Miami-based Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has paused its effort to evict Lee Health from the Golisano Children’s Health Center in Naples, Fla., providing a temporary reprieve in a high-stakes dispute that threatened access to pediatric care for tens of thousands of families in Collier County.
The development comes just days before Fort Meyers, Fla.-based Lee Health was set to vacate the facility under a notice from Nicklaus Children’s. Lee Health had filed a lawsuit in mid-March seeking to block the eviction, arguing that it jeopardized continuity of care for the roughly 65,000 pediatric patients the center serves annually across more than 20 specialties.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, Lee Health expressed relief over the decision to halt the eviction, originally scheduled for April 4.
“This decision ensures that thousands of families can continue to receive the specialized care they depend on, without immediate interruption,” the system said. “We appreciate Miami-based Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for recognizing Golisano Children’s Health Center’s vital role in providing healthcare services to thousands of families during their most vulnerable times.”
The dispute centers around a complex lease arrangement and organizational changes.
Lee Health has operated the Naples facility since 2011, partnering with what was then Miami Children’s Hospital (now Nicklaus Children’s) to expand pediatric access in the region. The current location — a larger site the organizations jointly invested $1.4 million to build out — opened in 2016. Though Nicklaus Children’s holds the master lease, it exited operations in 2019, leaving Lee Health as the sole provider of care and leaseholder since then.
In March, Nicklaus Children’s moved to terminate the lease and reclaim the building, asserting that Lee Health’s conversion to a private nonprofit in 2023 nullified the existing lease agreement. Lee Health disputes that claim, stating it was caught off guard by the eviction notice delivered March 11.
“We have had zero presence from Nicklaus Children’s in this building since 2019,” Emad Salman, MD, chief physician executive at Lee Health, told Becker’s. “We have continued to pay the lease and invest in the facility to ensure children in this community receive the care they need.”
Lee Health said it has invested over $5.4 million in site improvements and fears the loss of the facility would force families to travel to Lee County for services like pediatric cardiology, oncology and neurology.
Nicklaus Children’s maintains it provided ample notice — nearly six months — and has made multiple attempts to coordinate a smooth transition. It expressed disappointment over Lee Health’s legal action.
“Their decision will unnecessarily divert limited nonprofit resources that should be directed toward providing care for children in need,” a Nicklaus Children’s spokesperson told Becker’s. “Progress can only be made through dialogue and cooperation.”
With the eviction now paused, both parties appear to be stepping back from immediate confrontation — but the broader conflict remains unresolved.
Lee Health emphasized the need for a long-term solution that protects access for Collier County families.
“While this reprieve allows us to continue our mission in the short term, we remain deeply concerned about the potential for future disruptions that could put our patients at risk,” Lee Health said in a statement provided to Becker’s. “We are committed to working with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to find a collaborative path forward that ensures Golisano Children’s Health Center in Naples remains a cornerstone of pediatric health.”
Both health systems have reaffirmed their commitment to pediatric care in the region, but the ultimate fate of the facility — and the legal battle surrounding it — remains uncertain.
