SMH names new chief medical officer

Cancer specialist James Fiorica, M.D., is taking over as Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s chief medical officer.  

Fiorica succeeds Steve Taylor, M.D., who retired Friday after working in the role for seven years.

As chief medical officer, Fiorica will serve as liaison between hospital administration and the more than 900 members of SMH’s medical staff. He will also oversee the health system’s quality, population health and patient-safety initiatives and practices.

“We are extremely fortunate you have an outstanding leader of Dr. Fiorica’s caliber ready to take over, as he has been a longtime medical staff leader and highly respected clinician,” Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder said in a release from SMH.

Fiorica became associate chief medical officer in 2016, where he worked closely with Taylor after he announced his plans to retire.

“Dr. Taylor provided exceptional leadership during a time of enormous growth and change,” Verinder said in a release. “In addition to his day-to-day medical and quality oversight, he was a champion in establishing a number of programs that have greatly enhanced the community's access to top-quality care, including the opening of our Level II Trauma Center and Internal Medicine Residency Program — two critical yet highly complex undertakings. We wish him the best during his long-planned and well-deserved retirement.”

Before that, Fiorica was Sarasota Memorial’s chief of staff from 2014 to 2015. He also played an integral role in the establishment of SMH’s trauma and residency programs.

Fiorica specializes in gynecological oncology and directs the Women’s Cancer Specialty Program at the hospital, where he works with physicians throughout the region to ensure that women have access to the most successful treatments available.

He’s led innovative research trials and been at the forefront of the hospital’s robotic surgery program for gynecological cancer patients.

Until a new gynecological specialist comes on board early next year, Fiorica will continue his active practice.