Laurie Sparr Introduces Gulf Coast Medical Group – Editor’s Note: Laurie Sparr is the Marketing Manager for Gulf Coast Medical Group (GCMG) with clinics in Englewood, Venice, South Sarasota/Osprey, and North Port. Visit GulfCoastMedicalGroup.com.
Laurie, please tell our readers a little bit about GCMG.
We are a multi-specialty medical group with 25 plus locations serving patients between South Sarasota, Englewood and North Port. Our doctors specialize in family medicine, internal medicine, endocrinology, cardiology, neurology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, podiatry, pulmonology, rheumatology, urgent care, occupational medicine, and women’s health.
What can you share about your two clinics in Englewood?
Our clinic at 250 W. Dearborn Street (473-5100) provides complete care for patients of all ages and offers a walk-in feature for exams. That Dearborn site also supports many of our medical specialists that visit regularly. Our clinic at 900 Pine Street (475-9069) features a board-certified internist and a board-certified internist and pediatrician who specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide variety of symptoms and disorders in both adults and children.
What makes your team in Englewood special?
A good word that describes the Englewood group is teamwork. The physicians, managers and support staff provide an excellent example of how a comprehensive healthcare team works together.
What are a few of the major goals for developing your clinical services in the Englewood area?
We want to continue to promote easy access and convenience. Our goal is to grow the walk-in opportunities on Dearborn and expand our specialty clinics to meet the healthcare needs of residents in cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, podiatry and women’s health. We are keen on building goodwill in Englewood with community activities to feature doctors and their talents outside of the exam room.
Laurie, you grew up in this area, but you also lived in Wyoming for nearly 20 years. What was it like?
The official state welcome sign – Wyoming—like no other! – promotes a genuine sense of adventure and challenge. It captures so many positive memories. I learned the value of hard work and the respect of hard working people. My years in Cody were very special and I gained a great deal of experience in equine veterinary medicine as a surgical assistant. My passion to understand medicine and care for horses has made me who I am today.
What do you love about your work?
I enjoy making a positive difference in people’s lives. It’s a privilege to interview and recruit talented physicians, engage those doctors in our communities; then, sit back and watch the magic as each community welcomes and appreciates the level of medical skill they provide. I love being part of that match between great physicians and the patients they support.