SMH Named Among 100 Great Oncology Programs

September 29, 2023 – Sarasota

 Sarasota Memorial Health Care System earned national recognition this week for its work in providing leading-edge cancer research and care.

On Thursday, the health system’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute was named in Becker’s Hospital Review 2023 list of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems With Great Oncology Programs. The healthcare industry trade publication’s annual list recognizes hospitals and health systems that offer leading-edge clinical trials and pioneer research discoveries that expand access to care and enhance patient outcomes. 

In Sarasota Memorial’s spotlight, Becker’s noted that in the past several years, SMH has invested more than half a billion dollars into state-of-the-art cancer institute facilities. SMH opened its first two Jellison Cancer Institute facilities at the height of the pandemic, including the health system’s first radiation oncology center in 2020 and an eight-story dedicated inpatient and surgical oncology tower in 2021. In November, the health system plans to break ground on a new cancer pavilion on the Sarasota campus. That facility, which will be connected via skybridge to the oncology tower, will provide a full complement of outpatient services, including a new breast health center, outpatient surgery, radiation oncology, infusion services, diagnostic imaging, medical, surgical, and radiation oncology physician clinics and integrative and supportive care.

The health system also invested significant resources in research and graduate medical education, tripling the size of those programs and attracting top tier cancer specialists and researchers to the hospital and community. Today, the Jellison Cancer Institute team includes more than 80 employed and community-based physicians committed to raising awareness and educating the community about prevention, care navigation and support. 

Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder said the recognition is a testament to the teamwork and dedication of a collaborative team of physicians and cancer specialists that grows larger every year. In recent years, SMH has recruited fellowship-trained specialists and surgeons to expand its thyroid/parathyroid, gastrointestinal, colorectal, lung and breast cancer teams. 

“We have an outstanding team of physicians and specialists, clinicians, nurses, support staff and community partners working collaboratively, to coordinate care across the full continuum,” Verinder said. “A key component in establishing our program was building upon our existing medical expertise, investing in research and education and building a world-class oncology cancer center that brings leading cancer specialists and researchers to our community.” 

Richard Brown, MD, chief medical director for the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, said caring for cancer patients involves much more than facilities and technology. It means understanding the importance of each patient’s medical and psychosocial needs and meeting those needs close to home.

“It takes coordination across multiple disciplines, and compassionate, comprehensive treatment that focuses not just on a diagnosis, but the entire patient, to provide the very best care,” he said. “I am proud of everything the Cancer Institute and our team has accomplished to date, and look forward to its continued evolution.”

The Becker’s Hospital Review list features cancer centers with nationally recognized specialists pioneering clinical trials and exceptional safety ratings. The editorial team selected hospitals for inclusion based on recognition organizations have received from reputable rating agencies, including U.S. News & World Report, National Cancer Institute and American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Organizations can be nominated, but cannot pay for inclusion on this list. The full list features individual profiles of all hospitals and health systems on the list, and can be read here: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/100-hospitals-and-health-systems-with-great-oncology-programs-2023.html

Among many other awards, SMH earned multiple rankings and ratings from U.S. News & World Report this year. In the 2023-2024 Best Hospitals report, SMH was listed among the nation’s top hospitals for 20 medical specialties, procedures and conditions, including the following areas of oncology care: Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal Surgery; Urology; Colon Cancer Surgery; Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma; Lung Cancer Surgery; and Prostate Cancer Surgery.