Sarasota Memorial Hospital is an 806-bed hospital at the heart of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, a regional medical center located in Sarasota County

Sarasota County, Florida

Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....

 on Florida's Gulf Coast

Gulf Coast of the United States

The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...

. With nearly 4,000 staff members, 750 physicians and more than 1,000 volunteers, it is the second-largest acute care public hospital in Florida and Sarasota County's second-largest employer. Sarasota Memorial is also considered among the 20 largest public hospitals in the United States.

A community health care system, Sarasota Memorial is a full-service facility, with specialized expertise in heart, vascular, cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

, neuroscience

Neuroscience

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...

 services, outpatient services, home health care, rehabilitative care and long-term care among its many programs. Sarasota Memorial is the only provider of obstetrical services

Obstetrics

Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...

 and has the only Level III neonatal intensive care unit in Sarasota County.

The hospital was founded in 1925 and is one of the first non-academic hospitals in the nation to develop a clinical research service that conducts studies in lung disease, cardiology and vascular disease

Vascular disease

Vascular disease is a form of cardiovascular disease primarily affecting the blood vessels.Some conditions, such as angina and myocardial ischemia, can be considered both vascular diseases and heart diseases .Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor....

, geriatric medicine

Geriatrics

Geriatrics is a sub-specialty of internal medicine and family medicine that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or...

 and many other specialty areas.
The hospital – first named Sarasota Hospital – was the community’s first modern hospital.