By HFT Staff

Fueled by strong bond ratings, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) is moving full speed ahead on more than $1 billion in capital projects that will expand and enhance the southwest Florida community's access to care. 

SMH recently began laying deep foundations at its new, $507 million hospital in North Port, and has several other expansion projects under way, including an $82.5 million inpatient rehabilitation facility at its SMH-Venice campus and more than $50 million in radiology upgrades and expansions in Sarasota and Venice. 

Some key projects under way include: 

• SMH-North Port: Slated to open in 2028, SMH-North Port will be the city's first acute-care hospital. The nine-story facility will initially feature 100 beds with built-in "shell space" to quickly double capacity to 208 beds as demand grows. 
• Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion: Opening in Spring 2026 at the Sarasota campus, the outpatient cancer pavilion is the third in a series of premier facilities that are part of the health system's expanding Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, providing cancer patients, caregivers and medical providers access to the latest treatments, technologies, clinical trials and supportive care in their own community. 
• Venice Rehabilitation Pavilion: Slated to begin construction this year, the new, $82.5 million, four-story facility in Venice will offer specialized inpatient and outpatient rehab for people in the south county region.