Hurricane Milton Wednesday 10/9 AM Update
Hurricane Milton has developed into a strong hurricane that is currently expected to begin impacting our region early Wednesday morning. Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte Counties are currently calling for the evacuation of people living in Zone A and Zone B.
Visitation will close at 11am today, 10/9, at both Sarasota Memorial - Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial - Venice campuses.
Facilities and Services Update/Closures:
- Elective surgeries will be cancelled Wednesday 10/9 & Thursday 10/10.
- All Urgent Care Centers will be closed Wednesday 10/9. We will share updates on Thursday hours once the storm has passed. Our other off-site outpatient facilities plan to be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
- First Physician Group Offices will remain closed Wednesday, 10/9 and Thursday, 10/10.
- Outpatient centers will be closed on Wednesday, 10/9 and Thursday, 10/10.
- The North Port Emergency Room plans to remain open 24/7 this week.
- HealthFit will be closed Wednesday, 10/9.
Staff Updates:
SMH Hurricane Team B should be prepared to activate on Thursday afternoon – potentially at noon based on local conditions. Information will continue to be communicated via SMH email, smh.com, the SMH Hurricane hotline at 941-917-8799 (941-261-8799 for SMH-Venice) and SMH social media.
The following radio stations will have ongoing local storm and SMH updates:
- CTQ 92.1 FM
- WENG 107.5 FM, 98.1 FM, 1530 AM
- Florida Public Radio Emergency Network WMNF 88.5
County Updates:
Hurricane Information & Planning for Sarasota Memorial Staff
Hurricane season is June 1 through Nov. 30.
Sarasota Memorial continually monitors and prepares for weather emergencies. The hospital's Hurricane Response Plan provides comprehensive information for an effective and safe response to hurricanes.
If severe tropical weather may pose a threat to the region, SMH employees should call the Employee Hurricane and Emergency Hotline, 941-917-8799 (Sarasota campus) or 941-261-8799 (Venice Campus) for updates before, during and after a storm. Once a Hurricane Watch is instituted for Sarasota County, information regarding department and facility closures and other updates will be included in recorded messages on the hotline and in emails to staff.
Updates regarding hospital and outpatient services will be shared with the community via this website (smh.com/hurricane), Sarasota Memorial social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), local news media and other external communications channels.
SMH Employees
Employees are encouraged to review the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) on the internal PULSE site, and to discuss their roles and responsibilities with their supervisor.
Staff Hurricane Teams: Members of Hurricane Teams: Response (A) Team, Recovery (B) Team and Pre-Team members should familiarize themselves with their team roles and responsibilities within the Hurricane Response Plan, FAQ and Hurricane Handbook (see links on this page).
Medically Dependent Residents Encouraged to Register with Sarasota County
Sarasota Memorial is an acute-care hospital and is not a community hurricane shelter.
Community members with qualifying medical needs who may need to evacuate their home during a disaster are encouraged to register in advance as a medically dependent person (MDP) with Sarasota County's Medical Needs Program, click here. Sarasota County arranges transportation and shelter assignments for registered MDPs. If local evacuations are necessary, Sarasota County may assign certain pre-registered MDPs who require a hospital setting to SMH, based on available capacity. Sarasota County has other assigned shelter locations for people with medical needs who do not require a hospital setting.
For more information about Sarasota County's Medical Needs Program, call Sarasota County at 941-861-5000 or click here. MDPs are advised to register with the county at the start of hurricane season.
For hurricane preparedness tips, resources and information for community members, click here.