SARASOTA, Fla. — The medical staff of Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Sarasota campus recently honored 2 physicians for outstanding service to the hospital and the community and installed its new physician leaders for 2021-2022.
Richard Brown, MD, medical director of Sarasota Memorial’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, was awarded the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award, and SMH hospitalist Faisal Keen, MD, was named 2021 Physician of the Year. Selected by a committee of physician leaders, the pair were recognized at Sarasota Memorial’s annual medical staff meeting on Oct. 19.
Dr. Richard Brown Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Brown received the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of dedicated service to patients, Sarasota Memorial and the community. As a medical oncologist, Dr. Brown has played a critical role in improving and expanding cancer care in the region and increasing patient access to that care. He has served as chairman of the SMH cancer committee since 1997 and served as local chairman of the American Cancer Society from 2014 to 2016.
As the longtime medical director of Sarasota Memorial’s oncology programs, he spearheaded and helped manage the development of the growing Jellison Cancer Institute. Indeed, the 9-story inpatient and surgical oncology tower slated to open on the Sarasota campus is among his most visible contributions.
Over the years, Dr. Brown has been a passionate advocate and leader, always looking for ways to enhance cancer care in the community and always working to make it happen. He received the SMH Physician of the Year Award in 2002 and has been an influential leader in the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee for years, serving as chair of the Department of Medicine twice, from 2003 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2008, and chief of staff in 2013.
Dr. Faisal Keen Named 2021 Physician of the Year
During the Oct. 19 meeting, the medical staff also honored Dr. Keen as SMH’s 2021 Physician of the Year, paying particular tribute to the unwavering care and dedication the SMH hospitalist administered to hundreds of hospitalized COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic. Joining Sarasota Memorial a little more than 6 years ago, Dr. Keen is highly regarded by his colleagues, who referred to him affectionately as a “walking medical encyclopedia” and shared their appreciation for his always being available for a consult or collaboration.
Similarly, Dr. Keen makes himself available to patients and their families as a tireless advocate. When the pandemic hit, Dr. Keen’s selflessness was an inspiration, as he worked as many as 30 shifts in 1 month during the worst of the surge. Calm, collected and innovative, Dr. Keen has been an asset to SMH hospital-wide with contributions extending from helping guide hurricane preparedness and workflow improvements, to revolutionizing the ways physicians implement technology in patient care.
“As physicians, both Dr. Keen and Dr. Brown exemplify the care, compassion and commitment every patient deserves and every doctor should strive for,” said SMH Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD.
SMH-Sarasota Medical Executive Committee 2021-2022
The SMH-Sarasota Medical Staff also appointed officers for the 2021-2022 Medical Executive Committee on Oct. 19:
Richard Lichtenstein, MD, was named Chief of Staff, serving as the top representative of Sarasota Memorial’s 1,600-plus medical staff members and advanced practice providers. Lichtenstein succeeds Jack Wazen, MD, whose 1-year term as Chief of Staff ends this month.
- Jonathan Hoffberger, MD, was named Chief of Staff-elect, while Alissa Shulman, MD, was named secretary-treasurer, and Sarah Temple, MD, and Amy Roth, DO, were named members-at-large.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 1 million patient visits per year. Its flagship 839-bed, acute-care Sarasota hospital has been recognized consistently as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and a complete continuum of outpatient services — from urgent care clinics and physician groups, laboratory and diagnostic imaging centers, to home health and skilled nursing and rehabilitation.