GUEST EDITORIAL
Trusted, Convenient and Seamless Care
The health care industry is complicated and confusing. Since joining Lee Health six months ago, I’ve learned more about the state of American health care than I ever imagined. Just to learn the acronyms, legislation and governing agencies has been more homework than I had in college. The landscape of health care is often frustrating for those trying to navigate it, but Lee Health is the community’s health system—here to support you. We are proud to invest significant resources into making your path to a healthier and happier life as easy as possible.
With six conveniently located inpatient hospitals and emergency departments, we make sure it’s easy for you to get acute care close to home. Golisano Children’s Hospital opened two years ago and is attracting families from across the region. Lee Health Coconut Point has brought emergency services closer to the residents of Bonita and Estero.
We also provide the only trauma center from Sarasota to Miami, located at Lee Memorial Hospital. And we are expanding access to hospital beds as the region’s population grows. Gulf Coast Medical Center is nearly doubling in size to care for more patients, particularly for the influx of “season.”
Lee Health is also investing in case managers, social workers and care navigators— helping you progress through your health care needs. When leaving our hospitals, these caregivers assist you with medication, follow-up visits, rehabilitation services and in-home care. If you’ve been admitted to the hospital, we want to prevent readmission and ensure you have the resources for a successful recovery.
But health care is rapidly changing, and most health care doesn’t take place in hospitals. We need to adapt and grow in order to better serve more families. That is why Lee Health has four wellness centers and four urgent care facilities (Convenient Care), a pediatric urgent care facility on Pine Ridge Road in Naples, and an additional 70 locations that provide outpatient services for surgery, women’s health, pediatrics, cardiology, cancer and primary care.
Our investment in technology provides those arriving at Lee Health Coconut Point with a mobile app to automatically sign in for an appointment, and provides stepby-step directions to your physician’s office or lab appointment. All of your medical records are on your phone in our MyChart app. If you are a seasonal resident and your out-of-town doctor uses Epic or MyChart for electronic medical records, your file is available for seamless care wherever you are.
In addition to convenience and first-class technology, Lee Health boasts outcomes measuring up to any in the country. Our cancer survivor rates are 5% higher than national averages, so there’s no need to travel for trusted care—stay local and be near your family and friends as you heal.
Our Shipley Cardiothoracic Center is one of the finest in the nation. So if you have heart or lung issues, stay close to home. And Golisano Children’s Hospital continues to receive the highest ratings from the Leapfrog Group—year after year.
In this world of complex health care delivery, Lee Health has you covered. It is one system with convenient locations, all-inclusive quality health care services, one electronic medical record accessible to you and your doctors, and more than 600 world-class physicians.
Southwest Florida residents have always had a trusted partner in Lee Health, providing the best care in the nation close to home. I invite you to take a tour of one of our campuses and see that Lee Health is the best option for you. Thanks for your engagement, your investment and your commitment to staying healthy!