Contribution will fund a full-time behavioral health professional for the Dunbar community
June 12, 2025– Lee Health Foundation has received a $180,000 gift from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to advance mental healthcare at the Golisano Pediatric Clinic at Franklin Park Elementary School.
This contribution will fund a full-time pediatric behavioral health professional dedicated to serving students and families in the Dunbar community of Fort Myers. Once hired, the clinician will work on-site at the clinic and join the broader Pediatric Behavioral Health team led by Dr. Jason Sabo and Adam VanHara. This expanded care team will help meet growing behavioral health needs and reinforce a coordinated model of pediatric support.
“We are grateful to Suncoast Credit Union for this generous gift to provide the children of Southwest Florida with increased access to mental health services,” said Angie Frink-Bristow, APRN, CLC, who currently practices at the clinic. “This support will help them surpass boundaries, exceed expectations, and fulfill their dreams.”
This funding builds upon an established 19-year philanthropic partnership between Suncoast Credit Union and Lee Health Foundation and supports a shared vision for healthier futures through local collaboration.
In late 2024, Lee Health opened the Golisano Pediatric Clinic on the Franklin Park campus in partnership with United Way and the Lee County School District. The clinic currently offers sick visits, well-being checks, immunizations, and other critical services to the surrounding Dunbar community.
The newly funded mental health role is a natural extension of the Community Partnership School model, which integrates expanded learning, health and wellness, family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership. Together, these pillars help eliminate barriers to student success, such as poverty, access to care, and food insecurity.
Suncoast Credit Union, Florida’s largest credit union, founded the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to promote the education, health and emotional well-being of children in the community. Each time a Suncoast member uses their debit or credit card; the credit union donates two cents to the Foundation to fund local initiatives. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has raised and donated more than $45 million.
“It is part of our credit union DNA to engage with the communities we serve and being the financial bridge for projects that contribute to the life of a child is an investment we are proud to make,” said Kevin Johnson, President and CEO of Suncoast Credit Union. “We cannot underestimate the need for qualified mental health care for our next generation and this partnership offers compassionate and meaningful interaction.”
Lee Health and its partners remain committed to building a healthier Southwest Florida, one student and one school at a time. To learn more about how you can support school-based wellness initiatives through Lee Health Foundation, visit LeeHealthFoundation.org.
About Lee Health Foundation
Lee Health Foundation raises philanthropic support on behalf of community-focused nonprofit Lee Health to establish, expand, and enhance lifesaving and preventive programs in Southwest Florida. Contributions to the Foundation benefit all five Lee Health hospitals, including Golisano Children’s Hospital and the future Lee Health Fort Myers campus, as well as key service areas such as Lee Health Cancer Institute, Lee Health Coconut Point, Lee Health Heart Institute, Community Health Clinics, Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Golisano Children’s Health Center in Naples and the Pediatric Specialty Clinic in Port Charlotte. In the past year, the Foundation provided more than $27 million in funding to enhance patient care throughout the region. Please visit LeeHealthFoundation.org or call 239-343-6950 for more information about the role of Lee Health philanthropy in Southwest Florida.
About Suncoast Credit Union
Suncoast Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, the 8th largest in the United States based on membership, and the 10th largest in the United States based on its $18.5 billion in assets. Chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast Credit Union currently operates 78 full-service branches and serves more than 1.2 million members across Florida. As a community credit union, anyone who lives, works, attends school, or worships in Suncoast Credit Union’s service area is eligible for membership. In 2021, Suncoast Credit Union’s field of membership was expanded to include public K-12 teachers, college educators, and educational support staff from all of Florida’s 67 counties. Suncoast is passionate about community support. Since its founding in 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has raised and donated more than $45 million to organizations and initiatives that support the health, education, and emotional well-being of children in the communities that the credit union serves. For more information, visit Suncoast.com.
