(SARASOTA, FL — May 26, 2026) At a time when many patients feel rushed through appointments and disconnected from their healthcare providers, a new Sarasota medical practice is hoping to offer something increasingly rare: time, attention and a sense of genuine human connection.

Opening June 1 near Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Dante Family Medicine was founded by Dr. Sarah Dante and her husband, Mike Dante, with a vision of creating a physician-led practice centered on relationships, accessibility and the belief that medicine should still feel personal. The practice will provide comprehensive primary care, urgent care and wellness services in a welcoming environment designed to put patients at ease.

“We wanted to create the kind of practice where people don’t feel like they’re being processed,” says Dr. Dante. “Healthcare has become so rushed and transactional for many patients. You wait weeks for an appointment, sit in a waiting room, then sometimes feel like you’re out the door before you’ve even fully explained what’s wrong. We wanted to build something different.”

The Dantes say the practice grew out of both professional experience and personal reflection. After years of visiting Sarasota to see friends and family, they found themselves repeatedly asking the same question as they boarded flights home: Why are we leaving?

“We fell in love with the people, the culture and the sense of community here,” says Dr. Dante. “There’s something about Sarasota that still feels connected and neighborly. We wanted to raise our children in that kind of environment and create a practice that reflects those same values.”

Dr. Dante brings a broad range of experience to the new practice. After earning a medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University DCOM and completing residency training in family medicine in Los Angeles, she served as medical director of a rural California clinic before becoming chief medical officer of a rapidly expanding Orange County healthcare organization serving culturally diverse and underserved populations. During her tenure there, the organization expanded from a single clinic to multiple locations, giving Dr. Dante extensive experience in both patient care and healthcare leadership.

She says those experiences reinforced her belief that medicine should remain deeply human.

“I think shedding a tear with a patient is actually healthy,” she says. “It means you care. People are often walking into a doctor’s office on one of the hardest days of their lives — scared, overwhelmed, vulnerable. Patients want to know their doctor understands what they’re going through and sees them as a person, not just a medical case.”

Mike Dante, who brings a background in business leadership to the practice, says Dante Family Medicine was also shaped by frustrations many patients experience navigating today’s healthcare system.

“People are exhausted,” he says. “They’re tired of automated systems, confusing insurance issues and feeling like nobody has time to listen to them anymore. Some patients haven’t looked a doctor in the eye for more than a few rushed minutes in years. We want people to walk through the door and immediately feel a difference — warmth, kindness, calmness. Something as simple as being greeted with a smile still matters.”

Dante Family Medicine will provide care ranging from infancy through end-of-life support, including preventive medicine, chronic disease management, urgent care services, in-office blood draws and X-rays. Whenever appropriate, the practice will emphasize preventive care and lifestyle-based approaches, including nutrition and wellness strategies designed to support long-term health outcomes. The clinic will offer direct-pay options for uninsured patients while helping individuals navigate what can often feel like a confusing healthcare system.

Joining the practice is nurse practitioner Melanie Wilhelm, who brings more than 25 years of experience as a registered nurse and nine years as a nurse practitioner, primarily in urgent care medicine. Dr. Dante says Wilhelm shares the practice’s philosophy of treating patients with both professionalism and empathy.

The Dantes say they also hope to become active participants in the Sarasota community through local partnerships and charitable outreach efforts.

“We want this to be more than just a clinic,” says Mike Dante. “We want people to feel comfortable walking in. We want older patients to feel less alone and busy parents to feel listened to instead of rushed. Getting medical care can already feel overwhelming enough. We hope patients feel supported here — and that families know they have a practice that truly knows who they are.”

Dante Family Medicine is located at 2901 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For more information, call 941-364-4379 or visit DanteFamilyMedicine.com.