The community has rallied to support Lee Health employees through the SWFL Stronger Together campaign, raising funds for the Lee Health Employee Relief Fund and helping with immediate post-storm needs.

Since the fund was started after the storm, the community has raised $1.2 million to support many of the 15,000 healthcare workers who provided lifesaving care for their community, working through the storm even as it impacted their own families. The initial impact of donations has included working with the United Way for housing, gift cards, clothing, food, utilities, etc., extended childcare, free Lyft rides, deductibles for damaged vehicles, free telehealth, and mental health support.

“We will keep showing up for our community every day,” says Carly Majewskiu, nurse manager for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Golisano Children’s Hospital, who after the storm passed, helped evacuate 62 babies to other hospitals within 32 hours, with another 10 sent home with their families. “We could not be more grateful that our community is helping us now.”

Lee Health is the largest employer in Lee County, with more than 15,000 employees, many of them personally impacted by Hurricane Ian. Donations are still needed for ongoing support into 2023 that will include legal assistance, mental health resiliency, support with finances/taxes, and more.

Sabrina Gorton, nurse manager at the emergency department at HealthPark Medical Center says working through Hurricane Ian was one of the toughest experiences she ever faced.

“We live here, we work here, we have kids here and we are not immune to the devastation the community is feeling,” Gorton said. “Our team members had to work through the hurricane, adapting to unforeseen challenges. I am proud of our fantastic healthcare team for facing this challenging situation head on. Not one person hesitated in providing compassionate care to our patients. Everyone went above and beyond.”

To learn more about how Lee Health staff was impacted by the storm and to donate, visit swfltogether.org.

About Lee Health Foundation

Lee Health Foundation raises philanthropic dollars on behalf of Lee Health including Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, HealthPark Medical Center, Lee Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. The Foundation provides financial support for many service areas including the Lee Health Regional Cancer Center, Lee Health Coconut Point, The Rehabilitation Hospital, Shipley Cardiothoracic Center, Community Health Clinics and Golisano Children’s Hospital Specialty Clinics in both Charlotte and Naples. For more information, please visit LeeHealthFoundation.org.