Lee Health is launching a lawsuit to keep children's healthcare accessible on the Gulf Coast, specifically in Lee and Collier counties.
A Miami-based children's hospital is allegedly trying to remove Lee Health from the Golisano Children's Health Center in Naples, located at the corner of Pine Ridge Road and Livingston Road.
"This part here is just so convenient. It's such a small office that it's like our second family," said Caitlin Hall.
Moms like Hall need Golisano Children's Health Center in Naples. Her daughter Addie is 6 years old and has had leukemia for half her life.
This legal battle may force the Golisano Children's Health Center in Naples to close, potentially leaving Collier County's most vulnerable children without essential health care.
"Our families are shocked. They're scared because suddenly they are thinking, I'm not going to get the care I need," said pediatric oncologist Emad Salman.
The threat to end the lease by next Friday, April 4, comes as the property owners of Miami-based Nicklaus Children's Hospital allegedly refuse to recognize Lee Health's lease after it transitioned to a private nonprofit last fall.
Nicklaus shared the following statement with Gulf Coast News:
"We are disappointed Lee Health has chosen to take unnecessary legal action against our organization... Despite our attempts to work amicably on the lease transition."
Since the switch, Lee Health has been able to expand care outside of Lee County and partner with more doctors, clinics, and other health care facilities.
The Naples Golisano Children's Health Center offers a wide range of services, including cardiology, oncology, urgent care, and therapies for children with autism.
Lee Health said that in just the last year, the urgent care system has treated more than 20,000 children. This facility is where some families come for specialized treatments for their children who have cancer or chronic illnesses.
If the center shuts down, families would be forced to travel outside of Collier County to get their children the care they need.
"We are going to fight this because we believe it's the right thing to do for our families and our children," Salman said.
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