In recent years, the competitive landscape of Southwest Florida’s health care industry has been shifting. To remain at the forefront of this rapidly changing environment, Lee Health, one of the country’s largest nonprofit hospital systems, has taken a major step towards converting to a privately funded nonprofit. On Thursday, Lee Health’s board of directors voted 9-1 in favor of this change.
The next step is to finalize a mission agreement with the County Commission over the next few months. This will ensure that Lee Health remains true to its safety-net mission and continues to deliver exceptional health care for the residents of Lee County. The new business model includes an oversight board consisting of members from Lee Health’s primary service areas, an attorney, and someone with a financial/business background.
Since 1968, the county has owned and operated Lee Health through its publicly elected board of directors. However, with the repeal of parts of Florida’s Certificate of Need program in 2019, competitors have been able to expand more easily in the growing region. Collier County is just one example of this newfound competition for healthcare services in Southwest Florida. The move allows Lee Health to expand its services beyond its current borders and partner with other medical groups and teaching hospitals as needed.
Lee Health has spent the past year carefully considering what this change would mean for their organization and community. They brought in a consultant and held town meetings to gather input from members of the public before making their decision to transition to a community-focused nonprofit. Leadership determined that this change was necessary to maintain “financial sustainability, independence and community-led structure long term.”
