Lee Health Moves Forward with Plans to Build New Medical Destination in Fort Myers

(Fort Myers, Fla. – Sept. 15, 2023) --- The Lee Health Board of Directors has approved updated plans to build a new medical campus and healthcare destination in the City of Fort Myers on Challenger Boulevard. Tentatively known as “Lee Health Fort Myers,” the property will be located on 52 acres of land between Colonial Boulevard and Winkler Avenue. The new campus will be built in phases over several years.

The Board of Directors was presented with a Revised Phase 1 Scope for Lee Health Fort Myers on September 14, 2023, which includes gradual relocation of key Lee Memorial Hospital programs, ambulatory service offerings, and new community access. 

The new campus will provide a destination for quality medical care for residents and visitors, new jobs, and it also ensures future access to healthcare by supporting the growing needs of the Fort Myers community and beyond. 

Although approved for as many as 400 acute care beds, Lee Health anticipates that in the immediate future the campus will include an acute care hospital with approximately 120 beds, a skilled nursing facility, specialty services, an emergency department, and observation rooms. The campus will feature 18 operating rooms in total, with eight of the rooms located in an Ambulatory Care Services building. The state-of-the-art healthcare campus will house ancillary and social services as well as a Medical Office Building. 

“Lee Health is planning a state-of-the-art medical destination that will transform healthcare in Southwest Florida. Our area is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and this new campus will ensure that the Fort Myers community has access to quality healthcare for years to come,” said Dr. Larry Antonucci, president and CEO for Lee Health. “Lee Health is committed to growing with our community and attracting world-class talent to serve Southwest Florida. We look forward to working with community leaders and all members of the community to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our patients, friends and neighbors.”

Lee Memorial Hospital will continue to offer clinical services, including an emergency department, inpatient beds, and surgical services for the Fort Myers community and downtown area through September 2027.

This project is the latest in a lengthy list of investments in our community to expand access to healthcare around our area. Lee Health is working on investing into the future of Cape Coral at Bimini Basin, the Lee Health Outpatient Center at Surfside and expanding Cape Coral Hospital, as well as future growth in Lehigh Acres. The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Cancer Clinic at the Bonita Health Center also opens on September 15, 2023. 

Lee Health will announce detailed plans of the new campus and services offered as the phases move forward and the Board of Directors analyzes the community needs.