$113 million expansion planned for newly opened Venice hospital

Since opening last November, the Sarasota Memorial Hospital — Venice has been operating at or near full capacity. That’s all about to change after SMH announced a $113 million expansion. 

The Venice team has already managed over 16,000 emergency room visits, admitted about 5,200 patients, performed more than 1,400 surgeries and delivered over 60 babies, according to a statement. And that was just within the first six months of the location being open. 

The needed expansion will add a third patient care tower to the campus. Pre-construction work is already underway to add 68 private patient suites. The construction is expected to be complete by early 2024, but is dependent on design and permitting approvals, according to a news release.

“While the pandemic certainly added to our volumes, the real driver for this expansion is the rapid population growth we are seeing in the south county region and a strong preference among patients to receive their medical and surgical care at SMH,” SMH-Venice President Sharon Roush says. 

The location, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s second acute-care hospital, employs nearly 1,000 employees as well as more than 1,000 physicians and medical staff members. The 110-bed hospital includes 28 beds in the emergency care center, eight surgical suites, dedicated labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum birthing suites, and 22 beds in the pandemic-ready intensive care unit. It’s located at the intersection of Laurel and Pinebrook roads and sits on 65 acres. 

SMH-Venice is designed to more than double in size, if needed, through future construction phases. 

"Although the need to expand came sooner than anticipated,” Roush says, “we are moving forward quickly so that we can care for our growing community now and for years to come.”