SARASOTA — Two Democratic candidates have announced their candidacy for the Sarasota County Hospital Board. John Lutz of Englewood and Dr. George Davis of Venice represent work by the Sarasota County Democratic Party (SCDP) to prevent the effort of ‘health freedom’ Republican officials to discredit and privatize Sarasota Memorial Hospital, as reported by NPR on Dec. 21, 2022. http://tinyurl.com/4kamkr4c
”Our support of these two outstanding candidates, both with decades of professional medical experience, stands in sharp contrast to the extremist Republican-backed candidates who were elected in 2022 after questioning the effectiveness of vaccines and spreading medical misinformation,” said SCDP Chair Daniel Kuether.
“Sarasota Memorial Hospital has long been recognized as one of the leading medical institutions in Florida,” Kuether added. “Its governing board needs to be made up of responsible people committed to providing patients with sound medical treatment instead of conspiracy theories and quack medicine. The Republican Party of Sarasota County has failed the community by putting forth candidates that did not have Sarasota’s interests at heart.”
Currently Executive Vice President of Integrated Delivery Systems for Capital District Physicians Health Plan, Lutz has over 40 years of hospital, physician practice, health insurance, and consulting experience. He graduated from the State University of New York/Oneonta with a degree in chemistry and holds a master’s degree in public health in hospital administration from Yale.
“I will support the Board’s continuing efforts to develop state-of-the-art technology and facilities; recruit and retain the best health care staff; and ensure fiscal responsibility,” Lutz said.
Davis practiced family medicine in New York State for over 35 years, specializing in end-of-life and palliative care. He received his bachelor’s from Harvard, a medical degree from Columbia, and a master’s in bioethics from Union University and Albany Medical Center.
“I want the Hospital Board to strongly support primary care,” Davis said. “The SMH system has up-to-date, state-of-the-art research projects in many areas. SMH also has a large primary care system, and primary care doctors, nurses, and staff need extra recognition because they know the individual patients and learn what is best for them. This is the human side of medicine. The art of medicine is knowing the patients, their families, and their unique situations. This is what makes the primary care doctor-patient relationship unique.”
“Sarasota County residents will go to the polls to elect four new members of the Hospital Board in 2024, representing an opportunity for the so-called ‘health freedom’ activists to take a controllable majority,” stated Kuether. “Now is the time to protect what our community has worked so hard to build and stand up against those that wish to tear it down.”
”Our support of these two outstanding candidates, both with decades of professional medical experience, stands in sharp contrast to the extremist Republican-backed candidates who were elected in 2022 after questioning the effectiveness of vaccines and spreading medical misinformation,” said SCDP Chair Daniel Kuether.
“Sarasota Memorial Hospital has long been recognized as one of the leading medical institutions in Florida,” Kuether added. “Its governing board needs to be made up of responsible people committed to providing patients with sound medical treatment instead of conspiracy theories and quack medicine. The Republican Party of Sarasota County has failed the community by putting forth candidates that did not have Sarasota’s interests at heart.”
Currently Executive Vice President of Integrated Delivery Systems for Capital District Physicians Health Plan, Lutz has over 40 years of hospital, physician practice, health insurance, and consulting experience. He graduated from the State University of New York/Oneonta with a degree in chemistry and holds a master’s degree in public health in hospital administration from Yale.
“I will support the Board’s continuing efforts to develop state-of-the-art technology and facilities; recruit and retain the best health care staff; and ensure fiscal responsibility,” Lutz said.
Davis practiced family medicine in New York State for over 35 years, specializing in end-of-life and palliative care. He received his bachelor’s from Harvard, a medical degree from Columbia, and a master’s in bioethics from Union University and Albany Medical Center.
“I want the Hospital Board to strongly support primary care,” Davis said. “The SMH system has up-to-date, state-of-the-art research projects in many areas. SMH also has a large primary care system, and primary care doctors, nurses, and staff need extra recognition because they know the individual patients and learn what is best for them. This is the human side of medicine. The art of medicine is knowing the patients, their families, and their unique situations. This is what makes the primary care doctor-patient relationship unique.”
“Sarasota County residents will go to the polls to elect four new members of the Hospital Board in 2024, representing an opportunity for the so-called ‘health freedom’ activists to take a controllable majority,” stated Kuether. “Now is the time to protect what our community has worked so hard to build and stand up against those that wish to tear it down.”
