March 7, 2025- Cutting-edge medical research is happening every day at Lee Health, and now the Southwest Florida community has the chance to see it firsthand. On March 11, Lee Health physicians, residents, and healthcare professionals will present their latest research findings at the inaugural Lee Health Research Day at HealthPark Medical Center.
This milestone event—starting at 10 a.m.—will highlight the innovative work being done across the healthcare system, featuring 38 research projects from more than 130 researchers.
Attendees will explore a diverse range of studies through poster presentations, self-directed reviews, and oral sessions, including a spotlight on artificial intelligence in medicine.
Additionally, the event will feature presentations from Lee Health’s internal medicine and family medicine residency programs, pharmacy services, and a keynote address from the Lee Health Heart Institute.
From groundbreaking discoveries to advancements in patient care, Lee Health Research Day underscores the organization’s commitment to driving medical innovation and excellence in Southwest Florida.
Some presentation topics will include:
- Optimizing Women’s Health: A Quality Improvement Initiative to increase Breast Cancer Screening Rates with Dr. Ethan Ramirez, Dr. Mark Martin, and Dr. Catherine Scudlo
- Impact of COVID-19 in Pregnancy on Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes During the Delta Variant Period: A Comparison of the Delta and Pre-Delta Time Periods, 2020–2021 with Dr. Cherrie Morris, Dr. Harshit Doshi, and Dr. William Frank Liu
- Artificial Intelligence at Lee Health with Dr. William Carracino and Jonathan Witenko
- Keynote speech by Dr. Richard Chazal from the Heart Institute, which will include a presentation on the AI-aided CCTA study at Lee Health which is ongoing
- The Effects of Triaging Patients in an Acute Care Setting for Potential Physical Therapy Needs with Emily Hauff, PT, DPT; Paula Shulthiess, PT, DPT; David Brown, PT, DSc; Alison Hammergren, PT, MSPT
This year marks the 28th anniversary of Lee Health’s ongoing research efforts, culminating in the inaugural Lee Health Research Day.
“We are thrilled to share all of the innovative research happening across the health system with the community,” said Medical Director of Academics, Clinical Research and Personalized Medicine Dr. Elvin Mendez. “This research may result in the development of new treatments, a better understanding of disease, and improvement in our health policies. Lee Health also serves as an educational training environment for various health-related career paths, including medical students, nursing, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician extenders, and robust Internal Medicine and Family Medicine Residency Programs affiliated with Florida State University. Participation in clinical research and scholarly activities also helps prepare the next-generation to provide state-of-the-art and evidence-based care to the Southwest Florida community and beyond.”
For more information on Research Day, please visit https://www.leehealth.org/special-pages/lee-health-research-day.
HealthPark Medical Center is located at 9981 S. HealthPark Dr. in Fort Myers.
Posters and lectures will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the atrium and in the Sanibel and Captiva conference rooms.
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 non-profit, 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.
