Lee Memorial physicians earn national awards

COURTESY PHOTO Twenty-four Lee Memorial Health System physicians, including Dr. John Donaldson, chairman of the Lee Memorial board of directors, were honored recently as Best Doctors in America 2007-2008 by Best Doctors, Inc.

Best Doctors are selected based on peerreview, meaning physicians submit surveys about their colleagues to a selection committee. Florida ranks 4th in the U.S. for the total Best Doctors per state.

"I'm not surprised that two dozen of our talented physicians have earned this award. They work hard, day and night, for their patients, their community and the health system," said Donaldson, a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist.

The Lee health system has been making strides in recent years to add more clinical input into the day-to-day operations of the system.

In addition to Dr. Donaldson's position as Chair of the Board of Directors, the system has also created a Physician Leadership Council that is co-chaired by two LMHS physicians, Dr. Thomas Presbrey, a diagnostic radiologist, and Dr. Charlie Bisbee, an anesthesiologist. The council works directly with the board to address physician concerns and to provide a system-wide stan- dard for quality. The system is also working to assign at least one physician representative to board committees related to quality, education and planning to ensure greater clinical involvement.

Dr. John D. Donaldson Physician input has been sought on most of the problems facing the delivery of health care in Southwest Florida. Currently, the PLC has appointed Task Forces on Emergency Care and Facilities Planning to give the Board of Directors

direct input from clinicians as to the future of medicine in Lee County.

LMHS recently appointed Dr. Larry Antonucci, an obstetrics gynecologist, as the Chief Administrative Officer for Cape Coral Hospital, and Dr. Erick Burton, a cardiologist, is serving as President of the Lee County Medical Society. Dr. Burton was also heavily involved in LMHS's Community Health Visions: 2017 initiative, which gave more than 4,000 community members a chance to tell the system how they would like health care to be shaped in Lee County during the next decade.

"Our nation is at a tipping point right now when it comes to the delivery and financing of health care. LMHS wants to be one step ahead of the game by giving physicians a voice and taking their advice to provide the best possible health care to our patients, family members and the community," Donaldson said. "We need each other in order to overcome the continuous obstacles placed in our path by regulators and government".

Best Doctors was founded as a way to recognize the most highly qualified specialists in their fields, so that patients could one-stop-shop for healthcare services from the best of the best.