July 26, 2023
July 29 marks my 40th anniversary on the Lee Health Medical Staff. As I reflect on my career, I think about the honor it has been—and continues to be—to serve our community and work alongside so many talented, professional, compassionate physicians, advanced providers, nurses, leaders, technicians and all of the members of our team.
My career in Southwest Florida started with a meeting and a handshake with obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Allen Shevach in the food court at the Edison Mall. I joined his practice and spent 24 years practicing obstetrics/gynecology. There were many highlights, including delivering the first baby at Cape Coral Hospital and accepting leadership positions, like serving as chief of the OB department and president of the Medical Staff. I co-founded Physicians Primary Care of Southwest Florida. I accepted leadership opportunities with Lee Health—first at Cape Coral Hospital and then with the health system as Chief Operating Officer and now as President & CEO.
I have had a front-row seat watching Lee Health evolve to meet the needs of our community—growing from a single hospital admitting around 20,000 patients in 1983 to a comprehensive health system with multiple hospitals, physician practices and facilities with more than 2 million patient contacts each year. A team of a few thousand is now 17,000+ strong (Lee Health employees and Lee Health Medical Staff members).
Being an OB/GYN was incredibly rewarding—there is nothing like being able to hand a baby to new parents. Many Lee Health team members have shared with me that I was the doctor who delivered them or I delivered their babies—it means a lot that we have that connection. I have had women stop me in stores, restaurants and other places throughout our community to show me pictures of their children that I delivered. I had a woman stop me to tell me I saved her daughter’s life when she had an ectopic pregnancy. I can’t put into words what it means to touch people’s lives and to still have opportunities through leadership positions to impact people through healthcare delivery in our community.
I have a 40-year affiliation with our health system that has been caring for and serving our community for more than 105 years—and what an honor that is. I am very proud to be part of this mission-driven organization devoted to being a safety net and caring for everyone. The Lee Health team feels a profound responsibility for the health and well-being of our community. I appreciate the leading-edge care and outcomes we deliver for our patients. We have an incredibly strong foundation and tenure to build on, and I look forward to continuing to work in service and care for our community.