Dec. 27, 2023
You’re invited to learn more at upcoming community town halls
Lee Health has been serving and caring for our community since 1916. For the first 50 years of our history, Lee Health operated as a private nonprofit entity. Then, in 1968, we began operating as an independent special healthcare district created by the Florida Legislature and governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors. From the beginning and through it all, including the dramatic growth in our community, Lee Health has remained unwavering in our commitment to our mission of meeting the healthcare needs of Lee County residents regardless of their ability to pay while also providing a positive and opportunity-filled work environment for team members and physicians.
Recognizing the growing pressures facing public health systems—from financial to operational to surging competition—the Florida Legislature established clear guidelines for Lee Health to review our structure and evaluate the potential benefits for the residents of Lee County if Lee Health returned to a community-centered private nonprofit structure.
With the approval of our Board of Directors, we have begun the evaluation process laid out by the Florida Legislature by engaging a highly respected healthcare advisory firm with experience in such evaluations to provide us with an unbiased, third-party perspective and expertise on the matter.
The evaluation is only one step in a thoughtful and lengthy consideration and discernment process. Any potential change to our business structure would require public meetings and additional votes by our Board of Directors and the Lee County Board of Commissioners.
As our community’s major destination and trusted provider for healthcare, we are committed to transparency, answering questions and sharing more information along the way. We have established a single point of truth on our website—http://www.leehealth.org/lookingahead, which features additional information, frequently asked questions and more. We also have a dedicated email address for questions—[email protected].
We invite your input, too, so we are holding community town hall meetings in early January. Join Lee Health’s Board of Directors and leadership team for these meetings where you can ask questions about why we’re evaluating our structure and the process we’re following. Mark your calendar and plan to join us for one of these educational town hall meetings:
- 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 4, Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District, 601 E. County Lane, Lehigh Acres
- 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 5, Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida, 3210 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers
- 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 8, Lakes Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers
- 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9, Cape Christian Church Student Center, 2110 Chiquita Blvd. S., Cape Coral
- 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 10, Fort Myers Downtown Library, 2450 First Street, Fort Myers
- 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 11, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
In addition to these community town hall meetings, a public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024, at 3 p.m. in the Community Room at Gulf Coast Medical Center.