For the second year in a row, U.S.News & World Report magazine has named Sarasota Memorial among the very best in the country in seven specialties: heart and heart surgery, orthopedics, digestive disorders, cancer care, urology, geriatrics and ear, nose and throat. In fact, Sarasota Memorial now ranks among the top 20 hospitals in the nation for cardiac care, reaching the 19th spot on the speciality list, up from 21 in 2004.

Here are Sarasota Memorial's 2005 rankings, which will appear in the July 18 issue that hits newsstands today, July 11:
~19th in the nation for heart/heart surgery (up from 21st last year)
~41st for cancer services (compared to 37th in 2004)
~34th for digestive disorders (up from 38th in 2004,
~36th for orthopedics (up from 40th last year)
~43rd for ear, nose and throat care (up from 48th in 2004)
~38th in urology (down from 33rd in 2004)
~37th for geriatrics (same score as last year)

Sarasota Memorial Hospital
1700 S. Tamiami Tr.
Sarasota, FL
(941)917-9000

Other Sarasota Area Hospitals

Charter Behavioral Health System
4480 51st St. W.
Bradenton, FL
(941)792-2222

Blake Medical Center
2020 59th St. W.
Bradenton, FL
(941)792-6611

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota
5731 Bee Ridge Rd.
Sarasota, FL
(941)342-1100

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
3241 Proctor Rd.
Sarasota, FL
(941)921-8600

Manatee Memorial Hospital
206 Second St. E.
Bradenton, FL
(941)746-5111