Hospital Board Welcomes New Members, Installs 2024-2025 Officers
At today's Sarasota County Public Hospital Board meeting, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) welcomed two newly elected board members and congratulated two incumbent members who won re-election this month. Made up of nine citizens elected by Sarasota County voters to four-year terms, the unpaid Hospital Board is charged with setting the strategic direction of the organization and serving as good stewards of its financial resources.
Pam Beitlich, DNP, APRN, RN, NEA-BC, who retired earlier this year after a long and distinguished career at Sarasota Memorial, was elected to At Large Seat 3 on the board on Nov. 5. Pam joined SMH in 1981 as a cardiac staff nurse, and progressed through leadership over the years to become executive director of Women and Children’s Services, overseeing Labor & Delivery, the Mother-Baby Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatrics. She also was responsible for the creation of SMH’s OB Emergency Care Center, SMH’s affiliation with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and community childbirth education and outreach programs. An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Beitlich earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Goshen College, master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida and doctorate in Nursing Practice/Healthcare Leadership from Florida State University. She currently serves as president of the Florida Organization for Nursing Leadership.
Longtime business and civic leader Kevin Cooper was elected to At Large Seat 2 on the board. Cooper currently is vice president for communications and strategic initiatives at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and has been involved with multiple civic and community organizations. Previously, he served as a sergeant in the Ohio Army National Guard. He was deployed to Iraq and served as a convoy security operator during Operation Iraqi Freedom and received multiple awards and commendations, including the Army Commendation Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Joint Meritorious Unit Award. Cooper earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kent State University and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University.
The Hospital Board also includes two incumbents who won new four-year terms in the Nov. 5 election: Chair Sarah Lodge, who has served since 2020, and Sharon Wetzler DePeters, who was first elected in 2016. Other returning members are Greg Carter, who has served the District for more than 20 years and was reelected to a four-year term in 2020, and Brad Baker, Bridgette Fiorucci, Patricia Maraia, and Victor Rohe, who are all beginning the third year of their four-year terms.
In related news, the Hospital Board named its new slate of officers for the coming year. The 2024-2025 officers include:
- Chair Sarah Lodge (elected to a second term as chair)
- 1st Vice Chairman Sharon Wetzler DePeters, APRN
- 2nd Vice Chairman Bridgette Fiorucci, BSN, RN
- Secretary Patricia Maraia, BSN, RN
- Assistant Secretary Victor Rohe
- Treasurer Kevin Cooper
- Assistant Treasurer Pam Beitlich, DNP, APRN, RN, NEA-BC
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Founded in 1925, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 2,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice, a freestanding ER in North Port, and a comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices that stretch from Manatee County to North Port. As the region's only public health system and not-for-profit health care provider, SMH serves as a critical safety net for the uninsured in Sarasota County. Visit smh.com for information