David Verinder

In 2014, the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board unanimously appointed David Verinder president and CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, an 839-bed public medical center with more than 6,000 staff and 1,000 physicians.

Verinder has overseen the development and successful implementation of new medical services and programs to improve the community’s access to high-quality health care. In 2015, Sarasota Memorial opened Sarasota County’s only Trauma Center. In 2017, the health system launched an internal medicine residency program with Florida State University’s College of Medicine to help address local physician shortages, and began an emergency medicine residency program in 2019.

Sarasota Memorial recently embarked on the most significant expansion in its 94-year history, with construction under way on a new state-of-the-art hospital in south Sarasota County that will open in 2021.

During Verinder’s tenure, Sarasota Memorial has repeatedly earned national recognition for its top-quality care. The health system is one of only 52 hospitals nationally and the only hospital in Florida to earn the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s highest five-star rating for quality in all reporting periods since the federal program began in 2016. In 2019, IBM Watson Health listed Sarasota Memorial among the top 100 hospitals in the nation and Newsweek named the organization among the best hospitals in the world.  Sarasota Memorial also has earned repeated “A” grades for safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent hospital watchdog organization.

Before becoming CEO, Verinder served as Sarasota Memorial’s chief operating officer, overseeing the health system’s operations and ambulatory strategy. He also was responsible for architecture and construction projects, including the opening of the nine-story Courtyard Tower in 2013 as well as several new outpatient facilities and urgent care centers.

Verinder joined Sarasota Memorial in 2006 as chief financial officer. As CFO, and continuing in his role as CEO, he successfully instituted significant financial and operational improvements, focusing on strategic growth opportunities, disciplined expense controls and improved financial results. He came to Sarasota Memorial from Scott & White Memorial Hospital & Clinic in Temple, Texas, where he served in senior leadership.

Verinder earned an MBA from Auburn University and a Bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University.

His recent leadership honors include earning a spot on Florida Trend’s 2018 list of Florida’s 500 most influential business leaders and receiving the 2018 Civic Achievement Award from the AJC West Coast Florida.

Verinder serves on the boards of several local, state and national organizations. He is the current Chairman of the Board of LeeSar and Cooperative Services of Florida, Inc. In addition to his current service on the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida’s Board of Directors, Verinder has served on the Board of Trustees of the Florida Hospital Association. He also serves on the Boy Scouts of America Executive Board, Auburn University College of Business’ Advisory Council and the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County’s Chairman’s Advisory Board.