A Decade of Lifesaving Care: Sarasota Memorial Trauma Center Celebrates 10 Years of Service to the Community

SARASOTA (July 1, 2026) - Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Level II Trauma Center, a milestone that reflects a decade of growth, innovation and lifesaving care for patients throughout Sarasota County and the surrounding region.

Since opening in May 2015 and receiving full state designation in July 2016, the SMH trauma team has treated 47,735 injured patients, including 22,871 trauma team activations to address the most critically injured patients transported by emergency medical teams to the nearest trauma center.

Created to ensure local residents could receive immediate specialized trauma care close to home, SMH's Trauma Center has transformed emergency care in Sarasota County and established itself as one of the top-performing trauma programs in the nation.

"Ten years ago, Sarasota Memorial made a significant commitment to bring advanced trauma services to our community," said Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder. "Today, that investment continues to save lives every day. The expertise of our trauma team, combined with their unwavering commitment to patients and families, delivers exceptional outcomes and provides comfort and reassurance to patients and families during some of the most critical moments of their lives."

The Trauma Center's patient outcomes consistently exceed national benchmarks. From May 2015 through May 2026, the program maintained an overall mortality rate of 1.9 percent - less than half the national benchmark rate of 4.31 percent. According to the American College of Surgeons' benchmarking reports, SMH ranks in the top decile nationally for both all-patient mortality and elderly patient mortality.

The center has expanded significantly since its launch. In 2015, the trauma program was staffed by five trauma surgeons, five advanced practice professionals and three administrative team members. Today, the team includes nine trauma surgeons, 20 advanced practice professionals and 14 administrative staff members supporting around-the-clock trauma care. Approximately 85 percent of the original trauma team members hired in 2015 remain with Sarasota Memorial today.

"Our success over the past decade is a direct reflection of the people who have dedicated their careers to caring for trauma patients," said Christian Schuetz, MD, medical director of trauma and emergency general surgery at SMH-Sarasota. "From the physicians and nurses to our critical care and rehabilitation specialists and support staff, every member of the team plays a critical role in helping patients survive devastating injuries and recover as fully as possible."

As patient volumes increased, Sarasota Memorial expanded its trauma infrastructure to meet growing community needs. The Trauma Center includes two dedicated trauma bays and six additional overflow bays that can be activated during periods of high patient volume or mass casualty incidents. Over the past decade, the health system also updated its 10-bed Trauma Intensive Care Unit and added a 10-bed overflow ICU, expanded trauma-focused inpatient units, expanded imaging and operating room capacity, and enhanced post-discharge services through a dedicated Trauma Clinic, Wound Care Clinic. Since 2015, SMH also opened and expanded its state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Pavilion, further optimizing the recovery process for trauma patients.

Today, Sarasota Memorial remains the region's only designated trauma center, providing immediate access to highly specialized care for patients suffering life-threatening injuries from motor vehicle and e-bike/scooter crashes, falls, penetrating injuries and other traumatic accidents.

In May, Sarasota Memorial celebrated National Trauma Survivors Day, bringing together trauma survivors and the physicians, nurses and caregivers who helped save their lives. During the event, survivors shared stories of resilience and gratitude, including Naomi Orozco, who was thrilled to reunite with the medical professionals who cared for her after a life-threatening injury.

"They saw a light in me I couldn't even see in myself," she shared.

Hear more from Orozco during her emotional reunion with the SMH trauma team below.

About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida's greatest breadth and depth of care, with about 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, 11,000 employees and 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County's largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice (and third under construction in North Port), freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and SMH First Physicians Group primary and specialty care practices. Founded in 1925, SMH's flagship Sarasota campus also is home to the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion and Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute. Both Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice have earned the highest 5-Star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The SMH-Sarasota is the only Florida hospital - and one of just 11 in the nation - to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from CMS every year since the federal rating program began in 2016.