SARASOTA, Fla. (April 24, 2025) – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System unveiled the much-anticipated Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute this week, hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday and giving physicians, staff and philanthropists a sneak peek inside the new, 82,000-square-foot hub for medical and clinical innovation.
The $75 million, 5-story facility on Sarasota Memorial’s Sarasota campus brings the health system’s growing research, clinical education and residency programs together under one roof and provides a collaborative learning environment for physicians, nurses and other clinical specialists studying new treatments and mastering the latest tools and techniques in patient care.
“Over the years, Sarasota Memorial has become a magnet for highly trained physicians and clinicians bringing the best their specialties have to offer to expand and enhance care in our region,” Sarasota Memorial Health Care System CEO David Verinder said. “We are excited to dedicate this state-of-the-art facility to medical advances and innovative treatment options that will benefit our community today and for generations to come.”
Located at 1880 Arlington Street, the Institute is named after local philanthropists Jerry and Karen Kolschowsky, whose $25 million gift to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation was the catalyst for its construction. The donation was the latest in a series of generous gifts the Kolschowskys and their family foundation made over the years to help SMH expand research and education opportunities at the local level.
“You don’t always understand how important clinical research and advanced therapies are until they save your life, or the life of someone you love,” said Tim Kolschowsky, president of the Gerald A. and Karen A. Kolschowsky Foundation, referring to his mother’s diagnosis of late-stage ovarian cancer in 2008 and successful treatment by James Fiorica, MD, a highly trained gynecological oncologist who brought the latest treatments and research in women’s cancer to SMH.
While the family’s initial donations helped support Dr. Fiorica’s research and women’s cancer care initiatives, the Kolschowskys expanded their focus over the years to support additional medical specialties and clinical education, which in turn has helped SMH attract more physicians and specialists bringing leading-edge research and treatments to the Suncoast region. Indeed, the health system’s research and graduate medical education programs have more than tripled in size in recent years, with more than 140 active studies under way and thousands of physicians competing for residency and fellowship opportunities at SMH each year.
“I can’t overstate what the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute brings to Sarasota Memorial and our community,” said Dr. Fiorica, who today serves as SMH’s chief medical officer. “It creates a sense of place, a center for innovation, inspiration and discovery where physicians, researchers and clinical educators are excited to come and work. The collaboration, compound learning and benefits to patient care will be huge.”
By lending their name to the building, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation President Stacey Corley said the Kolschowskys have inspired other philanthropists to step forward in support of the Institute.
“Their gift was the catalyst for bringing the new Kolschowsky Institute to life,” said Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation president Stacey Corley. “This new hub for innovation, education and medical research attracted many other supporters, and demonstrates how critical the community and philanthropy are to ensuring we remain at the forefront of medical excellence.”
In addition to Sarasota Memorial’s research team, the Kolschowsky Institute provides operational and education space for SMH’s clinical educators and FSU/Sarasota Memorial-sponsored graduate medical education faculty, physician residents and fellows. Each floor features innovative learning spaces, including advanced medical simulations labs, classrooms, a 360-degree immersive training room, enhanced medical library and multi-purpose auditorium. Providing seating for up to 400 people, the first-floor auditorium will be used for research conferences, clinical and community education events and Sarasota County Public Hospital Board meetings.
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, a rehabilitation hospital, behavioral health hospital, skilled nursing facility 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.