Health care is an incredibly demanding vocation. It’s based in science and benefits directly from technological advances, but also requires bottomless empathy and an emotional connection with patients whose spirits often need as much raising as their vital signs. Doctors must absorb all the knowledge they can about the incredible complexities of the human body, while constantly relearning what they know as new discoveries and treatments are developed. Nurses act as the primary contact for their patients, managing medication and information with grace and compassion. Both specialties require immense commitment, placing tremendous demands on the time and spirit of these professionals, who work in high-pressure situations where the stakes of mistakes are often literally life and death. And that’s during the best of times—the challenges are only compounded during such events as a destructive hurricane or a deadly pandemic, or social environments in which decades of expertise are ignored in favor of five-minute YouTube videos.
All of which is to say that the opportunity to recognize and honor local healers who excel at their calling is a pleasure as well as a privilege. We’re proud to introduce the 2024 Health Care Heroes beginning on p. 50. From the physician who spearheaded the construction of a proton therapy clinic for world-class cancer treatment to the team bringing free or reduced-cost care to underserved and underinsured residents to the dedicated volunteer working to maintain connections and share joy with members of her senior living center, these are inspirations who provide caring, curing and compassion on behalf of us all here in Southwest Florida.
The state of health care in our state is not ideal. As more people continue to move to Florida and our population increases in age, hospitals and care providers are increasingly dealing with physician and nurse shortages—Melanie Pagan looks at some of the contributing factors on p. 76—and tight capacity in emergency departments and inpatient facilities. There may be hope on the horizon in a package of state-level legislation known as “Live Healthy” laws, but as demanding as administering healing can be, the business of administrating it holds plenty of challenges of its own. Therese McDevitt spoke with leaders from four of the region’s largest health care systems—NCH, Physicians Regional, Healthcare Network and Lee Health—about their organizations’ priorities, difficulties and opportunities, and how Live Healthy legislation might offer some assistance. Get a look at these officials’ mindsets in “Charting Florida’s Health Care Future” on pg. 34.
We hope you’re in good health and spirits this month, and to any health care professionals who are reading this: Thank you.
