SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL RECOGNIZES FIRST BLACK DOCTOR, JOHN W. CHENAULT, M.D.
By Washington Hill, M.D.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMHCS) recently recognized Dr. John W. Chenault, M.D. Dr. Chenault played an integral part in the history of medicine in the Newtown community and at Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH). This fine gentleman in 1960 was the first Black doctor in Sarasota and the first with privileges at SMH. He had a flourishing orthopedic practice exclusively for many reasons in Newtown. Several leaders in the Newtown community, shortly after I arrived in 1992, approached me asking whether he could be recognized by the hospital.
John and Dorothy, a fine musician in her own right, Chenault moved to Sarasota in 1960 after the orthopedic surgeon, a native of Sheridan, Wyoming, had established glowing and exceptional credentials at John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama and Florida A&M University Hospital in Tallahassee. “He was the first African American physician to earn medical privileges at SMH and the first medical doctor to establish a private practice in Newtown” Jetson Grimes of Jetson’s Creative Trends, reminded me many times. “His arrival was the talk of the neighborhood.”
A replica of Dr. Chenault is on permanent display at SMH Internal Medicine-Newtown located on the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Osprey Avenue near where his office was located and now also prominently, permanently and beautifully on the digital board display located on the first floor of Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota Campus. This collaboration between many leaders in the Newtown community, Gulf Coast Medical
Society and leadership at SMH recognizes the important contributions of Dr. Chenault to the hospital. “Such rich African American history, thanks for assisting to amplify it. This is super” indicated Vickie Oldham, Founder of Newtown Alive and President/CEO of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC). Carol Ann Kalish, Esq., SMHCS Chief Legal Officer agrees, “It is an absolute pleasure to see Dr. Chenault recognized with other medical luminaries. Looking forward to future collaboration to meet our shared goal of ensuring history reflects all the folks who played an important role in building SMHCS to represent every aspect of our community’s excellence.”
