The first proton therapy center on Florida\u2019s Gulf Coast is scheduled to break ground this summer on the northern edge of Estero in south Lee County with the first\u00a0cancer treatments available there\u00a0in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Southwest Florida\u00a0Proton will feature cutting-edge medical technology in a\u00a035,000-square-foot medical building to be built at 9961 Estero Oaks Drive,\u00a04.4 acres\u00a0on the northwest corner of Estero Parkway and Three Oaks Parkway.\u00a0\u201cThat site will be under full-blown construction within the next three months,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Dr. Arie\u00a0Dosoretz, a board-certified radiation oncologist who is helping to establish the local treatment center.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n The\u00a0more than $65 million center will elevate regional cancer care to the highest level,\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said\u00a0Thursday while revealing the project\u2019s site.\u00a0\u201cSouthwest Florida Proton will be a beacon for cancer care in Southwest Florida and beyond,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said. \u201cWe envision Southwest Florida Proton as a destination for cancer patients seeking the best cancer care, both from a patient-doctor relationship and a patient-technology standpoint.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation therapy<\/a> that uses charged proton particles to destroy cancer cells. Protons have the ability to travel\u00a0into\u00a0a tumor and not beyond it, which can reduce potential side effects and complications during and after cancer treatments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Proton therapy has proven to be an effective treatment option for cancers of the brain, spine, breast, esophagus, head and neck, liver, lung, eye, pancreas and prostate, as well as lymphomas and soft tissue sarcomas.\u00a0Studies have indicated that proton therapy can be a safer option for patients who have undergone prior radiation treatment and can reduce the long-term risks of radiation in pediatric cancer patients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n The vacant property at Estero Oaks was purchased last September for $3,274,000, Lee County property records show.\u00a0Dosoretz, a founding partner of\u00a0Fort Myers-based\u00a0Advocate Radiation Oncology,<\/a> has secured a team of private investors who will finance the purchase of complex medical equipment, construction costs and operation of the treatment center.\u00a0With the rising cost of supplies, materials\u00a0and the global supply chain issues, the project now exceeds $65 million,\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big investment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a lot of money but, at the end of the day, this is a demand-driven business that can support something like that. We don\u2019t look at this as some sort of\u00a0a gamble. First of all, there\u2019s a mission behind it and there\u2019s a reason to do it. But, second of all,\u00a0the economics\u00a0work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n At the center of Southwest Florida Proton will be\u00a0ProteusONE,\u00a0an innovative machine from Belgium-based\u00a0Ion Beam\u00a0Application (IBA)\u00a0that delivers the most clinically advanced form of proton radiation therapy for cancer care.\u00a0It was a\u00a0nine-month process to choose IBA and negotiate a contract,\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said.\u00a0The building, which\u00a0will\u00a0be staffed by about 30 employees, will also include diagnostic imaging capabilities, exam rooms and administrative offices.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very complex project,\u201d\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of know-how that's required. There\u2019s a lot of expertise. You can\u2019t just do this sort of willy-nilly. The technology\u2019s too complicated and the number of moving parts is too complicated to sort of halfway do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Project manager Ricardo\u00a0Andisco\u00a0of\u00a0Fort Myers-based Forum Construction and Consulting Inc. will be working with other companies such as Stantec and Goldstein-Milano to build the\u00a0center.\u00a0\u201cThese machines are like installing a rocket ship. They\u2019re enormous,\u201d\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said. \u201cThe machine itself is housed in a 5,000-square-foot room. It has to have all\u00a0sorts\u00a0of special connections in terms of plumbing, electricity, everything else, and so you can\u2019t just do this with a run-of-the-mill construction group. You need people who understand what\u2019s involved in these things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Most health insurance policies will cover proton therapy for cancer treatment, but a lot of variables are considered,\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cThere is a little bit of a case-by-case situation,\" he said. \u201cCancer is never one size fits all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n The National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT) lists 34 proton centers in the United States and three under development.\u00a0Southwest Florida patients seeking proton therapy now must\u00a0travel across the state to receive this type of treatment, so the\u00a0service\u00a0is needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \u201cHere, we have one of densest populations of cancer in the country and we don\u2019t have a proton machine, at best, within two-and-a-half hours. So, it\u2019s not reasonable for people in this community to not have access to this,\u201d\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n The region\u2019s medical tourism\u00a0is also\u00a0expected to experience a boost with the addition of\u00a0Southwest Florida Proton.\u00a0\u201cThe cancer community is extremely well-informed, and patients travel near and far to be treated by the nation\u2019s top doctors,\u201d\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said. \u201cThe Estero location is convenient for residents of Southwest Florida, but its proximity to the airport, hotels, restaurants and attractions makes it appealing to out-of-state patients who can enjoy the region\u2019s assets while undergoing treatment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Southwest Florida Proton will work in association with the existing\u00a0Advocate Radiation Oncology to offer\u00a0convenient,\u00a0world-class radiation treatments to\u00a0patients,\u00a0Dosoretz\u00a0said. Since the launch of its first center in 2019 in Port Charlotte,\u00a0Advocate\u00a0now has seven offices in South Florida with several additional locations under development.\u00a0\u201cHonestly, I think there\u2019s a lot of good doctors around the country, around the world, who know how to do radiation,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, in our\u00a0area,\u00a0I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anybody better than us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n When Dr. Kiran Gill left an established plastic surgery office to launch her own boutique practice, she took what she calls \u201ca leap of faith.\u201d That was in 2018, and in four years she hasn\u2019t regretted the decision. \u201cI love being my own boss,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s hard work for anybody to own their own business, but it\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Like many women\u2014especially women entrepreneurs\u2014Gill occupies multiple roles as she moves throughout her day. She\u2019s a surgeon, helping her patients achieve their aesthetic goals. She\u2019s the owner of a busy medical practice, which takes time outside her clinical duties. And at home she\u2019s a wife and mother, which she calls \u201ca full-time job, despite the great help my husband gives me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Still, she\u2019s able to laugh at life\u2019s impossible moments, like when her son asked why his school art project wasn\u2019t spectacular. \u201cEveryone else\u2019s pumpkin was 3-D,\u201d he said. \u201cAll we did was paint it.\u201d In times such as these, Gill reaches out to her own mother, also a physician. Her mother just gives her a wry smile. \u201cNow you know how I felt,\u201d she says. Even with superhuman abilities, Gill admits that no one can do everything \u2026 but she\u2019s giving it her best shot. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of juggling, but I\u2019m never comfortable sitting still.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Since launching her boutique surgery practice in 2018, Gill has expanded her office, adding two more surgeons to her roster. She\u2019s changed the name of her business from Aesthetics in Plastic Surgery by Kiran Gill to the Naples Aesthetic Institute Boutique Plastic Surgery and Skin Spa. And last year, she launched her own medical-grade skincare line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n As a woman who owns a business in aesthetics, Gill brings a special skillset to her practice. Most of her client base is female, and she can relate to their concerns around their changing and evolving bodies. \u201cI\u2019m growing with my patients,\u201d she says, \u201cand there are things I intimately understand\u201d\u2014such as having children and what it does to the female body. \u201cI used to be a Division I athlete. Then I had three kids.\u201d She confides, \u201cI\u2019ve had a tummy tuck. I know what it did for me and how it made me feel.\u201d She shares this knowledge with the women who come to her practice, and her vulnerability and honesty ultimately make her a stronger businesswoman.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"The business of beauty: Kiran Gill runs SWFL\u2019s only female-owned boutique plastic surgery center","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-business-of-beauty-kiran-gill-runs-swfls-only-female-owned-boutique-plastic-surgery-center","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-04-26 14:48:20","post_modified_gmt":"2022-04-26 18:48:20","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.gulfshorebusiness.com\/?p=25634","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":25240,"post_author":"433","post_date":"2022-04-04 14:19:51","post_date_gmt":"2022-04-04 18:19:51","post_content":" \u201cI have a lot of snowbirds in Naples,\"\u00a0White-Steensma said.\u00a0Among the clients\u00a0who are happy to see\u00a0her bring\u00a0Healix\u00a0to Naples are\u00a0John and Karley Morgan, who have a Grand Rapids residence as well as a condominium at a Naples country club.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re big\u00a0Healix\u00a0supporters,\u201d said John Morgan, no relation to the ubiquitous founder of the\u00a0Morgan & Morgan law firm with the same name.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Healix\u00a0sets itself apart by specializing in\u00a0fascial\u00a0stretch therapy, which has nothing to do with faces and everything to do with fascia.\u00a0\u201cMost people do not know what fascia is in the body. It\u2019s the connective tissue and cobweb-like network that runs throughout the body,\" said\u00a0White-Steensma, who has more than\u00a025 years of experience helping people\u00a0with physique goals. \u201cIf your fascia is tight, that causes pain in the body.\u00a0Stretching\u00a0helps set the body free.\u00a0It\u00a0just\u00a0opens\u00a0everything up.\u00a0You get\u00a0immediate\u00a0results with fascial\u00a0stretch\u00a0therapy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Benefits of the table-based assisted\u00a0fascial\u00a0stretch\u00a0therapy can include\u00a0pain reduction,\u00a0improved circulation,\u00a0rehabilitation,\u00a0anti-aging,\u00a0preventative injury,\u00a0sports performance and\u00a0weight loss,\u00a0Healix\u00a0reports.\u00a0The wellness business also offers personal training for people who have\u00a0sports-specific issues, are trying to lose weight or want to stabilize joint\u00a0replacement. The third prong in\u00a0Healix\u2019s\u00a0stretch-train-nourish services provides clients\u00a0education about personal\u00a0nutrition\u00a0plans.\u00a0\u201cEverything\u00a0is\u00a0custom\u00a0to each\u00a0individual,\"\u00a0White-Steensma said. \u201cAt\u00a0Healix,\u00a0we meet clients where they\u2019re at.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n Healix\u00a0Naples will have at least 10\u00a0trained practitioners to work in eight treatment rooms and a large physical therapy\u00a0training\u00a0room.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n At\u00a0age 76 and 73, respectively, John and Karley Morgan have stretch therapy\u00a0at\u00a0Healix\u00a0at least every other week. \u201cThey push your stretch until you become more flexible,\" Mr. Morgan said. \u201cI think it\u2019s really good for everybody, but people over 65 should do this as much as you can. It\u2019s made a difference in my energy levels, my\u00a0flexibility\u00a0and all kinds of things. My turn in golf is better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Morgan didn\u2019t say Healix improved his golf game exactly. \u201cNothing really will help my golf game,\" he joked. \u201cIt helps me get to as much of a full turn as I can do, back and through.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n The Morgans are\u00a0not necessarily typical senior citizens, because they have been working out for at least 40 years, but they have\u00a0noticed\u00a0the difference since they started seeing\u00a0White-Steensma\u00a0about five years ago. Their\u00a0teenage grandson was even able to improve his lacrosse game when he started the stretching regimen, Morgan said. \u201cSo,\u00a0it works for\u00a0young\u00a0athletes\u00a0as well,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Stretching helps one feel younger and the\u00a0<\/span>therapy is individualized depending on goals and restrictions, said\u00a0<\/span>Robbin\u00a0Aliot,\u00a0a licensed massage therapist as well as a\u00a0fascial stretch therapist and\u00a0a physical therapist assistant at\u00a0Healix\u00a0Naples. \u201c<\/span>All your emotions lie in your fascia.\u00a0So,\u00a0when you do a fascia stretch it helps\u00a0you feel better,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are going to be your new best friend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","post_title":"Healix follows seasonal residents from Michigan to Naples","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"healix-follows-seasonal-residents-from-michigan-to-naples","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-04-04 14:19:51","post_modified_gmt":"2022-04-04 18:19:51","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.gulfshorebusiness.com\/?p=25240","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_14"};
Development surrounding the Punta Gorda Airport continues to grow with 2.5 million square feet already developed and 1.5 million square... Collier County is seeking developers’ proposals for multifamily developments with affordable and workforce housing that can be considered for local... A delay of at least a year in finishing the Southwest Florida International Airport terminal expansion construction project prompted elected... At a May 15 meeting, Punta Gorda City Council unanimously denied the request of Fishermen’s Village representatives to extend the... When Hurricane Ian savaged Wonder Gardens, the roadside attraction that has stood for nearly nine decades along Old U.S. 41,... Copyright ©2022 Gulfshore Business\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.gulfshorebusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Dr.-Arie-Dosoretz-200x300.jpg\")
Dr. Arie Dosoretz[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","post_title":"Proton therapy center targets SWFL location near Estero","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"proton-therapy-center-targets-swfl-location-near-estero","to_ping":"","pinged":"https:\/\/www.gulfshorebusiness.com\/advanced-treatment-expanded-access\/\nhttps:\/\/www.gulfshorebusiness.com\/designed-for-a-sense-of-hope-advocate-radiation-oncologys-comfort-creating-office\/","post_modified":"2022-05-27 14:46:43","post_modified_gmt":"2022-05-27 18:46:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.gulfshorebusiness.com\/?p=26177","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":25634,"post_author":"438","post_date":"2022-05-01 05:54:37","post_date_gmt":"2022-05-01 09:54:37","post_content":"
\r\n\r\nSeveral winter residents of Naples who live part of the year in western Michigan convinced the owner of a wellness center based there to open a second location in the Naples area.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\nHealix\u00a0founder and\u00a0CEO\u00a0Rebecca \u201cBecky\u201d White-Steensma now has a home where she launched her wellness business in Grand Rapids, as well as a second one in Naples, where her second\u00a0Healix\u00a0location is targeted to open\u00a0next week.\u00a0<\/span>Healix\u00a0provides fascial stretch therapy,\u00a0personal training,\u00a0massage therapy and other wellness services to clients of all ages.\u00a0<\/span>Healix\u00a0Naples is set to open Monday\u00a0in a multiunit retail space next to the new Three60 Wine shop\u00a0at 8100 Trail Blvd. in North Naples.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Morgans have been\u00a0Florida residents for more than two decades and\u00a0loyal clients of\u00a0Healix\u00a0for years.\u00a0\u201cThey knew we were here [in Naples] and we would complain a little bit that we didn\u2019t get a\u00a0Healix-type\u00a0stretch,\u00a0which\u00a0is a\u00a0<\/span>fascial<\/span>\u00a0stretch,\u00a0when we are here,\u201d Mr. Morgan said. Other clients of\u00a0Healix\u00a0Center in Michigan have seasonal homes in Naples communities such as\u00a0<\/span>Pelican Bay and Bay Colony.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nLast April,\u00a0Healix\u00a02.0 LLC\u00a0leased a 3,927-square-foot retail space in North Naples.\u00a0Tony Mangione of Trinity Commercial Group represented the tenant, while\u00a0Rob Carroll of Investment Properties Corp.\u00a0represented the landlord, who also owns and operates the adjacent Tide Cleaners franchise. Duke and Jonathan\u00a0Kassolis\u00a0of Consolidated Cleaners Inc. redeveloped the space along the eastern edge of U.S. 41 North just south of Vanderbilt Beach Road. The site formerly was home to the Guadalupe Resale &\u00a0Consignment\u00a0Shop and Designer\u2019s Mart.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
GET SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S BEST VIEW OF BUSINESS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.
You May Also Like
New construction, business growth continues near Punta Gorda Airport
Collier County seeks workforce housing proposals
Port Authority, Lee County to work together on terminal expansion project
Punta Gorda City Council denies extension to Fishermen’s Village receiver
Wonder Gardens set for $10M upgrade
