Healthy Lee, a community collaborative dedicated to improving health and wellness across Lee County, announces a transformative partnership with Collaboratory to integrate into the regional Health and Wellness Coalition. These two coalitions, working side by side, focused on improving community health and wellness from a broad perspective, are coming together to deepen the impact on the region, build on leadership, successes and collective momentum, and drive projects and partnerships that advance our communities. Lee Health, long the backbone organization of Healthy Lee, strongly supports the integration with Collaboratory in building a coalition to improve the health and wellness of our Southwest Florida region. This groundbreaking collaboration marks a significant milestone in the journey toward expanding the promotion of health and wellness across our region.
Lee Health and Collaboratory have a shared commitment to fostering healthier communities, which makes Lee Health confident in transitioning backbone support to the Collaboratory and integrating Healthy Lee activities with that of the Health and Wellness Coalition. This strategic move represents a unified effort to leverage community resources, expertise and innovative approaches to empower individuals, families and organizations to advocate for and lead healthier lifestyles.
“Healthy Lee has long championed the power of collaboration in fostering a culture of well-being throughout our community,” says Gary Griffin, president and CEO of B&I Contractors, chair of Healthy Lee. “We understand the health needs of our community are not unique to any one county, so we need to think about regional solutions that ensure alignment and best practices dedicated to improving community health and wellness. Our community is increasingly connected, and health and wellness issues don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries, so this partnership with Collaboratory represents a critical step forward. By uniting our efforts and expertise, we can create a more streamlined, impactful approach to health and wellness initiatives. Together, we’ll empower individuals and families with the resources and knowledge they need to lead healthier lives, ultimately building a stronger, healthier Southwest Florida.”
“We are proud to see this collaborative journey deepen through the capacity-building resources and support of the Collaboratory,” said Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA, president and CEO of Lee Health. “Together, Healthy Lee and Collaboratory will amplify our impact, broaden our reach and inspire positive change in the lives of our neighbors. We are grateful to the many community leaders and organizations who have made Healthy Lee successful for the past 17 years. Given the progress that’s been made, now is an opportune time to integrate Healthy Lee with the regional coalition. The convergence will provide a strong platform for greater impact in the broader community, and we are excited to see it expand.”
The integration of Healthy Lee into Collaboratory’s regional Health and Wellness Coalition will enable both organizations to streamline efforts, enhance program offerings and maximize community engagement. By aligning missions and leveraging synergies, Healthy Lee and Collaboratory aim to create a dynamic ecosystem of wellness initiatives that address the diverse needs of our population.
“We are excited to welcome Healthy Lee into our coalition,” said Dawn Belamarich, president and CEO of Collaboratory. “Healthy Lee has been very beneficial to our region, providing for collaborative advancement resulting in infrastructure expansion in mental health, access to healthcare, improvements in community health outcomes and providing a platform for community collaboration and engagement. Increasing business, governmental, and nonprofit leadership engagement will benefit our regional community. This collaboration exemplifies our shared vision of building a healthier, happier community through collective action.”
As the alliance unfolds, the community can look forward to the unveiling of new initiatives, programs and resources designed to empower individuals and organizations to prioritize their health and well-being. Together, the Health and Wellness Coalition will embark on a transformative journey toward creating a culture of wellness that thrives for generations to come.
To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.collaboratory.org.
About Healthy Lee
A community collaboration to promote health and wellness in Lee County, Florida, Healthy Lee encourages broad community-wide healthy lifestyle choices through the “Choose. Commit. Change” message and public initiatives. Healthy Lee also targets specific health issues in the community through outreach and intervention programs. Guided by Lee County businesses, organizations, and agencies, including healthcare providers, Healthy Lee is nationally recognized and awarded for building collaborative partnerships and providing resources, tools, and knowledge to empower the community to make exercise, nutrition, and wellness a priority. Visit www.HealthyLee.com to learn how to get involved and register for the Healthy Lee health news and tips email.
About Lee Health
Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A nonprofit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living, and maintaining good health. Health care services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.
About The Health and Wellness Coalition
The Health and Wellness Coalition is a dynamic alliance of community partners dedicated to advancing health and wellness initiatives across the region. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and collective action, the Health and Wellness Coalition aims to create a culture of health that empowers individuals and communities to thrive. To learn more and get involved call 239-274-5900 or visit https://collaboratory.org/join-a-coalition/
About Collaboratory
Collaboratory is committed to coordinating the solving of all of Southwest Florida’s social problems on an 18-year deadline including homelessness, poverty, mental illness, racism, illiteracy and more. We plan to do this with the entire community working together including people of all ages, colors, beliefs and imaginations across all five counties. We’re committed to coordinating all of this on a massive scale, in the way NASA coordinated the hundreds of thousands of businesses, universities, institutions and people to get us to the moon in nine years. We’re not oblivious to people saying this is ridiculous, insane and crazy but we’re driven by the inspiration of all those great figures in history who have come before us to achieve things no one ever thought remotely possible. Steve Jobs’ observation sums it up for us: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” We’re building the largest, most democratized living laboratory for community problem-solving in history.
Collaboratory was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. It has made over $96 million in grants since then and is home to more than 650 philanthropic funds. It is upon that legacy of a commitment to community we plan to fulfill on that mission at the level of its greatest expression. As Collaboratory, we will finish what we started. To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.collaboratory.org.
