Sarasota Memorial opens freestanding ER in Lakewood Ranch

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System opened a new 15,000-square-foot freestanding emergency room in Lakewood Ranch on Jan. 7. Located 3 miles east of Interstate 75 near Lorraine Road, the ER is expected to serve up to 150 patients each day.

The ER facility on University Parkway is the second freestanding emergency room for Sarasota Memorial, which opened one in North Port more than 10 years ago.

“By opening freestanding ERs and placing them in densely populated areas, many more people can receive emergency care in their own neighborhoods,” Dr. Reuben Holland, medical director of Sarasota Memorial’s emergency care services, says in a statement. “This is not just more convenient for patients. It also strengthens clinical outcomes and reduces congestion and wait times at hospital-based ERs.”