The Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, one of Florida’s largest and most advanced public health systems, is celebrating a century of excellence in 2025 while continuing to lead innovation in spine and neurosurgical care. The spine program unites five orthopedic and seven neurosurgeons in a collaborative, patient-centered model supported by expert physical therapists, perioperative nurses and case managers. In 2025, the program completed over 1,360 elective spine cases at the Sarasota campus alone, earning DNV advanced spine surgery certification and recognition by U.S. News & World Report as a “high performer” in back surgery. The system is redefining modern spine care with technologies such as augmented reality and robotic-assisted surgery, improving precision, safety and recovery outcomes. Surgeons are also pioneering the use of Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headsets and Aprevo 3D-printed spinal implants, while conducting studies like the evaluation of iceless cryopneumatic therapy to reduce pain and swelling after surgery. In 2025, the system expanded its research capabilities with the opening of the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute, a $75 million facility advancing clinical studies, surgical simulation and medical innovation. The program has achieved complication and readmission rates well below national benchmarks, and has earned five consecutive Magnet designations, CMS 5-star ratings every year since 2016, Blue Distinction Center status for spine surgery, and inclusion on Newsweek‘s “World’s Best Hospitals” and “”World’s Best Smart Hospitals” 2026 lists.
