Jacob Ogles
Pam Beitlich, a candidate for Sarasota County Public Hospital Board, announced she has raised more than $18,000 for her campaign.
The Republican touted the total from her first quarterly fundraising report. The substantial haul is more than 90 times the $200 raised by her Primary opponent, Mary Flynn O’Neill, for the at-large post. Both candidates are running for Seat 3 on the board.
“The complex issues facing health care in the future cannot be overstated, and I am confident I have the knowledge base to bring expertise to the table,” Beitlich said. “I can’t thank the people of this community enough for rallying behind my campaign to ensure every Sarasota County resident continues to receive the very best health care that they have come to expect from SMH.”
Beitlich announced the total days after Kevin Cooper announced raising upward of $16,000 for Seat 2, which is also on the ballot this year.
Both Beitlich and Cooper are part of an anti-privatization slate of candidates running to preserve Sarasota Memorial Hospital as a public institution.
The money raised by each campaign substantially exceeds the amounts spent by all winning hospital board campaigns combined in 2022.
O’Neill, sister to former Donald Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, announced her campaign as part of a slate of “medical freedom” candidates seeking changes to the hospital system.
Flynn, now a Venice resident, has openly called for the privatization of Sarasota Memorial.
Beitrich, who started her health career as a cardiac nurse at Sarasota Memorial, now serves as executive director of Women and Children’s Services. She holds a doctorate in Nursing Practice and Healthcare Systems Leadership.
She will soon retire after 40 years at the institution. The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce honored her with a “Lifetime of Leadership” award.
“Although I know and understand the day-to-day operations of SMH, I want to make a bigger difference by being involved at the strategic level,” she said.
The winner of the Aug. 20 Republican Primary for Seat 3 will face Democrat George Davis, who has raised $3,375 for his campaign.
