SMH Today Spring 2026

SMH Today

SPRING 2026

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S U P DAT E S F R O M S A R A S OTA M E M O R I A L

WHAT’S INSIDE

Written in the Stars

New Technique for High BP

SMH’s New Sleep Center

Investing in the Future

SMH Today News and advice f rom Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

Sarasota Memorial is a communityowned health system governed by the nine-member elected Sarasota County Public Hospital Board.

SARASOTA MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Written in the Stars SMH Achieves What No Other Florida Hospital Could: Perfect 5-Star Rating, 10 Years in a Row

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System kicked off 2026 achieving what no other Florida hospital could: a perfect 5-Star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – every year – for 10 years straight.

For patients and families on the Suncoast, the decade-long quality streak serves as a powerful promise, said David Verinder, CEO of the community-owned health system.

David Verinder - President & CEO

“This is far more than a plaque on the wall – it is a promise and personal commitment from 2,500 physicians and 11,000 staff members – the people behind our stars – to prioritize our patients’ health and safety above all else,” Verinder said.

SARASOTA COUNTY PUBLIC HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS Kevin Cooper – Chair Brad Baker Pam Beitlich, DNP, APRN Gregory Carter Sharon Wetzler DePeters, APRN Bridgette Fiorucci, BSN, RN Sarah Lodge Patricia Maraia, BSN, RN Victor Rohe

David Verinder Sarasota Memorial President & CEO

The 5-Star rating places Sarasota Memorial in the top tier of medical institutions nationally. Of more than 4,000 U.S. hospitals evaluated, the flagship Sarasota hospital is one of only 17 nationwide – and the only one in Florida – to earn 5-Star ratings from CMS every year since it launched the star rating program in 2016.

In addition to the federal government’s top rating, SMH is repeatedly ranked among the nation’s best and safest hospitals by multiple independent hospital rating organizations, including U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and Forbes, and has earned straight “A’s” for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group for a decade. It also is among 2% of hospitals that have maintained Magnet Nursing Recognition, the nation’s highest honor for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, for more than 20 years.

SMH Today is a semi-annual publication produced by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation. For more SMH news and contact information, visit smh.com/news.

Two

SMH Today l Spring 2026

Send an SMH “Stargram” Community members can share a note of thanks and send a digital Stargram recognizing staff members who went above and beyond via the hospital’s website: www.smh.com/stargram Stargrams will be delivered directly to recognized employees and their leaders, ensuring the people “behind the stars” receive the personal recognition they deserve.

The CMS star ratings are particularly meaningful because they summarize a hospital’s overall performance, with broad, standardized metrics across five critical areas: Mortality, Safety of Care, Readmission, Patient Experience, and Timely/Effective Care.

To celebrate the quality milestone, Sarasota Memorial launched a multi-media “Written in the Stars” campaign in January spotlighting the clinicians and staff behind the stars.

“While the five stars are a symbol of hospital quality, the real story is the people behind the stars,” Verinder said. “This campaign is a tribute to the dedication and diligence of our clinicians and staff and all that they do on a daily basis to provide the best care and outcomes for our patients.”

Three

SMH Today l Spring 2026

SMH Offers New, Drug-Free Treatment to Lower Resistant High Blood Pressure S

precisely controlled and targeted radiofrequency pulses to disrupt and reduce overactive nerve signals between the kidneys and brain, which helps lower blood pressure.

arasota Memorial Hospital is among the first wave of U.S. hospitals offering renal denervation, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure to treat people with high blood pressure that does not respond to conventional medications and lifestyle therapies.

For many with resistant hypertension, the procedure provides sustained relief, allowing them to reduce their blood pressure medication dosage or stop taking the medications completely.

“We are very excited to bring this innovative therapy to our community,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD. “Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. For patients who don’t respond to medication, renal denervation offers a crucial new treatment option and promising new path forward.”

That’s what Sarasota retiree Donald Fagan, 73, is looking forward to in 2026. On Dec. 30, 2025, after struggling for years to manage his hypertension with multiple medications, exercise and other lifestyle changes, he was the first patient to receive the catheter-based blood pressure treatment at SMH.

The first device-based treatment for resistant hypertension, renal denervation was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in late 2023, but it wasn’t until December 2025 that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a national coverage determination, paving the way for broad insurance coverage and access in 2026.

On the day of his procedure, his blood pressure reached a high of 188 /110. He remained awake for the 1-hour procedure and said he felt better almost immediately.

He happily posed for photos with Dr. Rossi and the SMH team before going home the same day.

The morning after his procedure, Fagan was amazed to find his blood pressure near normal, measuring 139/85, down from an average 160/90 or higher.

SMH interventional cardiologists Daniel Molloy, MD, Jeffrey Rossi, MD, and Ricardo Yaryura, MD, are among the first providers in Florida using Medtronic’s FDA-approved Symplicity Spyral™ system.

“I feel like the poster boy for this new procedure,” Fagan said with a chuckle. “That was exactly what we were hoping for.

Hopefully, it’s a good sign for the year ahead.”

During the 1-hour outpatient procedure, doctors make a small incision in the groin and guide a catheter to the renal arteries in the kidneys. They use the specialized catheter to deliver

t Sarasota retiree Donald Fagan takes a moment to pose with interventional cardiologist Jeffrey Rossi, MD, and the SMH cath lab team following an outpatient procedure to treat his resistant hypertension.

Four

SMH Today l Spring 2026

SMH’s New Sleep Disorder Center Helps Improve Quality of Sleep, Daytime Alertness and Long-Term Health t

S

arasota Memorial Health Care System has opened a new and expanded Sleep Disorder Center dedicated to evaluating and treating a wide range of sleep disorders that can impact long-term health.

Community members experiencing loud snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, unrefreshing sleep, morning headaches, or excessive daytime sleepiness are encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider about a sleep evaluation and potential overnight study.

Led by Rabih Loutfi, MD, Sarasota Memorial’s Sleep Disorder Center team provides comprehensive sleep studies and treatment for a wide range of conditions disrupting essential sleep.

At Sarasota Memorial’s Sleep Disorder Center, a multidisciplinary team provides comprehensive evaluations, overnight diagnostic sleep studies and individualized treatment plans for a wide range of conditions disrupting essential sleep, including obstructive and central sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders, insomnia, narcolepsy and hypersomnia, snoring, and restless legs syndrome.

Early diagnosis and effective treatment of sleep disorders can significantly improve quality of life and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and other long-term complications.

Overnight sleep studies are performed by specially trained, registered sleep technologists in private, hotel-like sleep suites in Sarasota Memorial’s sleep medicine facility, which is accredited by the American Academy for Sleep Medicine.

The center utilizes the latest technology, as well as remote monitoring that can be used at home, to record breathing patterns, oxygen levels, brain waves, heart rhythm, and leg movements while patients sleep. Board-certified sleep medicine physicians meet with patients to discuss the results and potential treatment options.

“Sleep is fundamental to overall health,” said Rabih Loutfi, MD, a board-certified pulmonologist, critical care, and sleep medicine physician with SMH First Physicians Group who serves as the center’s medical director. “When sleep is repeatedly disrupted by conditions such as sleep apnea, it can trigger a cascade of effects that negatively impacts immune function, increases the risk of chronic disease and impairs cognitive abilities such as memory and concentration.”

Z Z Z ZZzz Z Z

Appointments & Information The Sarasota Memorial Sleep Disorder Center is located in Waldemere Medical Plaza, 1921 Waldemere Street, Suite 705. Sleep studies and treatments are covered by most major insurance plans. A physician referral is required. For appointments or information, call the SMH Sleep Disorder Center at 941-262-5248 or visit: https://www.smh.com/Home/Services/ sleep-disorder-center

Five

SMH Today l Spring 2026

UPCOMING Sarasota Memorial Joins Clinical Trial for Patients with Aortic Valve Disease A

re you 50 years or older with a confirmed diagnosis of moderate calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS)?

You may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial with Sarasota Memorial’s Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute, aimed at evaluating whether Ataciguat, an investigational medication, can slow the buildup of calcium in the aortic valve in adults with moderate CAVS.

Childbirth Education Sarasota Memorial offers in-person and online childbirth education classes and Mother-Baby Support Groups, as well as 1-on-1 lactation counseling and support. For more information or to register for a class, visit smh.com/ childbirth-education.

Led locally by interventional cardiologist Ricardo Yaryura, MD, the phase 3 clinical study will enroll an estimated 1,400 patients across approximately 100 sites worldwide.

If proven safe and effective, Ataciguat could become the first pharmacologic therapy to slow the progression of aortic valve calcium build-up in adults with CAVS.

Weight Loss & Wellness Coaching Sarasota Memorial weight and wellness specialists offer the following programs to help people lose weight and reduce their risk factors for heart disease and stroke, without medications or surgery:

For more information, or to find out if you are eligible to participate in the local study, contact the research team at 941-917-2225 or email: researchinstitute@ smh.com.

• RENEW (Restore and Empower through Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness), a lifestyle program that combines professional health coaching group activities, meal feedback, exercise monitoring, and unlimited peer support to help people achieve their personal weight and wellness goals. Learn more or apply at smhRENEW.com.

• Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease, a nine-

week program focused on four scientifically proven life style strategies: a low-fat, plant-based diet; 30 minutes of daily exercise; stress management; and social support.

Learn more or apply at smh.com/ornish.

Six

SMH Today l Spring 2026

E VENTS SMH Named Among 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals

Pregnancy Care & Support Supporting you – and your growing family

S

arasota Memorial’s flagship Sarasota campus has once again been recognized among the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the nation.

The prestigious ranking, published in Modern Healthcare in February, identifies the highest-performing hospitals in the U.S. for cardiovascular care.

Pregnancy can be a time of excitement and challenges. If you are feeling overwhelmed or having trouble accessing prenatal care, contact SMH’s Pregnancy Care Team. Our OB nurse navigators can help guide you to the services and support you may need throughout your pregnancy, including assisting you in finding a prenatal care provider, ensuring care coordination, and connecting you and your family with community resources. To access the free pregnancy support, call 941-917-MOMS (6667).

SMH was recognized for its excellence in treating complex conditions, including heart attacks and heart failure, and for its superior outcomes in procedures like heart bypass surgery and cororary angioplasty. Produced in partnership with Premier Inc, the annual list recognizes hospitals with superior clinical outcomes, including:

• Higher survival rates and fewer surgical complications • Shorter hospital stays and fewer readmissions • Lower average costs and higher patient satisfaction

Physician Lectures & Health Events Check out our community calendar each month for a list of free, informative lectures by Sarasota Memorial physicians and specialists, and other SMH-sponsored events. Hear directly from the experts about the latest treatments and emerging technologies giving patients more options than ever before. Visit smh.com/calendar or call 941- 917-7777 for information.

To learn more about our award-winning cardiac programs, visit Sarasota Memorial Heart and Vascular Services at smh.com/heart

Classes & Support Groups

Visit smh.com /calendar for our monthly calendar of events.

Check out our podcast Call 941- 917-7777 or visit smh.com/healthline for help finding a doctor, services and support groups.

for a healthy dose of information from experts you can trust. Visit smh.com/podcast, or download on your favorite streaming app.

For health tips and advice, visit smh.com/blog.

Follow us on social media for the latest news and real-time conversations.

Seven

Nonprofit Org. US Postage

PAID

1515 S. Osprey Ave., Suite B4 Sarasota, FL 34239

Manasota, FL Permit No. 449

PUT WELLNESS AT THE TOP OF YOUR 2026 GOALS!

Get the health tips and insights you need from the experts you trust. smh.com/newsletter