As physicians and leaders of cancer, heart, and musculoskeletal service lines at Lee Health, we take immense pride in our colleagues and team members who work tirelessly to ensure that every person who comes through our doors receives exceptional, person-centered care. Our commitment to our patients and residents of Lee County is unwavering. With this dedication in mind, the Lee Health Board of Directors voted overwhelmingly on June 13 to move forward with converting Lee Health from a government entity to a community-focused nonprofit. As physician leaders, we strongly support this decision.
After thoroughly reviewing the in-depth third-party evaluation of the proposed conversion, attending informational sessions, participating in workgroups, and having conversations with fellow Lee Health leaders, we believe that this move is essential to preserving our safety-net mission and allowing us to continue to serve all residents in our community, regardless of their ability to pay.
In today’s rapidly evolving health care marketplace, Lee Health must adapt to maintain its legacy of care and seize new opportunities to improve the entire care delivery system. This new structure, as a community-focused nonprofit, would ensure physicians have a greater voice in system-wide decisions, keeping patient access and well-being at the forefront. By converting, we could expand our geographic reach to address our region’s changing needs better.
As physicians who have worked for private nonprofit systems in the past, we understand this change to be necessary for Lee Health to compete fairly in today’s health care landscape. This change holds a significant advantage: enhanced partnerships with physicians. Lee Health’s current governmental structure limits these possibilities. By working more closely with doctors, Lee Health can refine and strengthen its services, leading to direct improvements in care. This shift will not only enhance patient care but also foster stronger physician partnerships, creating a more optimistic and hopeful future for Lee Health.
We appreciate the Board of Directors' unwavering commitment to transparency throughout this process. They have taken time to address physicians’ questions and discussed what impact, if any, conversion would have on our colleagues and practices through many town halls and in-person meetings. Their commitment to keeping physicians – and the community – informed and engaged has been exemplary, and we fully support the Board of Directors vote to move forward with conversion. This level of transparency and community engagement reassures us that our voices are heard, and our concerns are addressed, making us feel more involved in the decision-making process.
Our commitment to our mission is stronger than ever, and our dedication to excellence and innovation drives us to explore new avenues for growth and improvement. The more we learn about this process, the more potential we see for preserving and enhancing what Lee Health does best: caring for our patients. Today, Lee Health has the region’s best cancer, heart, and musculoskeletal services, and we are investing over $1 billion in our community in the next five years to take it even further. We are excited about the future and the opportunities for Lee Health and our community. This excitement and optimism about the future of Lee Health and our community is what inspires us to continue our mission of providing exceptional care.
Dr. Malissa Wood is chief physician executive, Lee Health Heart Institute, Dr. Mark Roh is chief physician executive, Lee Health Cancer Institute, and Dr. Thomas Hunt is chief physician executive, Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute.
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