Sarasota Memorial Hospital

"I had to get transferred to this hospital to have my baby boy and am so so so grateful to all the nurses on the labor and delivery unit and postpartum unit . I couldn’t have had a better experience then I did at this hospital EVERY single nurse was efficient and CARING and Alexis on the labor and delivery unit definitely stuck out for her compassion along with dr.salter who did my c section as well as all the anesthesiologist they were all amazing!"

"I would give it a zero if I could My daughter is that right now diagnosed with appendicitis Waiting to go to the operating room And for the last eight hours they have had her sitting in a chair In overflow because they have no room for her. WTH Happened to patient care? This is got to be the worst hospital in the state of florida!!! Not only did they put her in a small room with a door closed. They didn't even give her a button to call The nurses station. That is patient neglect!! I'm ready to go pull her out and take her to a different hospital. She also had her son here and the maternity ward was absolutely horrible. Avoid this hospital at all costs!!!! Saturday February 10th at 7:42 pm And she arrived at 1. If her appendix end up bursting they are going To be responsible!!!!!!!"

"I had a small procedure done a few months ago. The overall process was very civilized for both myself and my wife who accompanied me. From check-in to the wonderful departure lounge, and the waiting room in between, all was an exceptional experience. T he only negative I had was when I had to go for pre-op testing and paperwork for my procedure, the billing department was looking for my balance due payment that insurance didn't cover before I had the procedure. I understand its difficult to try to collect after the fact, but I am not accustomed to paying for services like this in advance"

"I was shocked to discover that the hospital sent my case to collections without warning after ceasing to send me bills. I had already called once to request the bills, explaining that it was challenging for me to remember all the payments without proper documentation. Despite this, after two months, they stopped sending bills again and abruptly sent my case to collections. It's difficult for me to comprehend why the hospital billing department operates in such a manner. People dealing with health concerns are already overwhelmed with doctor's appointments and various issues. In contrast, other normal organizations typically send bills and issue warnings if payments are late. Nowadays, it's common to receive text notifications well in advance of the due date, followed by reminders closer to the deadline, and notifications if the payment is overdue. This level of organization is expected and easily achievable. Upon calling the billing department and speaking with Nancy, I asked her to verify if they had sent any paper bills, reminder letters, or any form of communication. She claimed her computer was "glitching." When I requested to speak to the manager, she insisted that I wouldn't be able to, citing a policy that managers only speak to callers in "urgent situations." This lack of transparency and communication is disappointing, especially from a large organization like a hospital. There is a need for change in the billing department's approach. Treating people in this manner is unacceptable. It seems like common sense to adopt more advanced techniques to notify patients about payments. Many of these individuals are elderly and dealing with health issues, and it's disheartening that the department fails to recognize the importance of sensitivity in such situations. I hope that someone within the organization will have common sense and take appropriate action to address and improve the situation. It's essential for the well-being of the patients."

"I’ve always experienced wonderful healthcare at SMH and quite thankful, however my gripe is with the billing office and their lack of care & concern. There was an error between the hospital and my insurance, nothing to do me, my surgeons seemingly only with my emergency procedure (6months post surgery), however at some point after reaching my TOTAL OUT OF pocket in early January 2023 after an emergency surgery; something mysteriously changed. Briefly, and for the emergency surgery in question, it was shown that it was not an emergency and thereby not “pre authorized”. I was given 4hrs to get to SMH for emergency surgery on that fateful day.. We’ve spent hundreds of hours trying to sort this out. My Insurance company finally issued an EOB rectifying their error, but the double billing bureaucracy that is SMH has not dealt with the issue. They keep telling they did, but the harassing phone calls keep coming. I and my exwife donated in excess of $500k to construct a waiting room on one of the most serious floors for the sole benefit of the families dealing with some horrid conditions. See pictures below. If I donated 500k, why would I not pay 3-5k? Yearly out of pocket was met the first week in January 2023. I myself am currently experiencing similar medical issues, but still field harassment calls almost weekly after being told “it’s handled”. My assistant and insurance agent have spent hundreds of hours (at my expense) dealing with the incompetence within the billing departments only to be called again today 12/12/23. Then being told “we posted the updated EOB this morning”. We’ve sent it multiple times prior but still receive calls. The billing dept needs to be completely overhauled and trained in dealing with patients and not everyone owes the hospital. Please “clean” up your billing department and attempt to make it as positive as the healthcare side."