All four candidates who pushed for "medical freedom" platforms and were critical of Sarasota Memorial Hospital have lost to Republican opponents in a primary race for the county's public hospital board seats on Tuesday.
Preliminary results show incumbents Sarah Lodge and Sharon Wetzler DePeters along with newcomers Kevin Cooper and Pam Beitlich overwhelmingly defeated their respective opponents: Tanya Parus, Tamzin Rosenwasser, Stephen Guffanti and Mary Flynn O'Neill in the closed primary, with each getting more than 60% of the vote.
RESULTS: How the greater Tampa Bay region voted in local, state and federal races
This eliminates the possibility that the nine-member board, which sets policy for the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, could have a majority of members who support a "medical freedom" platform that has largely focused on criticizing the hospital's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The health system is a major medical provider that runs hospitals, outpatient clinics and First Physicians Group, and it's the county's largest employer. It is one of four public hospital systems in Florida and one of only two whose board members are elected by the public.
Hospital Board At Large Seat 1
Sharon Wetzler DePeters (REP) - 66.69%
Tamzin Rosenwasser (REP) - 33.31%
Hospital Board At Large Seat 2
Kevin Cooper (REP) - 65.98%
Stephen Guffanti (REP) - 34.02%
Hospital Board At Large Seat 3
Pam Beitlich (REP) - 62.01%
Mary Flynn O'Neill (REP) - 37.99%
Hospital Board Central District Seat 1
Sarah Lodge (REP) - 69.64%
Tanya Parus (REP) - 30.36%
Why the down-ballot race had national attention
Hospital board races in Sarasota didn't used to get much attention or voter participation, but ever since three candidates running on "health freedom" platforms were elected in 2022, that's changed. Board meetings and candidate forums have drawn large crowds in recent years, with some getting national news coverage.
Much of the tension has surrounded debates over how Sarasota Memorial handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics, including board members on the "medical freedom" slate, have accused the hospital of mandating certain treatments and vaccines during the pandemic, and blamed decisions to follow federal COVID protocols for the loss of some patients' lives.
Sarasota Memorial disputed that in a report published last year, which found the hospital performed better than most in Florida and nationwide during the pandemic. The report involved an internal review, which was analyzed by an independent quality control organization that the hospital contracted with. Some critics were not persuaded, but calls for further investigation failed.
More recently, the board shot down a proposal in May for the hospital to officially embrace Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s guidance against mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Even the member who originally proposed the idea, Victor Rohe, agreed to table it.
The three "medical freedom" board members have not voted together on issues, and one of them, Patricia Maraia, even wrote an op-ed published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune this summer accusing the current slate of candidates of seeming "more interested in advancing an organized political agenda than showing a genuine public interest in our community hospital."
Talk of privatization has been an issue
Rohe was among supporters championing the "medical freedom" candidates, while a political organization called Citizens for Healthcare Excellence Action Fund heavily backed their four opponents.
Both slates of candidates accused the other of wanting to privatize Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, though each has stressed individually that they want to keep the hospital public.
During a July 23 hospital board meeting, Rohe motioned for a standing rule change that would have required a unanimous vote from the board to privatize the hospital, arguing the public "needs to understand" who on the current board supports privatization.
Board attorney Carol Ann Kalish said the last-minute proposal did not give her time to research whether the board could legally do that without giving more public notice. No other member seconded Rohe's motion. Instead the board unanimously voted in an informal straw poll to keep the hospital public.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System also published its own "fact check" this month denouncing accusations that it intends to privatize the hospital. The post also contains statements about the hospital's COVID-19 vaccine policy and stance on providing gender-affirming surgeries to minors, which state law prohibits. "Medical freedom" candidates countered that the hospital is "interfering" with the election.
Looking forward to November
The four Republican candidates will now face off against four Democrats in the November election. Here is who will appear on the ballot:
Sharon Wetzler DePeters (REP) and Alan Sprintz (DEM) for At Large Seat 1. DePeters is an incumbent board member.
Kevin Cooper (REP) and Dale Anderson (DEM) for At Large Seat 2. Anderson replaces the late John Lutz, who died on July 24.
Pam Beitlich (REP) and George Davis (DEM) for At Large Seat 3.
Sarah Lodge (REP) and Vicki Lynn Nighswander (DEM) for Central District Seat 1. Lodge is the incumbent board chair.
There are also several write-in candidates listed on the county supervisor of elections website.
