APRIL 1, 2021

James (Jim) Alexander has been coming to the Venice community for the past 16 years. About 10 years ago, he sold his Midwestern manufacturing company, Jamco Products, and retired to Florida for good.

Though he lives in Venice, Jim preferred the care in Sarasota. “When I had a problem and had to be taken to a hospital, I specifically had them take me to Sarasota Memorial,” he says.

Jim learned a valuable lesson about the importance of having a leading hospital nearby. When a blockage in his heart threatened his own health a few years ago, SMH cardiologist David Schreibman, M.D. performed a procedure that enabled Jim to more quickly return to playing softball and golf — his favorite activities. “He did a great job,” Jim says. “It made a difference to my quality of life, that’s for sure.”

That exceptional level of care is what has kept Jim coming back to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. And it’s why he decided to make a significant donation to the Healthcare Foundation to support the new Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice slated to open this fall. “Having spent so much time in hospitals, I felt strongly about giving back,” he says.

Jim was the first donor to support SMH-Venice. The new hospital will feature 110 private rooms, eight surgical suites, a 28-room Emergency Care Center, and a full array of medical care, from cardiology to oncology. In recognition of Jim’s gift, the Emergency Care Center waiting area will bear his name. “I’m very happy that I could help in the small way that I did.”

Read more information about SMH-Venice Hospital.