A new era of health care is about to begin in Lee County. Lee Health is building a brand-new hospital off Colonial Boulevard just west of I-75. It will replace Lee Memorial, the first and oldest hospital in the area, dating back to 1916. “The campus on 41 is close to end-of-life,” said Lee Health’s Chief Operating Officer, Ben Spence. “We know that over time, you have to find a new place to ensure that you can give the residents the current state-of-the-art and the modern-day technology, and the size of the rooms, all of the infrastructure that would be resilient for the future for the next hundred years.” Viewers have written in asking what’s next for the Lee Memorial property and what this move will mean for people who depend on that location, especially those who are homeless or don’t have transportation. Gulf Coast News has also heard from people across the area who say more options for health care are needed. Last August, we told you Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter is advocating for a second hospital in Cape Coral. “One hospital in the Cape isn’t enough for us, especially in the north, northwest section of the Cape,” said Cape Coral resident Barbara Zirilli-Lonergan. Zirilli-Lonergan has owned Zirilli’s Chilly Treats in Northwest Cape Coral for 12 years. She’s lived in the area even longer.”Coming up on 18 years,” she said.She worries that long wait times for health care in the Cape could get even worse. “You have Lee Memorial in Fort Myers closing soon and moving farther into Fort Myers. So that’s even farther for people in the Cape to have to travel if they go to the Cape Coral Hospital and the wait is ridiculous,” Zirilli-Lonergan said. Spence said there are no plans for a new Lee Health hospital in Cape Coral, at least not right now. “We own 56 acres on Pine Island Road in between Chiquita Boulevard and Burnt Store Road; it’s a great location for a future regional destination center that could include beds,” he said. Lee Health did just expand its ER and ICU at Cape Coral Hospital, and they’ve opened new options for outpatient care, with more on the way. The health care system also owns land at Veterans Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard. That’s where it’s building a new ambulatory center where patients can receive treatment and return home on the same day. “This is going to have surgery, four ORs, four cath labs for cardiology services. They’re going to be able to provide chemotherapy for patients who are going through cancer treatments. We’re also going to have a lab there, and it’s just going to be an amazing facility,” Spence said.In addition to new outpatient centers, more urgent cares and freestanding emergency rooms are popping up around Southwest Florida. Plus, we’re seeing more health care systems moving in.”Now anybody can come into the area and build a hospital,” Spence said.It’s a little easier to do that since Florida repealed the certificate of need requirement in 2019.”There used to be a process where you had to get approval if you wanted to build new beds, and that required that you justify the need before you are permitted to build a hospital. In recent years, they did away with that,” Spence said. One year ago, HCA Healthcare acquired Lehigh Hospital, and they just broke ground on a new freestanding ER off Alico Road in Fort Myers. “We have experienced emergency physicians. We have experienced nurses. We have a CT scanner, X-ray, ultrasound. Anything you might need at an emergency department will be offered right here in the community,” Paige said.HCA currently has freestanding ERs on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral and on College Pointe Court in Fort Myers. When asked if they have other plans for the area, they did not have anything to share at this time.”I think everybody can see and feel the growth in the community, so I think we’ll continue to see more and more expansion across the Southwest Florida region,” said Paige Laughlin, CEO of HCA Florida Lehigh Hospital.Mayor Gunter confirmed the city of Cape Coral is in discussion with one health care network, trying to negotiate plans for a new hospital. He said this involves the city’s economic development team, which recently met with a company’s CFO, but wouldn’t say which one.Gulf Coast News also reached out to AdventHealth, which is making a return to the Punta Gorda Community with a freestanding ER.A spokesperson said it will have 12 beds, a full-service emergency department designed to expand access to emergency care. Construction is scheduled to begin on Sept. 1 at the southeast corner of Jones Loop Road and Mac Ever Street. As for future growth, AdventHealth said it will continue to evaluate community needs, including the potential for future inpatient capabilities.In addition to its hospitals in Collier County, Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) also has two freestanding ERs, one of which is in Bonita Springs. They are planning a new 150-bed hospital in Ave Maria, which will start as a free-standing ER. NCH recently announced other projects, including the Van Domelen Institute for Women & Children. At this time, they do not have any plans in Lee County, but said they will also continue to evaluate healthcare needs in Southwest Florida. Zirilli-Lonergan welcomes any new options and thinks a second hospital in Cape Coral would help the community far beyond health care. “I just think it’s a great opportunity to bring more jobs, more so than you know, storage units and car washes,” she said. Another challenge to keep up with growth involves staffing medical facilities. Spence said Lee Health has started residency training for physicians.”That’s going to create a steady pipeline for new doctors in our area,” he said. The changing landscape of health care may go beyond a focus on free-standing ERs and urgent care centers.With new technology, there are also growing opportunities for systems like Lee Health to expand programs such as hospital at home.”We’re trying to do all we can to keep you out of the hospital. That’s our primary goal. But we know that there is a demand for higher acuity care in the hospitals,” Spence said. Lee Health’s new hospital off Colonial is set to open in 2028.”It’s more central. It’s closer to the highway, which is convenient to get to I-75. It’s going to be a benefit for Lehigh residents, East Fort Myers and the Dunbar community will be a little closer off of Veronica Shoemaker,” Spence said.Lee Memorial will continue seeing patients until the new hospital opens. Spence said we could see different health care options on that property in the future, potentially something similar to the new Bimini Square development. “We think it’s probably going to be a mix of uses from residential to health care, commercial municipality, walkability, and green space where people can gather. The original intention for that land was more neighborhood-focused. So I think we’re going to go back to the original plan and mix in some health care and, and some other services as well, maybe a mini downtown,” he said.Lee Health is also moving its complex care center across the street from Lee Memorial. However, some people are still worried about what the move will mean for people who have depended on having a full-service hospital near downtown Fort Myers for more than a century. “Having adequate health care and having places to go that are close by that people don’t have to travel miles to get to, is definitely needed here,” Zirilli-Lonergan said.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
A new era of health care is about to begin in Lee County. Lee Health is building a brand-new hospital off Colonial Boulevard just west of I-75. It will replace Lee Memorial, the first and oldest hospital in the area, dating back to 1916.
“The campus on 41 is close to end-of-life,” said Lee Health’s Chief Operating Officer, Ben Spence. “We know that over time, you have to find a new place to ensure that you can give the residents the current state-of-the-art and the modern-day technology, and the size of the rooms, all of the infrastructure that would be resilient for the future for the next hundred years.”
Viewers have written in asking what’s next for the Lee Memorial property and what this move will mean for people who depend on that location, especially those who are homeless or don’t have transportation.
Gulf Coast News has also heard from people across the area who say more options for health care are needed. Last August, we told you Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter is advocating for a second hospital in Cape Coral.
“One hospital in the Cape isn’t enough for us, especially in the north, northwest section of the Cape,” said Cape Coral resident Barbara Zirilli-Lonergan.
Zirilli-Lonergan has owned Zirilli’s Chilly Treats in Northwest Cape Coral for 12 years. She’s lived in the area even longer.
“Coming up on 18 years,” she said.
She worries that long wait times for health care in the Cape could get even worse.
“You have Lee Memorial in Fort Myers closing soon and moving farther into Fort Myers. So that’s even farther for people in the Cape to have to travel if they go to the Cape Coral Hospital and the wait is ridiculous,” Zirilli-Lonergan said.
Spence said there are no plans for a new Lee Health hospital in Cape Coral, at least not right now.
“We own 56 acres on Pine Island Road in between Chiquita Boulevard and Burnt Store Road; it’s a great location for a future regional destination center that could include beds,” he said.
Lee Health did just expand its ER and ICU at Cape Coral Hospital, and they’ve opened new options for outpatient care, with more on the way. The health care system also owns land at Veterans Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard. That’s where it’s building a new ambulatory center where patients can receive treatment and return home on the same day.
“This is going to have surgery, four ORs, four cath labs for cardiology services. They’re going to be able to provide chemotherapy for patients who are going through cancer treatments. We’re also going to have a lab there, and it’s just going to be an amazing facility,” Spence said.
In addition to new outpatient centers, more urgent cares and freestanding emergency rooms are popping up around Southwest Florida. Plus, we’re seeing more health care systems moving in.
“Now anybody can come into the area and build a hospital,” Spence said.
It’s a little easier to do that since Florida repealed the certificate of need requirement in 2019.
“There used to be a process where you had to get approval if you wanted to build new beds, and that required that you justify the need before you are permitted to build a hospital. In recent years, they did away with that,” Spence said.
One year ago, HCA Healthcare acquired Lehigh Hospital, and they just broke ground on a new freestanding ER off Alico Road in Fort Myers.
“We have experienced emergency physicians. We have experienced nurses. We have a CT scanner, X-ray, ultrasound. Anything you might need at an emergency department will be offered right here in the community,” Paige said.
HCA currently has freestanding ERs on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral and on College Pointe Court in Fort Myers. When asked if they have other plans for the area, they did not have anything to share at this time.
“I think everybody can see and feel the growth in the community, so I think we’ll continue to see more and more expansion across the Southwest Florida region,” said Paige Laughlin, CEO of HCA Florida Lehigh Hospital.
Mayor Gunter confirmed the city of Cape Coral is in discussion with one health care network, trying to negotiate plans for a new hospital. He said this involves the city’s economic development team, which recently met with a company’s CFO, but wouldn’t say which one.
Gulf Coast News also reached out to AdventHealth, which is making a return to the Punta Gorda Community with a freestanding ER.
A spokesperson said it will have 12 beds, a full-service emergency department designed to expand access to emergency care.
Construction is scheduled to begin on Sept. 1 at the southeast corner of Jones Loop Road and Mac Ever Street.
As for future growth, AdventHealth said it will continue to evaluate community needs, including the potential for future inpatient capabilities.
In addition to its hospitals in Collier County, Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) also has two freestanding ERs, one of which is in Bonita Springs. They are planning a new 150-bed hospital in Ave Maria, which will start as a free-standing ER. NCH recently announced other projects, including the Van Domelen Institute for Women & Children. At this time, they do not have any plans in Lee County, but said they will also continue to evaluate healthcare needs in Southwest Florida.
Zirilli-Lonergan welcomes any new options and thinks a second hospital in Cape Coral would help the community far beyond health care.
“I just think it’s a great opportunity to bring more jobs, more so than you know, storage units and car washes,” she said.
Another challenge to keep up with growth involves staffing medical facilities. Spence said Lee Health has started residency training for physicians.
“That’s going to create a steady pipeline for new doctors in our area,” he said.
The changing landscape of health care may go beyond a focus on free-standing ERs and urgent care centers.
With new technology, there are also growing opportunities for systems like Lee Health to expand programs such as hospital at home.
“We’re trying to do all we can to keep you out of the hospital. That’s our primary goal. But we know that there is a demand for higher acuity care in the hospitals,” Spence said.
Lee Health’s new hospital off Colonial is set to open in 2028.
“It’s more central. It’s closer to the highway, which is convenient to get to I-75. It’s going to be a benefit for Lehigh residents, East Fort Myers and the Dunbar community will be a little closer off of Veronica Shoemaker,” Spence said.
Lee Memorial will continue seeing patients until the new hospital opens. Spence said we could see different health care options on that property in the future, potentially something similar to the new Bimini Square development.
“We think it’s probably going to be a mix of uses from residential to health care, commercial municipality, walkability, and green space where people can gather. The original intention for that land was more neighborhood-focused. So I think we’re going to go back to the original plan and mix in some health care and, and some other services as well, maybe a mini downtown,” he said.
Lee Health is also moving its complex care center across the street from Lee Memorial.
However, some people are still worried about what the move will mean for people who have depended on having a full-service hospital near downtown Fort Myers for more than a century.
“Having adequate health care and having places to go that are close by that people don’t have to travel miles to get to, is definitely needed here,” Zirilli-Lonergan said.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.