Sarasota Memorial Hospital previews new Courtyard Tower

Sarasota Memorial Hospital staff displayed medical mementos Friday, Sept. 6, which will be placed in a time capsule for the grand opening of the new Courtyard Tower.

Employees entered a giant inflatable snow globe, where they had their photos taken to remember the event. Hospital Board Chairman Richard Merritt, SMH CEO Gwen MacKenzie and Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation President Alex Quarles all came to speak with media and to see what sort of memorabilia would go into the time capsule.

“That will give a history of the hospital since 1925. We thought we would burry it, and I think in 50 years we'll reopen it again,” said Merritt. “Just what’s going on for the last 87 years and what we are doing now building. I think there is a stethoscope in there, and we think in 50 years it will be obsolete.”

Sarasota Memorial Hospital invites the community to the grand opening from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, in the courtyard.

A short program will begin at 10:30 a.m., with the Sarasota Military Academy Color Guard present and the time capsule will be dedicated. Community members can get their photographs taken inside the snow globe for free.

There will also be refreshments, pet therapists, a teddy bear clinic and ongoing tours of the new orthopedic and cardiac units, labor-and-delivery suites, mother-baby unit and neonatal intensive care unit in the new tower.

Participants can park for free in the hospital’s Waldemere garage.

For more information, visit http://www.smh.com/tower/