A major Sarasota County employer has been named Florida’s best workplace for health care professionals
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System ranked No. 17 on Forbes’ 2026 list of “America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals,” the highest-ranked healthcare employer in the state of Florida.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, topped the rankings, followed by the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi.
Tampa General Hospital, the second-ranked Florida hospital, ranked No. 25 nationally.
The list of the country’s top 250 health care organizations was released Sept. 28. Sarasota Memorial rose significantly from its position on Forbes’ inaugural list in 2025.
Then, Sarasota Memorial was ranked
No. 75 overall and No. 5 in Florida, behind Shriners Children’s Hospital, Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Baptist Health South Florida in Coral Gables, and Tampa General Hospital.
The complete 2026 ranking can be found at forbes.com/lists/best-employers-healthcare-professionals.
SMH President and CEO David Verinder said this latest recognition is particularly meaningful because it reflects the experiences and opinions of SMH staff and industry peers.
“This honor belongs to our entire team at SMH and reflects the extraordinary skill, compassion and dedication they bring to work every day,” Verinder said in a prepared statement. “Our people are our greatest strength.
“Their commitment to each other, our patients and the entire community is what makes Sarasota Memorial an exceptional place to work and receive care.”
How does Forbes compile the list?
As it does with several of its rankings, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to develop the rankings.
For this, it surveyed more than 30,000 employees working for health care and social services providers with at least 1,000 employees in the United States.
Participants were asked how likely they were to recommend their current employer, and to evaluate their workplace on criteria including wages, working conditions and schedules, career advancement opportunities and safety.
With more than 11,000 employees, Sarasota Memorial is the largest employer in Sarasota County and the Suncoast region.
This accolade comes on the heels of Forbes naming SMH the top employer for women in Florida on its “America’s Best Employers for Women 2026” list, ranking it in the top 20% of large employers and including it on its list of best employers for company culture.
SMH was also one of Nursegrid’s Great Workplaces for Nurses.
The health system also has been recognized with Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award and other national honors highlighting its commitment to employee engagement, professional development and workplace excellence.
For information about career opportunities at Sarasota Memorial, visitwww.smh.com/careers.
Newsweek taps SMH nursing and rehabilitation center for 2027 'America’s Best' listing
Newsweek partnered with Statista to recognize 1,325 of the nation’s top nursing homes out of nearly 15,000 facilities evaluated.
Top-ranked nursing homes were selected based on superior quality and performance indicators, publicly available data from federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), peer recommendations, accreditations and five-star resident reviews.
“Sarasota Memorial is honored to once again be spotlighted among the nation’s best nursing homes,” Maria DeCarlo, vice president of Sarasota Memorial Post-Acute and Rehabilitation Services, said in a prepared statement. “This recognition belongs to our incredible staff, whose dedication and compassion are reflected in the care they provide every day. From supporting residents and families to helping one another and continually striving to do better, their commitment keeps quality, safety, service and compassionate care at the heart of everything we do.”
Located at 5640 Rand Blvd., Sarasota Memorial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center offers skilled nursing and rehabilitation for people recovering from surgery, injury or illness. Its multidisciplinary team cares for approximately 100 residents around the clock, 365 days a year.
For information, referrals or questions about Sarasota Memorial Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, please call 941-917-4950 or visit smh.com/rehab.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Major Sarasota employer named Florida’s best for health care workers
