations across the Lee Health System have more than doubled over the past month amid a nationwide surge in coronavirus infections. Naples Community Hospital Healthcare System (NCH) and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) report experiencing a similar uptick, although the number of COVID patients requiring ICU-level care remains low.

The rate of new coronavirus infections statewide is relatively unchanged from two weeks ago, but the Lee Health and Sarasota Memorial hospital systems have been reporting slight increases in hospitalized COVID-19 patients over the last couple of months. Now they’re also preparing to provide vaccinations for young children ages six months to five years old and helping raise awareness about the availability of monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments.

While the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Florida hasn’t changed much in the last two weeks, Lee Health and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System officials have been reporting a slight increase in hospitalized coronavirus patients in recent months. We’ll explore the latest pandemic trends, vaccinations and available treatments including antivirals and monoclonal antibody treatments.

Amid an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent weeks, predictions of a surge in new infections across the South and the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend, Southwest Florida hospital officials are raising awareness about taking precautions and getting vaccinated.