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Sarasota Memorial Hospital

Sarasota Memorial Hospital Named Among the World’s Best Hospitals in 2026 Newsweek Rankings

| Suncoast Post Staff |

One of Sarasota-Manatee’s oldest and most respected health care institutions has once again been recognized on the global stage for excellence in medical care.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital, the flagship hospital of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, has been named among the World’s Best Hospitals in Newsweek’s 8th annual global rankings, released on February 25, 2026. This marks the eighth consecutive year the Sarasota facility has earned a position on this prestigious list.

The World’s Best Hospitals 2026 rankings, developed in partnership with global data firm Statista, evaluate more than 2,500 hospitals in 32 countries. Hospitals are assessed using a comprehensive methodology that includes:

  • Extensive surveys of physicians, healthcare professionals and hospital leaders worldwide,
  • Objective quality metrics and clinical outcomes data,
  • Patient care evaluations and peer recommendations from the medical community.

SMH’s inclusion in the list highlights the hospital’s sustained commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care. According to the announcement, the flagship Sarasota campus is the only health system in Southwest Florida ever to earn a spot on the global list, and it has been recognized every year since the rankings began in 2019.

In a statement, CEO David Verinder emphasized that the honor reflects “the extraordinary commitment of our physicians, nurses and staff to deliver the highest quality care to every patient, every day.” He added that during a time of significant growth, this recognition underscores the health system’s unwavering focus on quality, safety and superior outcomes.

The Newsweek ranking adds to a growing list of accolades for Sarasota Memorial, which has also been recognized by respected independent organizations such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes and The Leapfrog Group. Notably, the hospital has earned the highest 5-star overall quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services every year since the federal rating program began in 2016 — a distinction no other hospital in Florida has achieved.

Founded in 1925, Sarasota Memorial Hospital is a publicly owned facility serving Sarasota and Manatee counties, offering a broad spectrum of medical services across its main campus, a second full-service hospital in Venice, freestanding emergency centers, outpatient clinics, and more.

Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals rankings aim to equip patients, families, and health care leaders with reliable, transparent data to guide decisions about where to receive care, and SMH’s continued presence on the list reinforces its reputation as one of the nation’s and world’s respected medical institutions.

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