$10M Donation From Target CEO Funds Mental Health Facility For Sarasota Memorial

SARASOTA, FL — Target CEO and chairman Brian Cornell and his wife, Martha Cornell, are donating $10 million to create a new behavioral health facility for the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.

The gift comes at a time when the global pandemic and other ongoing crises have further illuminated the need for supporting those struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, according to a news release from Sarasota Memorial.

“I have the privilege of leading a team of more than 350,000 people and have seen firsthand the power of creating a culture that is built on care, prioritizes mental health and wellbeing, and provides resources, space, and support for all families,” Brian Cornell said. “I’ve also recognized the importance of humanizing this topic — eliminating the stigma that discourages some from seeking the support they need, while increasing access to care that places people at the center. I hope this project shines much-needed light on the importance of comprehensive behavioral health care, and spurs others to support this project and others like it across the country.”

The new facility will be named the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, the health care system said.

Slated to begin construction early next year, the pavilion will replace Sarasota Memorial’s aging 1970s-era behavioral health hospital with a modern facility that enhances, expands and centralizes care for people affected by mental and behavioral health challenges. From the ground up, the $65 million, 95,000-square-foot facility is designed to treat people of all ages.

“When someone is going through a crisis, it can be frightening to go into a facility that looks old and institutional,” David Verinder, Sarasota Memorial president and CEO, said. “The Cornells’ gift will help transform that experience, ensuring the people of our community have a warm, welcoming place where they can feel safe and get help through what may be the most difficult days of their lives.”

The three-story pavilion will be built on the hospital’s Sarasota campus, with four inpatient units to serve different patient populations: a 16-bed geriatric unit, a 22-bed child and adolescent unit, a 24-bed adult unit, and a 22-bed acute care unit.

Each unit will have private rooms with large windows letting in natural light and other design elements that help reduce stress and promote recovery. The first floor will have therapeutic spaces dedicated for the health system’s expanding outpatient treatment and counseling programs.