SARASOTA, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2022) – Today, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Community Specialty Clinic and saluting scores of active and retired doctors providing free medical care, consults and specialty services to thousands of low-income, uninsured and underinsured residents of Sarasota County each year.
More than 150 active and retired physicians representing dozens of specialties – including cardiac, cancer, orthopedic, gynecology, urology and surgical care – treat nearly 5,000 patients a year at the community clinic and hospital, and often carve out time to see them along with insured patients in their private practices.
Rickey Wiseman, MD, who serves as medical director of the clinic, is one of the volunteer doctors who has been caring for patients from the clinic’s inception.
“I first became involved about 30 years ago,” he said. “It just all fit what my philosophy was as a doctor, to provide care to someone on an ongoing basis and prevent emergencies in the future.”
The clinic has grown significantly over the years and continues to evolve to meet the growing community’s needs, said James Fiorica, MD, chief medical officer for Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.
“Most communities do not have this,” he said. “It’s really wonderful to be able to offer a full spectrum of services for those in need. And we are still growing. As our health system continues to expand with our new hospital in Venice and another planned in North Port, we are working on ways to bring vital services closer to the southern communities we serve.”
Learn more about the Community Specialty Clinic by clicking here or watch our anniversary video below.
About Sarasota Memorial
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 1 million patient visits each year across its 2 hospital campuses, free-standing ER, and network of outpatient care centers. Its flagship 901-bed Sarasota hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and comprehensive network of outpatient. The public health system opened its second acute-care hospital, SMH-Venice, in November 2021, with 110 beds and full range of specialties to serve the growing south Sarasota County region. For information, visit smh.com.