SMH leader builds relationships, pays it forward

Kelli Dancer originally had childhood goals of being an orthodontist. But once she was a freshman at University of Florida, she began setting her sights on healthcare administration.

A bachelor’s and master’s degree later, she started her career as an administrative fellow at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. Then she was asked to help manage development of SMH’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, and in 2023 she became chief of staff to SMH CEO David Verinder, the first person to hold that role.

Photo by Mark Wemple

Verinder has been a mentor to Dancer throughout her nine years at SMH. “When I started working with him as a fellow, he was the one who always saw something in me that maybe I didn’t even see at the time,” says Dancer. “He always pushed me and let me have a seat at the table that I didn’t even know if I belonged at.”

His leadership style is one she aspires to emulate. “To see the way he works with the staff and physicians, it’s really taught me so much about how I would want to lead people and lead an organization,” she says. “He lives by putting the patient first, which can be a very cliché thing to say in healthcare. But I have never experienced anyone live by that statement quite like David Verinder.”

But Dancer has plenty of skills in her own right. She’s known for her ability to bridge generations and disciplines. “I do think that is a bit of a superpower of mine and probably why I have been successful at SMH to some extent,” she says. “When you are able to genuinely build relationships and build trust and rapport with the individuals you work with, it creates something really wonderful and you’re able to get a lot accomplished together.”

She also knows actions speak louder than words. “I think my reputation has been built in very small moments,” says Dancer. “I’ve showed up over and over again for the last nine years I’ve been here, truly wanting to learn and wanting to understand how I can better the healthcare system to improve patient care for the community. When people know that’s truly what you are all about, they kind of welcome you with open arms and want to work with you and want to teach you.”

Now she’s doing the same by mentoring new cohorts of SMH administrative fellows. “It’s really special, because it’s what started my career here and what I feel has led me to where I am today,” she says. “To be able to mentor the current administrative fellows and help them have the same experience that I had, but for themselves, has really been something I value.”