Crises, opportunities and the effects of ‘Live Healthy’ legislation
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ZDENKO KORUNDA, MD
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POSTMASTER:
Health care is an incredibly demanding vocation. It’s based in science and benefits directly from technological advances, but also requires bottomless empathy and an emotional connection with patients whose spirits often need as much raising as their vital signs. Doctors must absorb all the knowledge they can about the incredible complexities of the human body, while constantly relearning what they know as new discoveries and treatments are developed. Nurses act as the primary contact for their patients, managing medication and information with grace and compassion. Both specialties require immense commitment, placing tremendous demands on the time and spirit of these professionals, who work in high-pressure situations where the stakes of mistakes are often literally life and death. And that’s during the best of times—the challenges are only compounded during such events as a destructive hurricane or a deadly pandemic, or social environments in which decades of expertise are ignored in favor of five-minute YouTube videos.
All of which is to say that the opportunity to recognize and honor local healers who excel at their calling is a pleasure as well as a privilege. We’re proud to introduce the 2024 Health Care Heroes beginning on p. 50. From the physician who spearheaded the construction of a proton therapy clinic for world-class cancer treatment to the team bringing free or reduced-cost care to underserved and underinsured residents to the dedicated volunteer working to maintain connections and share joy with members of her senior living center, these are inspirations who provide caring, curing and compassion on behalf of us all here in Southwest Florida.
The state of health care in our state is not ideal. As more people continue to move to Florida and our population increases in age, hospitals and care providers are increasingly dealing with physician and nurse shortages—Melanie Pagan looks at some of the contributing factors on p. 76—and tight capacity in emergency departments and inpatient facilities. There may be hope on the horizon in a package of state-level legislation known as “Live Healthy” laws, but as demanding as administering healing can be, the business of administrating it holds plenty of challenges of its own. Therese McDevitt spoke with leaders from four of the region’s largest health care systems—NCH, Physicians Regional, Healthcare Network and Lee Health— about their organizations’ priorities, difficulties and opportunities, and how Live Healthy legislation might offer some assistance. Get a look at these officials’ mindsets in “Charting Florida’s Health Care Future” on pg. 34.
We hope you’re in good health and spirits this month, and to any health care professionals who are reading this: Thank you.
HEIDI RAMBO CENTRELLA EDITOR IN CHIEF
By Justin Paprocki
The special bond behind Fatherwood p_20
NCH expanded its cardiac program with new artificial intelligence technology that will help detect heart valve disease earlier. Using the SENSORA Cardiac Disease Detection Platform
by Eko Health,NCH
Medical Group primary care physicians can more accurately and consistently identify structural heart murmurs indicative of valvular heart disease, or VHD, during routine primary care visits. When the health care team listens to a patient’s heart with an Eko digital stethoscope, SENSORA quickly collects data that helps detect VHD, a life-threatening condition diagnosed in more than 8 million Americans.
“When you get outside your comfort zone, that’s where the magic happens.”
— Kelly Johnson, Pet Wants franchisee
Join us next month as we recognize the achievements of 10 remarkable Women in Business who are making their mark in Southwest Florida.
Tesla Inc. acquired industrial property in East Naples to build a service center for its electric vehicles. The premium electric car company closed on a $7 million deal to create a nearly 45,000-square-foot service and sales center on more than 4.5 acres on Radio Road. This service center project will be the first one that Tesla is developing itself rather than using a thirdparty developer, according to Tesla Development Manager Bobby Keim. Tesla’s proposed regional service and sales center is targeted for completion in the second quarter of 2025 at 4555 Radio Road.
HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital hosted a steel beam signing event marking a milestone in the construction of the hospital’s third freestanding emergency room. The new 10,820-square-foot emergency center, HCA Florida West Fort Myers Emergency, at 8919 College Pointe Court in Fort Myers is a part of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with full-service emergency services, including laboratory, X-ray, CT scanning and ultrasound. The freestanding emergency center is projected to open in fall 2024 and will be the second in Lee County. HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital opened its first Southwest Florida location, HCA Florida Cape Coral Emergency, in June 2022. This was followed by the June 2023 opening of HCA Florida Tamiami Trail Emergency in northern Charlotte County.
Florida welcomed an estimated 135.02 million tourists in 2023, a decrease from 137.4 million in 2022, according to data from state tourism marketing agency Visit Florida. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the state experienced a 15.9% year-over-year increase in overseas visitors, at 2.34 million. In total, 8.31 overseas tourists visited the state last year, an increase of 7 million from 2022. There were more than 3.82 million Canadian visitors in 2023, up about 1.63 million from the previous year.
LEE COUNTY
The Fort Myers area had the fastest year-over-year job growth rate in the financial activities sector compared to all metro areas in Florida at 4.5%, according to data from a FloridaCommerce December 2023 jobs report. The Fort Myers area labor force increased by 5,137 jobs in December, a 1.3% increase compared to December 2022. Industries in Fort Myers gaining the most jobs in December were professional and business services, increasing by 2,800 jobs compared to December 2022, and government, increasing by 2,200 jobs.
In the Naples area, which had a 2.8% unemployment rate, the labor force grew by 3,820 in December, a 2% year-over-year increase. Leisure and hospitality, which increased by 1,500 jobs over the last year, and education and health services, which increased by 1,000 jobs, were the industries that gained the most jobs.
There are plans to renovate and expand Punta Gorda Airport’s Bailey Terminal and add a rental car center and in-line baggage handling system. Those plans include a Dunkin’ Express kiosk opening in baggage, and expected to open this month is a runway-front restaurant: Rosati’s Pizza. Coming within the next few years will be an expansion of the Bailey Terminal, which will include more space for passengers, extra gates, concessions and amenities. In 2023, more than 1.9 million passengers traveled through PGD on a total of 12,012 commercial flights, according to an airport spokesperson.
LEE COUNTY
The annual meeting of the Horizon Council, Horizon Foundation and Lee County Economic Development Office revealed more than 20,000 jobs were added yearover-year in Lee County in the first three quarters of 2023.
2,850 new businesses registered / 4.4 million visitors in the first six months
Those visitors had an $8.3 billion impact on the economy
Most ophthalmologists have access to premium lenses, but not all surgery centers invest in the technology to maximize the potential of recent premium lens designs. Think of a pilot flying using a compass instead of GPS. You want the best pilot, utilizing the latest technology, flying the most advanced jet!
Dr. Tyson’s background as a biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins University has allowed him to participate in the development of femtosecond cataract laser surgery. Dr. Tyson performed the first Bladeless Laser Cataract Surgery in Collier County at the Naples Premier Surgery Center. This system is designed to be the safest and most effective way to customize your cataract removal and correct your astigmatism.
The LENSAR™ laser, now able to work with the Cassini corneal modeling system, combines a high resolution 3-D CSI imaging device, giving a fully automated analysis of the cornea and lens surfaces. It offers significant advantages to traditional cataract surgery, giving a customized mapping of the front and back surface of the eye, which can offer a more precise correction of astigmatism.
“We offer our patients the most advanced technology available in the market for their Cataract surgical experience. Achieving the best visual outcomes for our patients vision is priceless”
-Farrell C. Tyson, MD, FACS
Brick-and-mortar retail stores have slowly been fading from the landscape over the last decade. But the pandemic has hastened their demise.
Between 2011 and 2021, the United States had a net loss of 60,000 retail stores, representing a decline of about 12% per capita, according to an analysis of the latest U.S. Census data by travel website Upgraded Points. The decline coincides with the rise of e-commerce: About 15% of retail sales come from online purchases, a number that jumped from about 11% pre-pandemic.
The total number of retail stores in Southwest Florida has risen since 2011, but retail hasn’t kept up with the growth in the area. The same can be said statewide, as Florida has seen a 12.7% decrease in retail stores per capita.
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The special bond behind Fatherwood
By Justin PaprockiFatherwood Guitar & Co. started after Tom Staber moved to Florida to be closer to his father, Dave. They started building acoustic guitars together about five years ago in their Bonita Springs studio.
But really, it started much longer ago than that.
The Stabers are originally from Sioux City, Iowa. Dave is a professional woodworker and actually built a guitar from scratch for Tom in the late ’90s. He made more over the years, each time adding some personal touches to the otherwise textbook designs.
When Tom moved south, they started perfecting their craft. Dave actually has more woodworking experience and Tom has the ear for music, so he can tell when an acoustic guitar sounds just right. “We really complement each other well,” Tom says.
About five years ago, Tom Staber and his father Dave started building acoustic guitars together, launching Fatherwood Guitar & Co.
They have a social media presence and sell online, but they’re growing the business largely by word of mouth; they’ve been getting into high-end arts and crafts events, and have donated custom guitar work for the Naples Winter Wine Festival Auction the last two years.
It’s not just about music; they craft furniture and other woodwork, and Tom has started The true North Way, a company that makes hats with custom patches. But Fatherwood is a passion project for them both, a way to build a bond between generations. They even have two models of guitars named after Tom’s daughters: the Clare and the Addie.
“It’s fun to have family around,” Dave says. “That was the ultimate goal in all of this—to bring family together.”
“ At LMCU, I get the personal attention that’s missing in business banking today.”
— H.L. Burkley, Owner of Inspired Closets LLC
Fatherwood Guitar & Co. not only crafts guitars, they also make furniture and other woodwork. Tom Staber also started The true North Way, a company that makes hats with custom patches.
Ken Weiner—self-styled Chief Baking Officer of Fort Myers-based Chloe’s Cookies—is not a baker by trade. But he is an entrepreneur, and that has helped make his business one of the most recognizable cookie baking and delivery services in Southwest Florida.
Weiner has headed a number of businesses in his career and continues to run his own real estate, development and construction companies.
Chloe’s is a passion project, one whose emotional upsides are as rewarding as the financial benefits. “When you deliver cookies, everyone’s smiling,” he says.
Weiner launched the company in 2019 with his wife, Sheryl. Today, Chloe’s offers 35 variet-
By Artis Henderson
ies of chocolate chip cookies; each batch is fresh-made to order. He keeps enough cookie dough for 400 cookies in his freezer at all times.
Though Weiner had brief stints early in his career when he worked for other people, he realized quickly that he was better suited for entrepreneurism. “I figured I could go work for somebody else or I could work for myself,” he says. He chose to work for himself, and it was the right decision. “I’ve always loved being in control of my destiny,” he says. “But it’s not
always easy. If you don’t succeed, it’s your fault. The buck stops here, and if you don’t like that then you shouldn’t be doing this.”
His entrepreneurial journey has spanned more than four decades, and he’s learned some key lessons along the way.
Don’t underestimate a good hype man.
When Weiner first had the idea to bake and sell cookies, he reached out to friend and restaurateur Harold Balink, owner of Harold’s in Fort Myers. Weiner brought over a few cookies for Balink to try. “Is this a project worth doing?” he asked. “You could sell a thousand of these cookies a day,” Balink said. That was the fuel Weiner needed to launch Chloe’s.
Ken Weiner, chief baking officer of Fort Myers-based Chloe’s Cookies, launched the company in 2019 with his wife, Sheryl. Chloe’s offers 35 varieties of chocolate chip cookies; each batch is fresh-made to order.
Baking cookies wasn’t exactly in Ken Weiner’s professional wheelhouse, but he found that the process offered a different sort of emotional reward.
Bank on emotional diversification.
Weiner is the first to admit that baking cookies wasn’t exactly in his professional wheelhouse. “It was so much different from what I’d been doing on a day-to-day basis for the last 45 years,” he says. “It’s not like I suddenly became an electrical contractor, which would have been different but still somewhat the same.”
Instead, he found that making cookies offered a different sort of emotional reward than he was used to. For one, the gratification was immediate. “That’s one of the reasons I love to cook,” he says. “People either like it or they hate it, and you get to find out right away.” With real estate and development, he said, it can take years before a project is complete.
Plus, making and delivering baked goods offers a great serotonin boost. “People are always happy to get cookies,” he says.
Don’t go all in.
When it comes to passion projects, Weiner admitted that it’s good to have another source of income. “Even though Chloe’s is a business and we run it like a business, if I had to shut it down tomorrow, we’d still have a roof over our heads,” he says. “I’d miss it, but I’m not depending on it.”
Dosoretz, M.D., MBA
United Way wants to thank all the providers who have contributed to our WeCare program. This award is for all of us, and our community is better because of your efforts.
If you would like to donate your time and services to our WeCare program, email WeCare@UnitedWayLee.org. To learn more about the program, please visit UnitedWayLee.org/WeCare or scan the QR code.
In competitive markets, we see suppliers of various products and services constantly trying to gain an advantage over their competition by improving their products and working to create value for their customers. While the firms supplying these markets act in self-interest, their customers and society are also winners. The success of some firms in this competitive process is directly linked to their superior access to key inputs and resources, giving them advantages not available to their competitors.
The realm of higher education may often seem quite far removed from this process. However, as I reflect on my academic career at Florida Gulf Coast University and our progress with various programs, I see direct parallels between the Lutgert College of Business’ path and firms striving to succeed in competitive markets.
Make no mistake—the marketplace for higher education is increasingly competitive, and institutions not striving to create value and gain an advantage over their competition are losing ground. Many struggle to survive. In contrast, Lutgert College of Business is in a position directly analogous to firms blessed with superior access to natural resources and other key inputs.
At first glance, many folks reading the beginning of this column may think I am referencing our region’s financial wealth. FGCU and Lutgert College of Business certainly benefit from the strong phil-
anthropic culture in Southwest Florida. The success we have enjoyed in fundraising is impressive, given the institution’s youth. It explains how we have sustained program growth through periods of reduced funding by the state and is reflected in the names on buildings, schools, colleges and programs across campus. However, the resource that comes to my mind before Southwest Florida’s vast financial wealth is our community’s remarkable human capital.
You don’t have to live in the area long to notice the concentration of successful entrepreneurs and former C-suite executives calling Southwest Florida home, at least for part of the year. Fortunately for FGCU, many characteristics that drove these individuals to professional success make it challenging for them to slip quietly into retirement. This relatively simple fact opens doors for Lutgert College of Business to excel.
Over the years, we have become increasingly proficient at harnessing the region’s human capital to create a com-
Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business has created a competitive advantage by harnessing the region’s human capital. One example: having successful community members participate as adjunct faculty or guest speakers, such as Mike Duke, retired president and CEO of Walmart.
petitive advantage. Evidence of this is seen in the membership of FGCU’s Board of Trustees, the FGCU Foundation Board and numerous advisory boards across campus. Lutgert College of Business’ mentorship program is another place where the profound effect of our community’s human capital is seen.
Even more importantly, that influence is seen in the classroom. The quality of our academic programs is directly enhanced by community members who regularly participate as adjunct faculty or guest speakers, generously sharing the knowledge they have accumulated over accomplished careers. To name just a few: Mike Duke, retired president and CEO of Walmart; Jeff Gearhart, retired executive vice president and corporate secretary of Walmart; Jim Hale, retired executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Target; and Scott Nelson, retired senior vice president of real estate for Target. Other institutions certainly benefit from having individuals like these share their expertise in classrooms, but I don’t know of another university where the access rivals that of the Lutgert College of Business.
For academics, it is sometimes challenging to open a classroom to people who have forgotten more about the topic of the day than most will ever know. But once those fears are overcome, access to an incredible resource is gained, and the benefit to students is undeniable. This is Lutgert College of Business’ competitive advantage, and we strive to make the most of it.
Shelton Weeks is the Lucas Professor of Real Estate and director of the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development & Finance at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business.
NCH
716 across two acute-care hospitals
Physicians Regional 357 across three acute-care hospitals
Healthcare Network NA (outpatient primary care only)
Lee Health
1,812 across four acute-care and two specialty hospitals
Against the backdrop of a slate of “Live Healthy” bills totaling almost $800 million championed in the state Legislature this year by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, CEOs of some of Southwest Florida’s largest health care networks are focusing on the challenges and opportunities brought on by the region’s unprecedented growth.
Florida gains 300,000 new residents per year, according to a press release announcing passage of the first part of the Live Healthy legislation in the state Senate, putting a mighty strain on the state’s health care systems. Hospital administrators and medical professionals in Collier and Lee counties are increasingly dealing with an aging population, critical physician shortages and tight capacity in emergency departments and inpatient facilities.
For health care consumers, the result is long waits for appointments with primary care providers and specialists. New patients can wait six months or even longer—if the provider is taking new patients at all. Emergency rooms are often at capacity as patients, unable to see primary care doctors, go there for nonemergent care. According to the March of Dimes, 19.4% of Florida counties are classified as “maternity care deserts,” meaning women have to travel more than 30 minutes for labor and delivery services.
Hospital
Gulfshore Business spoke with system CEOs for four of the region’s largest nonprofit and for-profit health care systems providing acute care and primary care on either an inpatient or outpatient basis— NCH, Physicians Regional, Healthcare Network and Lee Health—regarding their priorities, opportunities and challenges and how Live Healthy legislation could affect Southwest Florida.
For Naples Comprehensive Health, the last 18 months have been a game of “hurry up and wait” as CEO Paul Hiltz oversees plans to build the $200 million R.M. Schulze Family Cardiovascular and Stroke Critical Care Center housing the Rooney Heart Institute and the Wingard Stroke Institute next to NCH Baker Hospital downtown.
In February, after a protracted rezoning process, the nonprofit NCH—recently rebranded Naples Comprehensive Health, from Naples Community Hospital—won preliminary approval from the city of Naples to construct the five-story center.
As the region’s population ages and as heart disease continues to be the No. 1 cause of death in America, cardiac and stroke care are among the biggest priorities for NCH, as well as other large health care systems. Hiltz sees the new care center as essential to enable NCH to deliver high-quality health care. “If a patient right now comes to see a doctor (cardiologist) and then needs to come to the hospital for a test or a procedure, there’s a lot of walking around for both the patient and the team of caregivers,” Hiltz says. “We’re trying to put all the players in one building so the … doctors and nurses can take care of everyone in one site.”
With the region’s population aging and heart disease continuing to be the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S., NCH President and CEO Paul Hiltz says cardiac and stroke care are among the greatest priorities for NCH, and it is in the planning stages to build a $200 million cardiovascular and stroke critical care center.
Hiltz predicts the new care center will be “an iconic building in health care in America. We think it will help us recruit and retain top-tier talent here.”
NCH has recruited 13 new cardiologists in the past year, following its recruitment of Robert Cubeddu, M.D., to NCH in 2021. Cubeddu joined NCH from Cleveland Clinic Florida to serve as the Brynne and Bob Coletti Endowed Chair for the President of the Rooney Heart Institute. The plans for the new center attracted him to NCH, and he thinks it will be an “exciting destination” to physicians across all specialties. “My biggest draw was the vision and the need for high-quality care and the support of the community,” Cubeddu says. “The board of trustees and the executive leadership team are really focused on investing in quality for patients and the patient experience.
“We are investing in cardiac, vascular and stroke,” he says. “We’re investing in orthopedics, pediatrics and oncology. You can’t be No. 1 in everything, [but] we’ve identified key service lines that are highly strategic and thoroughly thought out, and largely driven by the demands of the community.”
Asked about the Live Healthy legislation, Hiltz said he is grateful to Passidomo for her support of legislation that will upgrade service. Hiltz, who serves on the Board of the Florida Hospital Association, and other health care leaders expect the legislation to expand availability of advanced birthing centers across the state, which would allow cesarean sections to be performed, and urgent care centers adjacent to emergency departments. NCH offers obstetric/maternity care services and operates walk-in centers in Naples, North Naples, Marco Island and Bonita Springs.
“We want to improve access and be really careful that we don’t downgrade the care,” Hiltz says. “Freestanding birthing centers are great until there’s a problem, and then the patient has to be transported to one of our hospitals. We need to all come together and make sure the intentions are achieved with whatever we design.”
As Collier County’s population has surged these past two years, Physicians Regional Healthcare System has expanded its bed capacity by 70%.
“We’re growing dramatically, and we want to continue to offer a very high level of services to the residents of Southwest Florida,” says Scott Lowe, CEO of Naples-based Physicians Regional—which is owned by Franklin, Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, one of America’s largest for-profit hospital operators. “We did a bed expansion at our Pine Ridge campus, a bed expansion at the Collier Campus and added a third location with our north campus.”
With the health care labor pool tight, Lowe added, lack of affordable housing hampers his ability to recruit and retain talent across all areas, including physicians. “The demand is increasing, but the labor pool is not. I think that is our biggest challenge, but we continue to offer a phenomenal level of service. And that’s not just the physicians: It’s the support teams, it’s the food services, the security officers, the imaging departments, the X-ray techs, the CT techs. Every one of those are critical components.”
When it comes to opportunities and innovation, Lowe pointed to Physicians Regional’s cardiac program. “The open-heart program and the cardiovascular program, launched in 2020, have seen tremendous growth,” Lowe says. “We have been able to partner with three cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeons—doctors Scot Schultz, Dennis Stapleton and Brett Beecher—to develop that program. We’ve got a structural heart program that we launched about 18 months ago. We added a STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the most severe type of heart attack) program at the Collier campus, which is a huge win for that community because time is of the essence for cardiac care. If you’re coming from Marco Island, prior to about 18 months ago, you had to go to downtown NCH or to our Pine
One of the greatest challenges for Physicians Regional Healthcare System is the difficulty in recruiting and retaining talent across all areas, including physicians, due to the lack of affordable housing, says Scott Lowe, CEO
of Naplesbased Physicians Regional.
Ridge hospital. To be able to start that immediate cardiac intervention or cardiac care at Collier could be a lifesaver.”
As with other large networks in the area, Physicians Regional offers a robust telemedicine practice—a focus of the Live Healthy legislation. “I think our patient population still prefers to meet their physician and be able to interact and talk,” Lowe says. “But if we can offer a telemedicine visit that same day, that’s a win.” Another growth area is orthopedics, with more than 3,000 cases across the Pine Ridge, Collier and North (formerly Landmark) campuses anticipated this year.
Physicians Regional does not provide maternity care, so when it comes to the Live Healthy legislation, Lowe is focused on urgent care. “I think urgent care and walk-in clinics do a good job of decompressing the higher cost of emergency room care. That being said, we need to make sure that we’re educating our patient population on when and where to go. The ERs are there for anybody and everybody at all times, but the more we can have our patients established with a primary care physician, they could just have a better understanding of what they may need.”
One of Lowe’s biggest concerns is mental health services, also a focus of the Live Healthy legislation. “David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health do a phenomenal job of trying to keep up with that, but they have limited resources, as well,” Lowe says. “That is also a national issue, not just Southwest Florida.”
Charting Florida’s Health Care Future
As the only Federally Qualified Health Center designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration in Collier County, Healthcare Network primary care and dental clinics see patients including the uninsured. Within Florida, there are 54 FQHCs.
Founded 47 years ago as a community health center for migrant farm workers, Healthcare Network, based in Naples, has grown to include 10 clinics that served more than 50,000 adult and pediatric patients in 2023. The newest clinic to date, the Nichols Community Health Center, opened in 2020.
“We see anyone, no matter their financial status, or whether they have insurance or not,” CEO Jamie Ulmer says. “But our model is different in that it would not be sustainable if we weren’t diversified to see patients who do have insurance, people that have Medicaid, Medicare and, of course, those who fit our sliding-fee scale.”
In addition to providing care for patients regardless of ability to pay, Healthcare Network’s mission is also to serve those in geographic areas of the county that have typically been underserved.
Ulmer described the area where Immokalee Road and Collier Boulevard intersect as an example, and
Founded as a community health center for migrant farm workers, Healthcare Network has grown to include 10 clinics that served more than 50,000 adults and children in 2023. Healthcare Network CEO Jamie Ulmer says they will see anyone, no matter their financial or insurance status.
said it represents one of the network’s greatest challenges: access to care.
“If you travel east on Immokalee, you’ll come to a sharp curve that’s called the Orange Tree area, and there is not one doctor or pediatrician from that intersection all the way to Ave Maria and Immokalee, [which] is the fastest-growing area of Collier County,” Ulmer says. “Now, a person literally has to get off their job, drive 30 minutes to an hour, pick up their child, drive 30 or 45 minutes, have them see a doctor to get them back in school if they’ve had a sick day, then drive all the way back— and that’s a whole day.”
In order to help fill that void, Healthcare Network is currently conducting a capital campaign to build a $15 million, 20,000-squarefoot facility in the Orange Tree area near Immokalee. In late January, Healthcare Network also received $1.75 million in appropriation funds from the state for the facility; groundbreaking is expected to take place in early April with an estimated completion of December 2024.
For health care in Collier County in general, Ulmer said another challenge is reimbursement rates for physicians, a challenge that can help contribute to the worsening physician shortage.
He said that HCN sees approximately 60% of all children in Collier County, and that 65% of those children are covered by Medicaid.
“The reimbursement rate for Medicaid is about $20 to $30 for a pediatrician with his or her own business, and if they see them in Collier County, they’re most likely seeing some
that are on Medicaid because of the sheer volume,” Ulmer says. “If you’re only getting $20 to $30 on the reimbursement for them visiting you, you would have to see almost 50 to 60 kids a day to make that sustainable for you to pay your overhead and live, especially in Naples. And that’s not a quality of life that you would be able to sustain, or potentially not even be able to provide a quality of care that you would need to provide with that volume of visits.”
Ulmer said he is concerned that if the state does not address reimbursement rates, which have not changed over the last 20 years, “we’re going to see more and more primary care providers going out of business or deciding to go to another state. We have taken over two pediatric offices within the last four months because they said they can no longer do it.”
Will the Live Healthy legislation help address any of these concerns?
“We expect it to be able to address some of these complexities and hopefully some of these reimbursement rates,” Ulmer said during this interview in early February, before the House took up the bills. “We expect it to help address health disparities, promoting health equity and ensuring all Floridians have access to care no matter what their status is. We’re excited about what [Passidomo] is trying to do, as she has seen that health care is a very big challenge here in the state.”
Ulmer said that while Live Healthy is “not specifically designed” to address reimbursements, he hopes they could be addressed indirectly through programs that could provide funding for FQHCs that take part in programs allowing medical students, nurses, nurse practitioners or physicians’ assistants to rotate through their facilities for training.
The Live Healthy legislation, totaling $767 million, passed the Florida Senate in January and passed unamended in the House in February. The legislation includes expanding the medical workforce, nonemergency care, telehealth minority maternity care and advanced birth center designations.
The Live Healthy legislation package led by Sens. Colleen Burton (R-Lakeland) and Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart) and championed by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) was designed to expand the medical workforce, including physicians, to help increase access to primary care and give consumers a “medical home,” spur innovation and provide incentives for health care systems to expand nonemergency care. Specifically, urgent care clinics that would help shift patients away from emergency rooms, a telehealth minority maternity care program and advanced birth center designations to serve “maternity care deserts” across the state that would give women more delivery options are prioritized in the legislation. The package of legislation, totaling $767 million, passed the Florida Senate in January and passed unamended in the House in late February.
■ Create streamlined licensing pathway for out-ofstate providers moving to Florida
■ Expand services to Floridians with disabilities
■ Expand medical residency slots to increase number of physicians in Florida
■ Expand eligibility for LINE program funding (Linking Industry to Nursing Education) to high-performing independent schools, colleges or universities for LPN and RN programs
■ Remove barriers for experienced, foreign-trained physicians to practice in the state
■ Expand access to free and charitable clinics offering free primary and urgent care to help divert care from emergency rooms
■ Increase access to maternity care by authorizing advanced birth centers to perform low-risk deliveries, including C-sections
■ Create a revolving loan fund program for health innovation projects
*Source: flsenate.gov
— Therese McDevittThe start of 2024 saw Lee Health in Fort Myers exploring a major change in its business structure: converting from its current model as a publicly run health care system to a private nonprofit health system, which was the operating structure for its first 50 years. In 1968, the system began operating as an independent special health care district created by the Florida Legislature and governed by a publicly elected board of directors, according to the system’s website.
Lee Health retained the Chicago-based consulting firm Kaufman Hall in late 2023 to conduct an evaluation and provide a report by late February, with the Lee Health board then having 120 days to review and consider the options. The system also held a series of public meetings to receive feedback from the public. The next step would be to work with the Lee County Commission on terms and timelines.
The system, which consists of four acutecare hospitals and two specialty hospitals, is one of the largest public hospital systems in the country, and provides care to all patients regardless of ability to pay.
Lee Health President and CEO Larry Antonucci said the “safety net” status will remain the same, regardless of the potential change in structure, with the system entering into an “enforceable agreement” with the county to ensure the provision of care.
“Our overall ‘community benefit’ has averaged $150 (million) to $170 million a year,” he says. “It varies year to year, and that’s net of the taxes we’re not paying as
Lee Health is exploring a major change in its business structure, converting from a publicly run health care system to a private nonprofit health system. Lee Health CEO Larry Antonucci says the system is exploring the change in order to “compete on an even playing field.”
a not-for-profit. So, there is significant community benefit through caring for the uninsured, the under-insured, Medicaid shortfalls, etc.”
Antonucci said the system is exploring the conversion in order to “compete on an even playing field” with increasing competition in the community for health care. The ability to even explore the conversion was made possible by a bill that passed the Florida Legislature last year. By converting back to a nongovernmental not-for-profit, the system would be able to work outside Lee County, be more of a regional presence and form joint ventures or partnerships.
“We’ve been extremely successful, and we want to continue to be successful so that we can continue to reinvest in the community,” Antonucci says. “We plan to invest $750 million in this community in the next five or so years by improving access and building facilities. We cannot do that without having an adequate margin. It’s really that simple. Every dollar we make above our expenses, we reinvest in the community. So, if conversion is the best option, it will assure the community that yes, we will be able to continue to do this.”
And with the conversion exploration in the background, Lee Health finds itself dealing with the same ongoing challenges faced by the other large systems in the region, and with some of the same opportunities—including an increasing emphasis on its cardiovascular offerings.
In July 2023, Lee Health recruited Malissa Wood, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital to serve as vice president and chief physician executive of the Lee Health Heart Institute.
In light of stiff competition for physicians nationwide, what convinced Wood to accept the offer from Lee Health?
Lee Health formed a strategic partnership with DispatchHealth to provide an in-home mobile medical care option with range from Babcock Ranch to Bonita Springs as a way to help ease the burden on its emergency rooms.
“I saw a very unique opportunity to help an incredible system kind of make that quantum leap into the next era of health care, which is going to include value-based care, AI technology, etc., but doing that with education and service to the community,” she says. “We want to be able to deliver the best care to the right patient at the right time in the right place, and I think that this particular health care system with its fundamental values has everything here that we need to do it better and to show the rest of the country that it can be done. I will say that the medical informatics and access to innovation here is the best I’ve ever seen in a system.”
When it comes to issues addressed in the current Live Healthy legislation, especially as related to emergency room diversion, Antonucci said he thinks it is important for the public to be educated on what is appropriate when deciding among an ER, an urgent care center or a physician’s office.
“So, the answer is going to be access, right?” he says. “It’s going to be the ability or inability to get an appointment with your primary care doctor, or if you have a minor, nonemergent issue whether it’s through telehealth. That’s an emerging technology that we want to utilize more. But right now, if you call your physician and say, ‘I’ve got a fever of 104, I think I have the flu,’ they’re going to tell you to go to the ER, and nine times out of 10 it’s probably not the best place to be.”
Antonucci said system leadership was working with the Florida House as it deliberated on Live Healthy to “figure out how to get the outcome they want.”
And as another option to ER visits, Lee Health announced in February that it had formed a strategic partnership with DispatchHealth to provide an in-home mobile medical care option with an expanded range from Babcock Ranch to Bonita Springs.
When it comes to the Senate-approved Live Healthy version’s proposed advanced birth centers program, which would allow C-sections to be performed in the centers, Antonucci— who practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Fort Myers for 24 years—expressed concerns that he said are shared by the Florida Hospital Association.
“We’re really concerned about safety and quality,” he says. “If you’re in a freestanding facility without a blood bank, for instance, and you have a hemorrhage in the middle of a C-section, it could be very, very scary.”
The conception of heroism often revolves around bravery or doing something out of the ordinary to achieve a noble end. But in the field of health care, heroism can take many forms and happen at any time.
Although this year’s Health Care Heroes were all “just doing their job,” they’ve been recognized by their peers for their commitment to going above and beyond on behalf of the residents of Southwest Florida. As you read their stories of caring, curing and compassion, remember that these doctors, nurses, administrators, first responders and volunteers are the ones who perform the extraordinary every day.
In spite of the many advances in medical science, diagnosing a patient can still require dogged determination. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, one local patient picked up a bacterial infection from the surge water near their home. However, after two surgeries to collect culture samples, a local laboratory couldn’t identify the bacteria causing the patient’s infection. That’s when Dr. Johanna Brown, an infectious disease specialist with Lee Health, began a broader search.
Ultimately, that search took two months and led to the National Jewish Hospital in Denver, where the bacteria was finally diagnosed as one of only 200 identified cases in the world. Once the bacteria was identified, Brown scoured the country for the correct course of treatment. While that treatment will require 18 to 24 months of antibiotics, Brown’s patient is on a steady course to recovery and calls her a “hero in every medical way possible.”
This isn’t the only example of Brown’s tenacity, either: Her determined pursuit of care is also demonstrated by her 20 years of involvement with the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a system of treatment and support for low-income people with HIV.
Nichole Lynch’s career in nursing was inspired by caring for her grandfather as he battled Alzheimer’s disease. That journey has led to Lynch earning her CNA, RN and APRN degrees, and also has taken her to hospitals and emergency rooms across Florida, and across the country.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lynch traveled to some of the hardest-hit areas in Florida and the nation, including New York City, to help care for the huge influx of patients suffering from a deadly disease that, at the time, was not well understood. After returning to Florida, Lynch began working in the emergency room and NICU at Golisano Children’s Hospital. During that time, she also served as a foster parent to one of her young patients. Upon earning her APRN, she joined the practice at Millennium Physician Group and now sees patients oneon-one as a primary care provider.
However, Lynch’s journey hasn’t been limited to clinical settings. When a staff member opted to move home to New York to be closer to family after a health scare, Lynch and her husband helped that person mow the lawn, clean up trash and prepare their home for sale.
Serving as a Pediatric Psychologist at Lee Health and Golisano Children’s Hospital, Jason Sabo’s dedication, compassion and commitment to pediatric mental health have had a profound effect on countless young patients and their families. With a unique ability to create a nurturing environment for children facing unimaginable medical challenges, Sabo’s understanding of the connection between physical and emotional well-being extends beyond health care.
Recognized for his ability to make children feel safe, understood and empowered during their difficult journeys, Sabo works to alleviate the stress and anxiety that often accompanies medical treatment. He has also dedicated himself to destigmatizing pediatric mental health and educating patients, families and the community about the importance of emotional well-being during medical challenges.
In addition, Sabo’s advocacy with Kids’ Minds Matter has raised awareness and helped bridge the gap between physical and mental health. His work has been a positive influence on numerous young patients, helping them to navigate their health care experiences with courage, resilience and a sense of hope. Through his contributions to the field of pediatric psychology, Sabo also serves as a beacon of hope for families in their darkest moments.
Being a firefighter is pretty much synonymous with heroism. But in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, firefighters and other first responders in Southwest Florida encountered unprecedented challenges. Among the first responders who answered the call was Paul Russell (pictured left with Keith Gaudet), a firefighter with the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Russell and his crew provided water, food and first aid to survivors. In some cases, they simply worked to comfort those in shock and convince them it was safe to remove their life jackets. Russell was also among the many first responders who participated in search and rescue operations that stretched on for more than a month. Along the way, he worked shoulder-to-shoulder with his colleagues to provide any care or assistance they could, including helping with generators and clean-up as residents salvaged what remained from the storm. Russell and his fellow firefighters also assisted residents who needed help accessing their homes to gather personal items, including providing a lift assist to carry an elderly man up to his third-floor condominium.
Stepping up, Caring and Sharing
Doris Nolan is a resident of Cypress Cove, a notfor-profit life plan community in Fort Myers. But seeing a need to serve and help care for her fellow residents after she moved in, Nolan stepped up and took action. After receiving training from the Diocese of Venice in Florida, Nolan was appointed to be an “Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion” in order to administer Catholic communion to Cypress Cove’s memory care residents. However, since not every resident is Catholic, Nolan designed a program known as “Joy with Doris” that provides all residents of any denomination an opportunity to come and share gratitude and conversation. That program has now expanded to include activities, such as trivia and treats.
Realizing that residents adapting to memory care can become more isolated, Nolan expanded Cypress Cove’s independent living volunteer program to include memory care. Under Nolan’s mentorship, five independent living residents now volunteer three days a week in the memory care facility. In addition, knowing the importance of seeing many of their former neighbors, Nolan regularly brings a group of memory care residents to the independent living dining area and has even covered the cost of meals.
Joining David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, or DLC, as medical director, Dr. Maxim Chasanov began supervising the psychiatrists and ARNPs managing the inpatient crisis unit for children and adults, as well as the adult detox unit. While these units have almost always been overcrowded, Chasanov also had to immediately manage the increased demand for mental health services spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in suicide attempts, an opioid addiction epidemic and the emotional effects of several hurricanes. Along the way, DLC also accepted admissions from Lee County for six months after Hurricane Ian and completed a 15-bed expansion to the Children’s Crisis Unit.
In the community, Chasanov has advocated for the $45 million Collier County Central Receiving Facility, which will greatly expand the in-patient bed capacity in the area. The facility will meet the behavioral health needs of Collier County for years to come and be managed by the DLC team. In addition, Chasanov has served an important role in education through a series of training sessions for NCH residents, the production of video content for DLC’s Mind Your Mind prevention campaign and donor communications and advocacy as DLC’s liaison with the Collier County Medical Society.
Cancer treatment can be both physically and emotionally grueling. And that burden can be even more taxing on patients and their families when they have to travel to access the treatment they need. But now, thanks to Dr. Arie Dosoretz, the managing partner at Advocate Radiation Oncology, Southwest Florida residents no longer have to travel across the state or across the country to have access to advanced proton therapy treatment.
Proton therapy offers a more precise radiation treatment option that delivers the maximum dose of radiation to tumors while minimizing side effects by reducing the amount of radiation received by nearby healthy tissue. However, the complexity and cost of the facilities have often limited their availability to larger cities. In opening the first proton therapy center on the Gulf Coast, Dosoretz is not only offering more advanced cancer treatment options to a broader population, but a greater quality of life during that treatment. That’s important, since radiation therapy can often mean four to nine weeks of daily radiation treatments. Now, Dosoretz and his staff can offer Southwest Florida residents world-class cancer care without leaving home.
When a trip to the grocery store ended with an ER visit and a brain tumor diagnosis, Kelley Watson needed immediate care. Watson said she was lucky to be treated at the NCH Baker Hospital.
“My CT scan revealed a bilateral frontal lobe tumor the size of a kiwi. Fortunately, the neurosurgeon on call was one of the best in Naples,” she says. “From the start, I felt like I was taken care of. My awesome team included me every step of the way and I was shown every single MRI. They took their time to figure out the type of tumor I had, and the best way to treat it.”
Throughout her stay in the NCH Neuro unit, Watson said she encountered professionalism, respect and compassion from every member of the staff. That included not only doctors and nurses, but the transporters and meal service staff, as well.
“I had two brain surgeries and I wasn’t scared of either one because I knew they would take care of me. I was so lucky to have such confidence, because you really want competent people in a situation like that,” Watson says. “It was actually not that unpleasant of an experience.”
With a mission of providing access to quality health care to the medically vulnerable and those who are at the most risk of developing and experiencing long-term illnesses and hospitalizations, Premier Mobile Health Services makes a difference in Lee County by serving underserved and underinsured individuals, regardless of their situation or lifestyle.
A 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, Premier Mobile Health Services provides care for free or at a reduced rate to patients without insurance who are below federal poverty guidelines.
Led by Nadine Singh, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, Premier Mobile strives to close the gap between primary care and emergency care for the unhoused, vulnerable and marginalized members of the community. To do that, the organization offers a walkin clinic and mobile clinics that travel around the county to serve those who lack transportation or the resources to access the care they need. The agency also offers telemedicine, screening for diabetes, hypertension and other chronic and progressive diseases, HIV and sexually transmitted disease testing, blood pressure checks, annual vaccines, disaster response and referrals for dental, vision and mental health care.
Brian Tietz
While we’re often reminded to care for our physical well-being, maintaining our mental health is too frequently overlooked. And that’s why David Lawrence Centers for Behavioral Health, or DLC, a Collier County-based behavioral health care provider, launched the Mind Your Mind initiative.
Designed to encourage individuals to prioritize their well-being, as well as that of their family, friends, neighbors and community, the Mind Your Mind campaign features a monthly email and curated website content from clinical experts and community partners. Focusing on an important topic related to mental wellness each month, each email includes articles, educational resources, stories and videos. The DLC website also offers a variety of Mind Your Mind-focused articles and resources.
In addition, the Mind Your Mind Speakers Series has extended the initiative further in the community by offering in-person, educational talks focused on important and relevant topics related to behavioral health care. Those talks have focused on workplace wellness, establishing work-life balance, children’s mental health, veteran services, personal well-being and even mental health first aid training.
Someone’s ability to pay for medical care should never dictate the care they receive. That’s why the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades created the WeCare program. WeCare connects qualifying individuals with severe medical conditions that can’t be managed by a primary care provider with the medical care they need, free of charge via an extensive network of volunteer providers.
Contracted through the Florida Department of Health, Voluntary Health Care Provider Program, the WeCare initiative has made a huge difference for patients and their families. In 2023, WeCare provided more than $9 million in charitable care, covered 2,448 medical visits and procedures and served 332 patients ranging from 16 to 87 years of age. The program is supported by more than 300 individual providers, 50 medical offices and 30 corporate partners. Most importantly, any medical provider can refer a patient to WeCare.
In addition, WeCare providers also extend their care beyond the individual patient to include the entire family. Thanks to the generosity of United Way donors, even the youngest members of the Southwest Florida community can be comforted by the knowledge that someone genuinely cares for them.
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• 50+ dedicated financial professionals
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It’s not your imagination. It really is taking longer to see the doctor these days.
A physician shortage that began pre-COVID-19 has only gotten worse post-pandemic, said Dr. Zubin Pachori, co-founder and managing partner of Premier Inpatient Partners and vice president of Collier County Medical Society, who calls it “a silent epidemic that’s not talked about enough.”
Before the pandemic, “there was already a trend of physicians retiring as more and more of the baby boomer generation throughout the country go out of the workplace,” Pachori says. But when COVID-19 hit in 2020 and put a strain on hospitals, “it was one of those events that pushed people—whether it was physician burnout, stress of the event itself, whatever political things they agreed with or didn’t agree with—to leave the career earlier than they expected.”
Four years later, hospitals are still hard-pressed for physicians, due to issues such as financing, lack of affordable housing and a growing aging population with medical needs.
“We’re one of the few professions where we don’t set our own prices. It’s generally set by Medicare, and we’ve seen a 26% decrease in reimbursement since 2001,” Pachori says. “The job has only gotten harder since then.”
Florida Medicaid coverage ranks 46th in the nation, paying 58 cents to every dollar Medicaid would cover, and 49 cents for primary care, according to the January
A physician shortage that began pre-COVID-19 has continued to worsen, with hospitals still hardpressed for physicians due to issues such as financing, lack of affordable housing and a growing aging population.
It’s not just doctors. There’s a health care worker shortage across the board.
“Some of our greatest needs based on number of openings are jobs such as nurses, medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, customer service representatives, medical technologists, et cetera,” says Kristy Rigot, system director of recruitment and retention at Lee Health.
“By 2035 in the state of Florida, the projected supply of registered nurses will be sufficient to meet only 88% of projected demand,” Rigot says, citing The Florida Hospital Association study, “The Florida Nurse Workforce Projections: 2019 to 2035.”
Some good news is that vacancy numbers are trending down in some areas.
“Currently, Lee Health has 250 bedside RN positions open across the health system. This is a significant reduction in the number of open bedside RN jobs compared to last year,” Rigot says. “Our vacancy rate was approximately 17.3% this time last year and is now down to 7.8%.”
Florida TaxWatch Report, “Addressing Florida’s Escalating Physician Shortage: Strategies and Solutions.”
Cost of living also can make it difficult to recruit talent. Collier County’s median listing home price in December 2023 was $839,000, according to Realtor.com. Lee County’s was $469,000. Both are trending upward year-over-year.
“Housing prices are so steep and have risen so sharply that it’s priced out a lot of people who would have come down here and gotten a starter home,” Pachori says. “Physician reimbursement has not kept up.”
The greatest needs
“We’re going to need 18,000 physicians across the state by 2035,” Pachori says, citing a Florida Medical Association study. “I think it’s probably an understatement.”
Pachori estimated one-third of the shortage would be for primary care physicians and practitioners, while two-thirds would be for specialists that run the gamut from emergency room doctors to cardiologists, surgeons and psychiatrists.
Physicians in cognitive specialties, such as nephrology, neurology, psychiatry, rheumatology and endocrinology are especially needed, said April Donahue, executive director of Collier County Medical Society.
What’s being done Medical experts and associations have taken concerns to the state Legislature.
“We’re advocating for some things that may have a decent chance this year at the state level,” Donahue says. “For example, getting the medical loan repayment program expanded so that physicians who volunteer or work in rural areas can receive assistance without repaying their loans. If housing is really high and [students] have $250,000 in student loans, they may not be able to work in Naples as easily as some others.”
There’s also a call to expand the number of residencies in Florida, as 65% of Florida medical residents stay in the state to practice medicine, the Association of American Medical Colleges reported.
Meanwhile, physicians are getting extra help to combat burnout.
“Local hospitals and medical societies have done a lot of advocacy for having retreats where physicians can see national leaders who can talk about physician burnout and having private, one-on-one sessions with therapists,” Pachori says.
The public also can make a difference by advocating for doctors, Pachori adds: “If people want to talk to their legislators, it would be effective coming from patients, as well.”
Credit the nationwide doctor shortage, more literature surrounding mental and physical health, high medical-care costs, an aging population of baby boomers or any combination thereof, but people are taking serious strides to try improving their well-being themselves.
Enter biohacking, a trendy term for making changes to one’s biology through diet, lifestyle and other avenues in an attempt to combat issues relating to chronological age.
Dr. Justin Casey of Sinus Institute of Southwest Florida calls it “a broad spectrum of alternative interventions that range from things to better a person’s health, longevity and lifespan, all the way to things like interventional beauty.”
Some holistic practices, such as mindfulness, meditation, daily movement and plant-forward eating, have been around for ages and are backed by area wellness programs, such as Blue Zones Project–SWFL.
“We’re helping people be conscious of their aging so you can stay as mobile as possible and healthy as possible,” says Megan Greer, executive director of Blue Zones Project–SWFL.
Newer interventions, such as electromagnetic muscle stimulators, supplements, cryotherapy and light therapy, also are adding fuel to the biohacking health craze in Southwest Florida.
Tree of Light Whole Body Rejuvenation Center in Naples offers an infrared medical sauna, a compression therapy system and therapeutic infrared light therapy services “to promote body rejuvenation and restoration on a cellular level,” according to its website, which bears the tagline “you can truly age in reverse.”
Dona Parker, Tree of Light owner, said patrons have visited after surgery to speed up the healing process, or to treat skin issues, such as psoriasis and eczema, with the help of an ARRC LED chamber.
“The beds have green, red and near-infrared light and also pulse between 40-80 hertz,” says Parker, adding that the lights interact with cells. “They are helping the mitochondria produce more energy. [It] also helps with the release of nitric oxide for metabolic health.
“Clients have been coming to me since I opened in 2019, many for healing and looking for ways to get off the many medications their doctors had them on for various reasons, and others just for general wellness,” Parker says. “The benefits have been huge for ones that have something measurable, and
Biohacking, a term for making changes to one’s biology through diet, lifestyle and other avenues in an attempt to combat issues relating to chronological age, is a trending option for those looking to improve their well-being.
that’s why they continue even after they start to feel better, because they understand the power of it.”
Personal metrics, commonly determined via wearable devices, are vital in deciding if biohacks are working, but doctors say analyzing numbers alone is where issues can arise.
“When you gather information you don’t really understand and then try to act on that information based on your understanding of medicine, you can end up with bad results,” says Raymond Wynne Phillips, retired gastroenterologist turned principal investigator at GI Pros Research in Naples.
Taking supplements—another type of biohacking—also can be troublesome without clinical guidance. “There’s an assumption that all sup-
plements are safe because it’s not a pharmaceutical … but you can run into lots of trouble with supplements by mixing them with other supplements and medication,” Casey says.
Straits Research valued the global biohacking market size at an estimated $16.96 billion in 2022 and projected it to reach $80.57 billion by 2031.
“When things commercialize and capitalize, the trouble is you get salespeople giving you information. They highlight the positives without underscoring the negatives, and as a result, you get incomplete information,” Phillips says.
There are two sides to the industry, Casey says: “A side that’s altruistic and trying to promote better health and works well with mainstream medicine, and there’s a side that’s a little
more for-profit, with what’s the latest fad and how it can get into the forefront of people’s minds to get them to buy it.”
One way to combat confusing numbers and misleading information is to get a medical expert’s input. “Any type of biohacking should be done under the supervision of a doctor, so you know there are certain side effects,” Greer says.
These consultations also can help make up for scarce research. “One of the important points in what separates alternative and mainstream medicine is evidence to prove that it works and is safe,” Casey says. “Part of the reason why we don’t see tons of studies on these things is because there’s not necessarily billions of dollars to pay for them. But more and more, there are academic centers and other places doing good studies.”
Phillips suggested that consumers also can seek out research trials for emerging tools that fall under biohacking.
A growing number of ways to assist a person’s well-being can positively affect area health care systems and people’s wallets.
“When people take better care of themselves, it relieves a lot of strain on our limited resources,” Greer says, adding that returning hospital visits can get costly. “We want to see fewer people ending up in medical bankruptcy because they’re able to take care of themselves. So, any way that we can find ways for people to improve their overall well-being that’s not totally cost-prohibitive benefits the entire community.”
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
KTJZ Partners IV LLC
purchased the 7.92-acre land parcel at 9160 Indian Springs Cemetery Road in Punta Gorda from Jones Loop Road LLC for $3.75 million. Michael Price, ALC, of LQ Commercial represented the seller.
BD RC Punta Gorda LP
purchased a 2,000-squarefoot former Subway restaurant building at 26480 Jones Loop Road in Punta Gorda from LaxmiBhavan Inc. for $1,953,000. Fred Kermani, CCIM, AIA, of CRE Consultants represented the seller and Ronnie Carlson of Brightwork Real Estate represented the buyer.
Ralph and Joanne
Hoehne purchased a 2.83acre commercial property at 4549 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte from DAH Enterprises Inc. for $1.35 million. Christi Pritchett, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.
COLLIER COUNTY
Tesla Inc. purchased 4.51 acres of vacant land at 4555 Radio Road in Naples from 4555 Radio Rd LLC for $7 million. Felipe Arcila of Kova Commercial Group and David J. Stevens, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Tom Godino of Atlantic Retail Group represented the buyer.
Roers Naples Apartments II LLC purchased 8.99 acres of vacant land at 7576 Immokalee Road in North Naples from Thomas John Cleary Family Trust for $5.38 million. David J. Stevens, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
Axonic Residential Assets Fund VI LP, Henderson Creek Homes LLC purchased an 8.8-acre manufactured home park at 1252, 1186, 1286 and 1322 Henderson Creek Drive in East Naples from Ben S. Moore Jr. and BMS & Sons LLLP for $3,525,000. Hunter Ward, CCIM, ALC,
and William Rollins, CCIM, ALC, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the seller, and Matt Pikus of Pikus Properties represented the buyer.
Coastal Companies FL LLC purchased 1.09 acres of vacant land at 5840 Yahl St. in North Naples from 5840 Yahl St LLC for $2.15 million. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
LEE COUNTY
Elder Wood LLC purchased a 121.95-acre residential property at Corbett Road and Diplomat Parkway East in Cape Coral from Shannon D. Pirron, Emma Light, Kate Light, Cassidey Pirron, Abigail Pirron, Jake Pirron and VA PI LLC for $16,759,000. Randy Thibaut, ALC, and William Rollins, CCIM, ALC, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the seller.
Covenant Presbyterian Church of Naples Inc. purchased 28,000 square feet of retail space at 6800 Golden Gate Parkway in Naples from Fast Forward Fitness LLC for $12.15 million. Patrick Fraley, CCIM, and Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Scott Mersinger of Trinity Commercial Group represented the buyer.
Restoration House Inc. purchased a 5,810-squarefoot retail space at 4461 Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs from Beverly A. Deynzer for $1,275,000. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Michael Baviello Jr. of SW Florida Realty Consultants represented the buyer.
2020 Ortiz LLC
purchased a 12,800-squarefoot single-tenant building on 1.63 acres at 2020 Ortiz Ave. in Fort Myers from Frank and Chong Dethlefsen for $1,795,000. Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, and Brock Rasmussen of Lee & Associates NaplesFort Myers represented the buyer, and Richard Tucker of Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty represented the seller.
FGS 3333 Naples LLC
purchased a 7,627-square-foot retail space in Vanderbilt Galleria, 8970 Fontana Del Sol Way, Unit 102, in North Naples from Pastoor Properties of Collier County for $3 million. Patty McClimans of SVN Commercial Partners represented the seller.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
Equipmentshare. com Inc. leased a 13,360-square-foot multitenant warehouse/ distribution center on 4.5 acres at 19500 Peachland Blvd., Lot 1, in Port Charlotte from 11909 Orange Blossom LLC. Adam Bornhorst, Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, Bob Johnston, SIOR, and Jerry Messonnier, SIOR, of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor.
COLLIER COUNTY
Boca Dental Management Services
LLC leased 2,010 square feet of office space at 2700 Immokalee Road, Suite 4, in North Naples from Mt. Ridge Realty Associates LLC. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee.
Hotworx Naples LLC leased 1,800 square feet of retail space at 5335 Airport-Pulling Road in North Naples from Ridgeport Limited
Partnership. Tara L. Stokes of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Ian Laskowski of Morrow Hill represented the lessee.
Crius Technology Group Inc. leased 1,146 square feet of office space at 3001 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 207, in Naples from Collier Place Holdings LLC. Patrick Fraley, CCIM, and Lauren A. Griswold of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee.
Trucker Mate Permits & Solutions Corp. leased 347 Airport-Pulling Road N. in Naples from Commers EnterprisesMercantile Plaza. Felipe Arcila with KOVA Commercial Group represented the lessor and lessee.
LEE COUNTY
Dirty Dogg leased 4,495 square feet of retail space at 10610 Founders Way, suites 100-120, in Bonita Springs from Lee Founders Way LLC. Mike Concilla of LQ Commercial represented the lessor.
Estrella Health Medical Center Inc. leased 2,309 square feet of medical office space at 1565 Mathew Drive, Suite 2, in Fort Myers from ABM JV Fort Myers LLC. Gary Tasman and Hanna Ray of Cushman & Wakefield
Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the lessee.
Southwest Limo LLC leased a 2,300-squarefoot space in Palmetto Grove Industrial Park, 2861 Work Drive, Unit 15, in Fort Myers from 2853 Industrial Partners LLC. Colton Brausen of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
leased 3,250 square feet of office space at 5125 Castello Drive in Naples from Tamiami Newgate Ltd. Tara L. Stokes of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Bryan Perry of Bayfront Realty Advisors represented the lessee.
dba Nectar Labs leased 1,850 square feet of retail space at 1513 Cape Coral Parkway E. in Cape Coral from Coral Equity Group LLC. Gary Tasman and Gretchen Smith of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the lessor.
Nuesana Health & Wellness LLC leased a 1,792-square-foot office/ medical space in Piazza Di Bonita, 27180 Bay Landing Drive, Unit 2, in Bonita Springs from Bonita Casa Inc. Bill Young, Biagio Bernardo and Thomas Webb, CCIM, MSRE, of Lee & Associates NaplesFort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
leased a 1,492-square-foot office space at 27821 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 2, in Bonita Springs from Crown Royal Properties LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and WT Pearson of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessor, and Andrew Baker of Edison Business Advisors represented the lessee.
Edward D. Jones & Co.
L.P. dba Edward Jones leased 1,273 square feet of office space at 21401 Corkscrew Village Lane, Suite 2, in Estero from Broadway88 LLC. Tara L. Stokes of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Lisa Sands of VIP Realty Group represented the lessee.
leased a 14,230-squarefoot space in Bonita Commons Shopping Center, 25987 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 104, in Bonita Springs from Smizer Properties LLC. Biagio Bernardo, Bill Young and Michael Mahan of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor.
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By James Raia
Lexus wows with its small SUV
By James RaiaThe 2024 Lexus UX 250h continues the now sixyear run for the uniquely positioned vehicle. It’s arguably the country’s best-valued, most fuel-efficient luxury subcompact sport utility vehicle.
That’s a long title but a worthy one. The least expensive Lexus starts at $35,340. The Premium and F Sport Design trims both start at $37,800. The top F Sport Handling model begins at $42,770. All-wheel-drive is a $1,400 option on every trim. Which is to say that the topline choice costs about the same as the average price of a new vehicle in the United States, making the littlebut-not-so-little SUV a little more attractive.
When it debuted, the UX (Urban eXplorer) lineup
was offered in gas and hybrid options. The former was discarded in 2023, leaving four hybrid trims. All are operated by 2.0-liter I-4 engines matched with two electric motors, resulting in a combined 181 horsepower. A continuously variable transmission, or CVT, is the only option.
Despite its relatively pedestrian acceleration rating of 0-to-60 mph in 8.1 seconds, the vehicle’s nimble maneuvering and diminutive stature reflect its peppy personality. It’s quick enough but won’t fare well in any ego-driven races.
The urban-centric Lexus has more than a dozen competitors in the market,
including the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and X2, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40. But the UX plays to its strength; it adheres to the upscale brand’s reputation with a well-appointed interior.
Lexus is among the few brands with a genuine but hard-to-quantify character. Sit in the SUV for the first time and you’re at home. It’s not overtly opulent, but well-built with high-quality materials and soft-touch surfaces. And on some mental level, the comfort may also feel slightly elevated since the UX has the lower entry price than its formidable rivals.
Every UX has an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot and four USB ports. Enhancements include a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, built-in navigation, wireless charging and a 10-speaker premium audio system.
Likewise, every 2024 Lexus UX comes equipped
Acceleration:
0-60 mph, 8.1 seconds
Airbags: 6
Fuel economy: 43 mpg/city, 41 mpg/ highway
Horsepower: 181
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $37,800
Price as tested: $41,645
Manufacturer’s website: lexus.com
Towing capacity: 11,000 pounds
Warranty:
Bumper to Bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles; Powertrain, 6 years/70,000 miles; Corrosion, 6 years/ unlimited mileage;
Complimentary Maintenance: 1 year/10,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 4 years/unlimited mileage
with the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 suite of driver assist and active safety features. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams and road sign recognition are key elements. An optional motion-sensing power tailgate ($550) is the only change from the last year’s model.
Other previous options remain: auto-dimming rearview mirror with a universal garage door opener ($175), a head-up display ($900), wireless device charging ($75), a moonroof ($1,100) and front and rear parking sensors ($565).
The Lexus UX interior space gets mixed ratings.
While front-seat passengers have more room than similarly seated occupants in the BMW X1 and Volvo XC40, the diminutive SUV earns its designation with limited cargo room whether the rear seats are up or down. It’s a tight squeeze for more than a few bags of groceries or two medium-sized carry-on suitcases.
Passenger seating designations in vehicles have
long been suspect throughout the industry. Two adults in the back seat of the UX is doable, but even medium-sized individuals have limited room. The car’s label as a five-seater is misleading.
But the space limitations are far from a dealbreaker. The little Lexus achieves more than 40 miles per gallon combined, rarified territory outside the electric
vehicle segment. As a Lexus, the UX 250h has terrific resale value. It’s also easy on the wallet, earning the segment’s Lowest 5-Year Cost to Own Award for 2023.
The 2024 model may get the same award, and it may snag other honors. It’s handsome inside and outside. Its fuel-sipping status is the best of its class. And it’s also the best small, entry-level luxury SUV available.
Lindsay Davenport and Bethanie Mattek-Sands took similar paths to get to the top of tennis differently. Davenport won doubles titles but primarily excelled in singles; Mattek-Sands has had success as a singles player but specializes in doubles. Both players developed their talents on the USTA Pro Circuit and became No. 1-ranked in the world.
The professional tennis platform debuted 45 years ago to showcase the sport and give players tournaments in which to gain professional ranking points. The concept worked in 1979, and it continues to advance with events such as the FineMark Women’s Pro Tennis Championship.
Now in its fifth year, the weeklong event will begin April 29 and continue through the singles and doubles finals May 5 at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs. It will be played on 18 HarTru clay courts, part of the club’s newly designed sports center.
The international program is the sport’s most prominent developmental circuit with about 100 events and $3 million in prize money; individual events offer between $15,000 and $125,000. The USTA Pro Circuit ad-
vances players to the U.S. Open and other international top-level tournaments via International Tennis Federation rankings.
FineMark National Bank & Trust, which was founded in 2007 in Fort Myers, has been the event’s title sponsor since its debut. The financial institution now has 11 locations in Florida, two in Arizona and one in South Carolina. Its location in Bonita Springs, just outside the gated Bonita Bay community’s entrance, was the impetus for the company’s involvement.
“It’s in the Bonita Bay lifestyle arena,” says Harlan Parrish, the executive vice president of the location that opened in 2015. “The residents, if they need to use the gym, go just outside of the gate and there’s a three-story building. There’s a spa on the left for your bodily health and a bank on the right for your financial health.”
Parrish cited the company’s association with the tournament as multipurpose, from name recognition to image to philanthropy.
“For all of those reasons, it just made sense to us,” Parrish says. “Our mission vision at the bank is to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
There are four legs to a stool and for us, the big one is community.”
The event’s charitable events are focused on financially assisting the Lee Health Regional Cancer Center in Coconut Point.
Of course, watching high-level tennis is also part of the synergy between business and sport.
Davenport, 47, brought the USATF and events such as this one additional prestige. A powerful and consistent groundstroke player, she retired in 2010 after a nearly 20-year pro career, having won more than 90 titles, including six major titles, and the singles gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She was ranked No. 1 in the world for nearly two years
FineMark Women’s Pro Tennis Championship, now in its fifth year, is a weeklong event that begins April 29 and continues through the singles and doubles finals May 5 at Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs.
and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.
Mattek-Sands, 38, sponsored by FineMark, has 28 career women’s doubles titles and several mixed doubles titles, and won the mixed doubles gold medal with partner Jack Sock in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The two women’s success stories mirror the future of other young pros, about 250 of whom will compete in
the FineMark event. The $100,000 tournament is billed with the tagline “Tennis Stars of Tomorrow,” but it also showcases established pros—Angelique Kerber to Sloane Stephens to Victoria Azarenka.
“We believe this tournament is an excellent way to showcase the future of women’s tennis,” says Paula Scheb, the director of sports at Bonita Bay Club, adding that “[Bonita Bay] feels by hosting this tournament it show-
cases tennis at its finest and develops relationships with our members.”
Within its short tenure, the championship has also added to Florida’s enduring status as one of tennis’ international hubs. Coco Gauff, a native of Delray Beach and the reigning U.S. Open women’s singles titlist, competed in the inaugural tournament in 2019. Previous winners include Kayla Day (2023), Gabriela Lee (2022), Katie Volynets (2021) and Lauren Davis (2019). The event was canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Famous tennis academies in Florida were founded by Jimmy Evert, the father of Chris Evert, Nick Bollettieri and Rick Macci, who coached Andy Roddick and Venus and Serena Williams, and Nick Saviano cultivated dozens of international professionals. Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Maria Sharapova spent plenty of practice hours at Bollettieri’s IMG Academy.
Day’s win last year continued her long ITF circuit success; she now has five titles and six runner-up finishes dating to her debut in Naples in 2016. After winning in Bonita Springs, Day advanced to the third round of the French Open in May, her career-best advancement in a major. She won again in ITF play in July in Granby, Canada. It elevated her to No. 94 in the world, her first appearance in the top 100 in several years.
It also provided another successful example of the symbiotic relationship between the developmental pro circuit and its players’ quests to reach the sport’s top level.
Stop sawing logs and get better sleep
By James RaiaDuring sleep, the vibration of respiratory structures can result in obstructed air movement. The sound may be soft or loud, soothing or unpleasant. It’s most commonly known as snoring.
Likely derived from the word snort, the condition was first commonly discussed as the sound made by horses and then of people who “breathe in sleep with a rough, hoarse noise.”
Etymology aside, snoring is the subject of jokes. It sometimes imperils domestic partnerships. It can be of little consequence, or lead to serious medical issues and death.
According to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the prominent institution headquartered in Baltimore, about 45% of adults in the United States periodically snore. About 25% snore regularly.
Common snoring can be annoying and inconvenient, and while it occurs for many reasons, it happens more often in overweight middle-aged men and postmenopausal women. It’s also often the result of nasal congestion or the shape of the mouth and throat.
Snoring is problematic for the 4% or so of adults who have obstructive sleep apnea. It’s when a snorer stops breathing, and it can occur hundreds of times per night. Sleep apnea is linked to heart disease and other health problems, and it requires treatment.
W. Chris Winter, MD, a neurologist in Roanoke, Virginia, is the author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It
“Although loud snores are a symptom of sleep apnea, a silent night doesn’t mean you don’t have it,” says Winter. “Just because you don’t snore does not mean
Approximately 45% of adults in the U.S. periodically snore while 25% snore regularly. About 4% of adults have obstructive sleep apnea when a snorer stops breathing. Sleep apnea is linked to heart disease, among other health problems.
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you do not have sleep apnea. If you are tired and sleep poorly, insist on a sleep study, even if you don’t look like a typical sleep apnea patient.”
Snoring and sleep apnea are generally categorized into three main types: light, infrequent snoring; primary snoring, which happens more than three nights per week; and snoring related to obstructive sleep apnea.
Potential sleep apnea sufferers who don’t snore should consider a medical evaluation if other issues are common: dry mouth upon waking up, morning headaches, choking or gasping during sleep and frequently waking at night to urinate.
Dr. Gene Sambataro, a dentist in Ellicott, Maryland, and a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, is the author of Stop the Snore: Dental Solutions for Healthy Sleep. He explains that excessive snoring can lead to teeth grinding. “Sleep apnea sufferers may awake with sensitive teeth or tight jaw muscles. It happens because the breathing airway is obstructed.” The National Sleep Foundation found that about one in four people with obstructive sleep apnea grinds their teeth at night.
Sleep apnea sufferers also can develop chronic issues that not only affect sleep quality but can lead to overall health problems, such as high blood pressure. Snoring also can be problematic in relationships, with partners negatively affecting each other’s sleep quality.
Diagnosing sleep apnea has become more convenient. Medical
office overnight sleep testing is the prevalent testing method, and it’s still often prescribed. However, many health care providers can diagnose sleep apnea using at-home testing by monitoring breathing and quality of sleep at night.
Several wearable products, including nasal strips, variously shaped mouthpieces and a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine, have helped snorers. Nasal strips, available over the counter and applied to the bridge of a snorer’s nose, can widen the airway and increase airflow. Wearing a mouthpiece tilts the lower jaw forward and moves throat tissues away from the airways. Custom-made mouthpieces are recommended for proper fit. A CPAP machine is often recommended for severe snorers or sleep apnea sufferers. The apparatus is a mask placed over the mouth and nose while sleeping that provides a continuous stream of air to keep airways open.
Surgery is required in the most severe cases—for example, if a snorer has a deviated septum, excess tissue or polyps or needs a jaw adjustment.
Many snoring problems can be resolved by common lifestyle modifications: changing your sleep position to adjust head elevation a few inches, eliminating alcohol before bedtime or quitting smoking. Maintaining a healthy weight and properly treating allergies also are beneficial for cutting down snoring, giving you—and everyone around—a better night’s sleep.
Jazz was born in New Orleans and its environs in the late 19th century. It rose out of the musical traditions of blues and ragtime, gaining in popularity across the United States and eventually the world. The music came to define an entire era—the Jazz Age—as the soundtrack for the excesses of the Roaring Twenties and the music played in speakeasies during Prohibition.
Improvisational, and deeply emotional, it was a music that spoke to the sometimestroubled soul of the nation.
The London Club in downtown Naples is an intimate dining and music venue inside The Claw Bar within the exquisite Bellasera Hotel. The club offers live music every evening and during Sunday brunch with a rotating list of musicians. Don’t miss Decyo McDuffie, a jazz vocalist whose style has been compared to Nat King Cole, and the talented Tessie Hornus singing jazz and blues.
Feel like heading farther afield? The state of Florida has a variety of outstanding jazz clubs, and Miami in particular is home to some of the most famous. We particularly love the live jazz inside South Beach’s The Betsy hotel. The vibe is upscale tropical, and the music is played by some of the top jazz performers around. Or stop by Lagniappe on the edge of the hip Wynwood neighborhood, a wine bar that feels like a New Orleans jazz parlor.
Cocktail poured, jazz album playing—all that’s missing is a good read. Our favorites? Toni Morrison’s Jazz , set in 1920s Harlem. Written the way jazz music is played, the novel is complex with an interwoven series of images, characters and events. We also love But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz , Geoff Dyer’s fictionalized examination of some of the music’s most legendary figures.
With his accounting and taxation master’s, Lutgert grad Luke Dockter brings critical analytical skills to a top U.S. accounting firm.
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The speakeasies of the Jazz Age produced some of the finest—and most enduring—cocktails in the drinking repertoire. We love a good French 75. Rumored to be named for a French 75-millimeter field gun, the cocktail is deceptively powerful. Mix one shot gin, 10 milliliters lemon juice and five milliliters simple syrup and pour into a coupe glass. Top with champagne and garnish with a twist of lemon.
We’re also fans of the Sidecar, another cocktail steeped in Jazz Age history. Some rumors claim it was created at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, a favorite destination for expats including Ernest Hemingway. Combine two shots of cognac, one shot of Cointreau, 25 milliliters of lemon juice and a teaspoon of simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Strain into a coupe glass.
If the vibe is more about staying at home than going out, try one of these not-tobe-missed jazz albums released last year: Continuing from drums virtuoso and MacArthur fellow Tyshawn Sorey; Dance of the Mystic Bliss from saxophonist Michael Blake and Chroma Nova; and Lean In from vocalist Gretchen Parlato and guitarist Lionel Loueke.
A century and counting in film and TV
By Justin PaprockiFrom Caddyshack to Scarface, Florida has a long history with the movie industry. While Central and South Florida have served as more prominent locales for film and television, Southwest Florida has had its moments on the big screen, too. You can see Fort Myers in movies including Just Cause and Day of the Dead. The Meryl Streep movie Adaptation is filmed extensively in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. For the making of Wind Across the Everglades, cast and crew (including a young Christopher Plummer and Peter Falk) stayed at the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City and filmed in Everglades National Park and Chokoloskee.
Florida has been an ideal place to film due to its warm weather. In fact, about 100 years ago, Jacksonville was considered the Winter Film Capital of the World. Kalem Studios established a Jacksonville presence in 1908, filming silent pictures. Shortly after, more than 30 studios
were shooting there, including the progressive Norman Studios, noted for its roles for Black actors that defied stereotypes at the time.
As the so-called “talkies” started to emerge, Jacksonville faded as a film hub. Shooting continued in the state, though, and more recently, Orlando has become a hub of film and television thanks to Disney, Nickelodeon and Universal Studios.
The state did offer various tax incentive programs between 2004 and 2016 to encourage film production in the state. But they weren’t renewed, and Florida has since been losing business to Georgia, Louisiana and other states that offer more lucrative enticements. That said, the film and television industry is responsible for close to 43,000 jobs in the state (compared to about 211,750 jobs in California) and about $3.6 billion in wages, according to the Motion Picture Association.
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