Sarasota Hospital Board candidates to appear at League of Women Voters forum July 11

Correction: Democrats running for the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board were not invited by the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County to its July 11 forum for Republican hospital board candidates because they are not on the primary ballot. They may, however, be in attendance as regular audience members. An earlier version of this story said otherwise.

The League of Women Voters of Sarasota County will host a forum for Republican candidates running for four seats in the Aug. 20 primary for the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board on July 11, while Democratic hopefuls are scheduled to make their case July 9 on a Zoom forum hosted by the Longboat Key Democratic Club.

Four of the nine seats – At-Large seats 1, 2 and 3 and Central District Seat 1 – are on the ballot this year.

The nine-member public hospital board sets policy for the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, which includes all Sarasota Memorial Hospital campuses, related healthcare facilities and clinics and First Physicians Group.

Until 2022, the hospital board races were relatively low key but concern over the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying federal protocols for treatment, recommendations for masking and social distancing as well as development of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines helped spawn a “health freedom movement” that has engulf the board.

That movement resulted in the 2022 election of three of four “health freedom slate” candidates to the board and an ensuing upheaval in meetings dealing with the hospital's approach to COVID care and – earlier this year – a push to embrace vaccine skepticism.

Sarasota Memorial – following the election of the health freedom slate of candidates – conducted an internal independent study of its COVID-19 treatment process. That study concluded SMH did better than its peers, with fewer deaths and shorter stays by patients than most other facilities in Florida and nationwide.

A combination of the hospital board’s open mic policy for public comment and subsequent postings on social media turned board meetings into a national culture war stage. As word spread on social media, hospital staff also received death threats.

The study itself is available at https://bit.ly/3TN0nyO .

Sarasota Memorial, like other hospitals around the country, followed treatment protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention using remedies authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.

Democrats participate in board race again

In 2022 the Democrats opted to sit out races for five hospital board seats and back mainstream Republicans – with candidates from three separate Republican factions jockeying for office.

This year, Democrats are running for each of the four seats, while two separate slates of Republicans, one that includes two incumbents and is endorsed by the Citizens for Healthcare Excellence Action Fund and one that aligns with “medical freedom” stances.

A victory by two of the “medical freedom" candidates could create a majority of board members who subscribe to that philosophy, though the three people elected to the board in 2022 – Victor Rohe, Patricia Maraia and Bridgette Fiorucci – have rarely voted as a block.

Who’s running in the Sarasota Hospital Board election?

For At-Large Seat 1, incumbent Republican Sharon Wetzler DePeters will face Dr. Tamzin Rosenwasser in the primary with the winner facing Democrat Alan Jerome Sprintz in November, where one of three write-in candidates – Ethan Garrett, Suzanne Hatatah, and Jennifer Lee Zambrano – will also be options.

For At Large Seat 2, Republicans Kevin Cooper and Dr. Stephen Guffanti are in the primary with the winner facing Democrat John A. Lutz and Donna Hurlock is a write-in candidate.

For At-Large Seat 3, Republicans Pam Beitlich and Mary Flynn O’Neill are in the primary with the winner facing Democrat Dr. George Davis and Curt Erlandson, a write-in candidate.

For Central District Seat 1, incumbent Republican Sarah Lodge will face Tanya Marie Parus in the primary with the winner facing Democrat Vicki Lynn Nighswander and Emilio Carlesimo a write-in candidate.

The write-in candidates all filed within days of Rohe urging members of the America First Southwest Florida Caucus to file, as a means of ensuring that the primaries would remain closed, after fears were raised that Democrats would drop out.

Zoom forum to host Democratic candidates

The four Democrats have largely bypassed Sarasota Tiger Bay Club events for hospital board candidates. Only Sprintz attended the Sarasota Tiger Bay forum for his seat . Lutz had planned to attend virtually but had to cancel at the last minute.

Tuesday’s Zoom forum, hosted by the Longboat Key Democratic Club, is from 5 to 6 p.m. July 9.

Barry Nolan will host the forum; which will also will include a discussion with Democratic School Board candidates Liz Barker and incumbent Tom Edwards.

The club has a capacity of about 500 Zoom registrants.

To register, visit: https://bit.ly/4cNbwHP or email lbkdemsclub@gmail.com to request a link.

League of Women Voters hosts forum at Jacaranda Library

The League of Women Voters forum for candidates in the Republican primary will be hosted from 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 11 for Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice.

Democratic candidates may attend as audience members but will not be part of the forum, which will also be webcast live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/live/6c6uHYzgcUo .

Seating is limited and while registration is not required, it is encouraged.

To register or submit a question for possible inclusion in the forum, visit https://www.lwvsrq.org .

Related: Sarasota hospital board candidates weigh in at forum on privatization, abortion and more

Also: Sarasota hospital critics face off with board member and hopeful in candidate forum

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Hospital Board candidates to appear at League of Women Voters forum July 11