SARASOTA, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2025) – Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice received overall scores of 98 out of 100 in the federal government’s 2024 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey—scoring substantially higher than the national average (82) and regional average (81).
Conducted each year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the annual survey measures a hospital’s commitment and adherence to best practices in a variety of areas crucial to maternal and infant care, including breastfeeding education, necessary follow-ups, and encouraging mother-baby bonding. These are broken into six subcategories:
- Immediate Post-Partum Care – Skin-to-skin contact and continuous monitoring following birth
- Rooming In – Percent of newborns who stay in the same room as their mother (when medically possible) and frequency of safety checks by staff
- Feeding Practices – Instruction on infant feeding best practices and glucose monitoring by staff
- Feeding Education – Percent of mothers taught to breastfeed and recognize newborn’s feeding cues
- Discharge Support – Discharge criteria require observation of successful breastfeeding and scheduling of necessary follow-up appointments
- Institutional Management – The breadth of skills and competency demonstrated by nursing staff
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 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 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, freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Founded in 1925, SMH is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2025 and encouraging community members to visit smh.com/100 throughout the year for centennial events and updates.