Key group to hold health-care discussion

The prescription for a healthy Longboat Key has yet to be determined. But on Wednesday, April 27, the community is invited to a presentation entitled, “The Future of Health Care on Longboat Key,” organized by the Longboat Healthcare Committee, a board organized last summer by Dr. Pamela Letts for her Centre Shops Family Practice and Urgent Care.

Letts has discussed the difficulty of practicing medicine year-round on Longboat Key because of its seasonal fluctuations in population. Last summer, Letts, along with Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce President Tom Aposporos and Longboat Key Vice Mayor David Brenner visited the Boca Grande Health Clinic, which is subsidized by a nonprofit foundation, to examine whether a similar model could work on Longboat Key.

The Longboat Healthcare Committee is currently holding discussions with residents and business leaders to determine the viability of a community foundation.

“We’re just doing some small group meetings to explore whether they agree that this is an essential service on the island and whether they’re interested in that specific methodology of achieving it,” Letts said.
Members of the Longboat Healthcare Committee will speak at the meeting.

Brenner said that he recently attended a health-care meeting of about 20 residents and was pleased with the discussion.

According to Brenner, the group discussed the possibility of bringing all health-related services, such as dentistry, physical therapy and initiatives such as Longboat Island Chapel’s Aging in Paradise Resource Center, under one roof.

“The more you talk about the subject, you find that there’s a pretty broad base of services,” Brenner said.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]

IF YOU GO
‘The Future of Health Care on Longboat Key’
When: 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 27
Where: Christ Church of Longboat Key, Presbyterian, 595 Bay Isles Road, Suite 220