U.S. News & World Report named Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) among 37 “standout” hospitals in the country, with top ratings in all 10 of the chronic conditions and medical procedures evaluated in its “Best Hospitals” guide this year.  SMH ranked No. 1 in the Sarasota-Bradenton-North Port region and among the top 10 in Florida. The hospital was also recognized for its high performance in caring for Medicare patients.

The 10 chronic conditions and medical procedures U.S. News evaluated in 2020-21 were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement, lung cancer surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). According to the U.S. News report, the goal is to evaluate how well hospitals perform in each procedure or condition and not just with the most difficult cases, as with the specialty rankings, but with the full range of patients. And although the data used in the 2020-21 rankings predate COVID-19 and rankings were not affected by the pandemic’s impact on hospitals, this year’s report spotlights efforts by health professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.