72nd Annual Medical Staff Meeting Celebrates a Year of Excellence
Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Medical Staff gathered last night at the Marriott Palmetto Resort to celebrate another year of collaboration, progress and exceptional patient care. The 72nd Annual Medical Staff Meeting brought together physicians from across the organization, led by Chief of Staff Dr. John Hansill, who delivered an energizing message about the accomplishments of 2025 and the opportunities ahead in 2026 and beyond.
The past year was commemorated by remarkable achievements across the hospital:
Outstanding Quality Performance: Manatee Memorial continued its upward trajectory in quality outcomes, earning impressive performance scores across multiple service lines.
Cardiology Milestones: Our cardiology program achieved national and statewide recognition—ranking Top 10 in the U.S. for more than 2,000 Watchman implants and earning the #1 position in Florida for MitraClip placements.
Robotics Excellence: The robotics program celebrated major accomplishments, withDr. Stacey South surpassing 3,000 robotic procedures, and Drs. Stelios Rekkas and Jose Erbella each reaching 2,500—a testament to the hospital’s leadership in minimally invasive surgery.
Graduate Medical Education Growth: The GME program welcomed 18 new residents, bringing the total to 45, further strengthening the hospital’s investment in training the next generation of physicians.
One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the Unit of the Year Award, given this year to the Labor and Delivery Department, which is on track to welcome at least 2,000 babies in 2025—a reflection of both exceptional care and community trust.
In addition, Dr. Jose Erbella was honored with the Golden Quill Award for his recently published book, Advice for the High Risk: 10 Things to Know to Lower Your Risk of Cancer – A
Cancer Surgeon’s Guide to Living Your Healthiest, Longest Life.
The event celebrated not only extraordinary accomplishments, but the teamwork and momentum that continue to shape Manatee Memorial Hospital’s bright future.
Pictured: Dr. Jose Erbella, Golden Quill Award winner and the Labor and Delivery Team “Unit of the Year”
For more information about Manatee Memorial Hospital and Manatee Health, please visitWelcome to Manatee Health | Bradenton, Florida
About Manatee Memorial Hospital
Manatee Memorial Hospital celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2023 and is proud to continue serving the residents of Manatee, Hillsborough, and surrounding counties. The hospital opened the first Interventional Radiology Suite with biplane in Manatee County, in January 2019 to support advanced stroke care and vascular disease. The range of medical services includes emergency medicine for all ages; cardiac; cardiovascular; stroke; surgical; orthopedics; outpatient and inpatient radiology services; rehabilitation; respiratory care; sleep services; oncology; wound care and women’s and children’s services including Manatee County’s only Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. For information on hospital services, visitmanateememorial.com.
The growth in the GME program is really encouraging. Adding 18 new residents to bring the total to 45 shows a real comitment to building out the next generation of physicians. It's these kind of investments in training programs that make the difference in local healthcare quality down the line.