SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD ELECTION:
Understanding the Issues
On April 8, 2024, from 6-7 pm at the Selby Library Gelbart Auditorium, the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County will present a panel of experts in the healthcare field to discuss the role of the SMH Board and how their decisions might impact the future of medical care in our community.
Currently there are two candidates of the same party running for Hospital Board At
Large Seat 1 and for Central District Seat 1. That means the August Primary could
become a Universal Primary, making it the final election for these two seats. In that
case, all voters would be able to vote; thus filling two of the four seats on this nine-
person board. At Large Seats 2 and 3 will be voted on in November.
According to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, “Of nearly 5,000 U.S. hospitals evaluated every year, SMH has repeatedly been recognized in the “50 Best Hospitals” for at least one medical specialty and rated among the nation’s top 10% for other high performing specialties, conditions and procedures.” (August 1, 2023)
It is the responsibility of the Hospital Board to maintain or improve upon this level of excellence. Our panelists will cover all the issues at play in this year’s SMH Hospital Board elections including privatization of our public nonprofit hospital.
Our panel of experts includes:
Sandra Stuart, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation. Former Assist. Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.
Sandi Stuart is a former senior partner at the public affairs/lobbying firm Clark Weinstock, which has represented Fortune 100 companies in the fields of healthcare and technology. Sandi currently serves on the board of Mote Marine Laboratory, is immediate-past chair of Florida House in Washington, D.C. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina. Sandi joined the Healthcare Foundation in 2020.
Kirk George Voelker, MD. Pulmonologist, Medical Director of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s Clinical Research Center
Dr. Kirk Voelker is a practicing Pulmonologist and the Medical Director of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s Clinical Research Center. He studied Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida with medical residencies at Orlando Regional Medical Center and UC/Irvine. He is an associate professor at Florida State University College of Medicine (Sarasota) and President of Citizens for Healthcare Excellence.
Alan Unell, PhD researches healthcare systems and policies and publishes the daily newsletter “Healthcare Advocacy”.
Mr. Unell has a doctorate from Northwestern University in Mathematics. He has taught Mathematics at Northwestern, Princeton, and Rider Universities. Over the last 30 years he has also taught Mathematics, Design of Experiments, Statistics, Six Sigma Techniques, and Software Design for a variety of aerospace firms including Hughes Aircraft, Raytheon and the Aerospace Corporation. Dr. Unell became interested in healthcare reform when his daughter was diagnosed with Lupus. He has researched healthcare systems and policies for the last 5 years and has lectured on healthcare reform for several years.
This event will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page where a recording will be posted. For more information and to register for in-person attendance visit
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Listen to WSLR's preview of the Hospital Board election here.
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