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Friday, Aug. 20
Video courtesy of WINK News
DELAYS IN ELECTIVE PROCEDURES COULD CAUSE HEALTH CARE COSTS TO SKYROCKET
Hospitals across the country are nearing capacity, forcing tough decisions to be made when it comes to prioritizing operations. Some health care groups such as Lee Health are delaying or limiting some elective procedures to deal with the rising cases of COVID-19. The delay in procedures could cause out-of-pocket costs to skyrocket for individuals, especially because some patients strategically plan their operation, often first spending their medical deductible before going under the knife. Jon Hess with Athos Health said if patients are forced to wait until after their benefits reset, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars out of their pocket, WINK News reports.
Thursday, Aug. 19
Video courtesy of WINK News
STATE SAYS MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT SITE SLATED FOR LEE COUNTY
A coronavirus treatment plan is on its way to Southwest Florida. Lee County confirmed this week that Florida Division of Emergency Management is planning a monoclonal antibody treatment site in the county. The monoclonal antibody treatment is aimed to keep people out of the hospital by building antibodies for COVID-19 quickly. Gov. Ron DeSantis is going all in on monoclonal antibody treatments, opening clinics in Orlando and Jacksonville, as well. The location of the clinic in Lee County is yet to be determined, but the state hopes to have it up and running soon, WINK News reports.
Wednesday, Aug. 18
DEMOLITION PROCESS BEGINS FOR MARGARITAVILLE RESORT IN FORT MYERS BEACH
Preliminary demolition work started Monday on Margaritaville Beach Resort in Fort Myers Beach, said Joel Finley, vice president of capital projects for TPI Hospitality, the developer of the 254-room resort. While heavy demolition of 12 buildings on 7 acres along Estero Boulevard and Crescent Street will begin later this month, Finley said the abatement period is underway to safely remove hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead from the old structures. Demolition is expected to take two months by Honc Destruction, which began its work beachside with the former Pierview Hotel & Suites and surrounding buildings. DeAngelis Diamond will build the new four-story beach resort, which will include two beachside restaurants, a 22,000-square-
Tuesday, Aug. 17
LEE HEALTH HOSTING VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT COVID-19
Lee Health wants to increase public awareness about the delta variant so it will be holding a virtual town hall, “COVID-19 Update: What You Need to Know,” at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24. The Facebook Live will be interactive and will give viewers a chance to ask questions to a panel of Lee Health medical experts. The panel will include Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA, president and CEO of Lee Health, Stephanie Stovall, M.D., pediatric infectious diseases specialist, interim chief of Quality & Patient Safety; and moderator Lindsey Morton, creative services manager, Lee Health. The town hall will be viewable on Lee Health’s Facebook page or website.
Monday, Aug. 16
U.S. CENSUS SHOWS SWFL INCREASED POPULATION, DIVERSITY SINCE 2010
The first detailed information released from the 2020 Census shows that Southwest Florida’s population is rapidly growing and changing. Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties gained more than 220,000 total residents from 2010 to 2020 and has a combined population of more than 1.3 million people. Lee grew about 23%, gaining 142,000 residents; Collier and Charlotte each grew nearly 17%, adding more than 54,000 and nearly 27,000 people, respectively. Data shows the region also becoming more diverse. The share of non-white residents in Lee and Collier nearly doubled from 17% to 31%. Charlotte County’s share jumped from 10% to 16%. The Hispanic or Latino population now comprise
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