Sarasota hospital scores top six ranking in Fla.

SARASOTA — Sarasota Memorial Hospital moved up two spots in U.S News and World Report's rankings of the top hospitals in Florida, to sixth best in the state. The 806-bed acute care hospital also retained its No. 1 ranking among all medical facilities the Sarasota-Bradenton region.

The community hospital's gynecology department, moreover, placed 48th in the magazine's total nationwide survey. That department, according to the magazine, earned perfect scores in patient services, advanced technologies and gynecology patient volume. The main category that marred Sarasota Memorial's gynecology score was nurse staffing, which ranked low.

While gynecology was the only SMH department in the top 50 nationwide, the hospital did earn high-performing status in six other specialties based on national benchmarks. Those specialties include: diabetes and endocrinology; gastroenterology and GI Surgery; geriatrics; nephrology; orthopedics; and pulmonology.