Two candidates, including one incumbent, file for Sarasota County Public Hospital Board

Two Republicans recently filed paperwork with the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections to run for the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board – one incumbent seeking reelection to the board and one newcomer.

Sarah Lodge, who was recently named chairwoman of the nine-member board, filed to run for her second term as the Central District Seat 1 representative on the nine-member board that governs the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.

A financial advisor and community advocate, Lodge won her first race in 2020 by nearly 40,000 votes.

Pam Beitlich, currently the executive director of Women & Children’s Services at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, plans to retire from that post and filed to run for the At-Large Seat 3 slot currently held by fellow Republican Britt Riner, who has not yet announced whether she will seek reelection.

Beitlich could not be reached for comment.

“We’re very excited to hear the news," said Kim Savage, SMH spokeswoman.

“She’s been such an important part of the SMH family, we’re happy to hear she wants to stay involved after she retires.”

Beitlich has worked for the hospital for 40 years. She started as a cardiac nurse and worked her way through senior leadership.

In 2021, Beitlich received the “Lifetime of Leadership” award from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce for her work in building and maintaining high levels of patient care at SMH; for her service on the board of Healthy Start Coalition, where she is a leader in the First 1,000 Days initiative; and for being part of the Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition. She also helped establish the Addiction Support and Pregnancy Initiative.

Four of nine seats on the board are on the ballot this year.

The hospital board races had historically been low-profile prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a “Health Freedom” slate of candidates to run for four of five seats in 2022.

The slate campaigned on skepticism about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, social distancing and mask mandates and was critical of Sarasota Memorial’s patient care during the pandemic.

Three of those four candidates won seats on the board. Their voices helped spur the hospital to commission an independent study of its practices during the pandemic.

Victor Rohe, one of the successful Health Freedom candidates, told the Washington Post that he believed he "would die" if he sought treatment at the hospital.

Candidate field continues to fill

Lodge’s decision to run means that at least one candidate has filed for each of the four seats up for election.

Last month, Republican Sharon Wetzler DePeters filed for re-election in At-Large Seat 1; Democrat John Lutz, an Englewood resident, and Republican Kevin Cooper both filed for At-Large Seat 2, currently occupied by Tramm Hudson, who is retiring.

Also in January, Democrat Dr. George Davis, a Venice resident, filed for At-Large Seat 3.

The candidate qualifying period runs from noon June 10 through June 14.

If all candidates are from one party, the seat may be decided on the Aug. 20 primary ballot; otherwise, it would be on Nov. 5.

In a prepared statement, Lodge, whose three children were born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, said “It is a privilege to live in a region with such an incredible and dedicated health care system.

“Our public hospital is not only our largest employer but continues to grow by leaps and bounds to address our community’s needs,” she added. “I will never stop fighting to ensure that all residents of Sarasota County receive the quality health care they deserve.”

Lodge moved to Sarasota County in 2003, after receiving a health science degree at the University of Florida.

She now works in strategic wealth management and financial advising and is currently first vice president with the Gress Lodge Group at RBC Wealth Management in Sarasota.

Her community service includes leadership roles with the Rotary Club Foundation and Junior League.

As president of the Rotary Club Foundation, Lodge helped start Rotary food pantries throughout the county and helped give almost 20,000 books to local children through the Rotary Reading Project.

Lodge is also a founding board member of Impact 100 SRQ, a diverse women’s group that funds transformational grants to local nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: One incumbent and one newcomer file for Sarasota hospital board seats