Lee Health: Making an impact – Community benefit report showcases our efforts, commitment

Larry Antonucci
·2 min read
Tina Fleming, A child advocate at Golisano ChildrenÕs Hospital unloads life jackets to be placed in a life jacket loser stations built by Gateway High Schools students on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. The stand was built by the students at Gateway High School in partnership with Lee Health and others. Tina Fleming, a child advocate at Golisano Children's Hospital secured grants to get six stands built. Two are already placed. The stations offer life jackets to those who need them while visiting area beaches. Several Life jacket stands were lost in Hurricane Ian.

Lee Health is driven by our mission to be a trusted partner, empowering healthier lives through care and compassion, and we have been for more than 107 years.

Larry Antonucci
Larry Antonucci

Our mission extends to every person in our community. To ensure we respond appropriately to our community’s needs, we use the Community Health Needs Assessment as our guide to identify areas where we can join our local partners to affect the overall health of Southwest Florida.

Each year, we invest significant time, talent and resources for community benefit. To qualify as a community benefit, programs or activities must provide treatment and/or promote health and healing as a response to identified community needs and must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • They must improve access to healthcare services.

  • They must enhance the health of the community.

  • They must advance medical or health knowledge.

  • They must relieve or reduce the burden of government or other community efforts.

In 2023, the net value of our community benefit was $178,795,934. You can check out the 2023 Community Benefit Report (and past years’ reports, too) by visiting LeeHealth.org and searching for ‘Community Benefit’ in the search bar.

When you do, you will learn more about the ways we supported our community through child advocacy, injury prevention, sports safety, health professional education and support, our residency programs, Lee Community Healthcare and more.

Throughout the report, you will see our efforts focused on enabling access to the highest quality, compassionate care and finding ways to inspire healthier habits and behaviors.

The people of Southwest Florida have our unwavering commitment and our undivided attention. The Community Benefit Report helps illustrate that dedication. I hope you take the time to read the full report and feel confident of all the ways our health system serves, cares for and impacts the health and well-being of our community.

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Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA is the president & CEO of Lee Health, Southwest Florida’s major destination for health care offering acute care, emergency care, rehabilitation and diagnostic services, health and wellness education, and community outreach and advocacy programs. Visit LeeHealth.org to learn more.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Lee Health: Community benefit report showcases our efforts, commitment