New medical offices abound

Medical specialists are in high demand in Bonita Springs and Estero and health-care professionals are doing all they can to get care to those who need it most.

The lack of chiropractors, arthritis specialists and pediatric oral surgeons is leading to an influx of medical practitioners opening offices throughout the area.

"I was in Cape Coral and ended up in Bonita Springs because of the new growth and the newness of the area," said Brian Olitsky, of Smile Design Studio. He moved to the area more than two years ago. "I could just tell from the growth ... and planning on this area to be a boom."

The boom Olitsky saw has continued over the years and so has his number of patients.

"I started from scratch ... and I now open four days a week, which is full time for us," said Olitsky about the office that was only open two days a week at the beginning.

Christopher Green saw a similar patient and area growth pattern when he moved to Estero from upstate New York.

"It was apparent that the area was growing and would continue ... being from upstate New York, you don't see things like that," said Green, of Chiropractic Care and Rehab Center. "I've seen a need for more providers for certain (insurance carriers)."

The need for health professionals has also spurred a growth in office spaces throughout the area.

At least, that's what Tiffany Luongo is seeing as she works to fill the medical offices on the north side of Corkscrew Road.

"We are starting to see a lot of specialists starting to fill in and I know that there is more needed," said Luongo, who is the sales and marketing director with Select Real Estate by Stephanie Miller.

"The Bonita Community Health Center, they were busting at the seams and it's obvious that there's need."

But the need will really be felt, said Orthodontist Maryann Kriger, as more and more doctors find office space and patients come out of the woodwork.

"I definitely feel like there are a lot of families moving in," said Kriger, of Kriger Orthodontics of Bonita Springs.

Kriger adds that dentists notice growth in an area because patients are more likely to see a dentist than a medical doctor.

"It was growing quite a bit before the drop in the real estate market, and although now it's slower, it's still growing," said Kriger who often has problems referring younger patients locally. "I think it's because Bonita is the unwanted stepchild in a sense ... it's not quite in Fort Myers and not quite in Naples."

That leaves areas such as Estero as well in shortages, she said.

Luckily, though, big retail shops are opening up and bringing more of everything to the area.

"Coconut Point Mall is doing a great job in terms of either bringing in new people because they open up shops ... or just people that are going (through the area) for the first time because there is a mall to go to," Kriger said.

But, the influx of seasonal residents doesn't do much in terms of the patient count.

"Although it's a transient area there is still a lot of full time residents," he said of his 500 patient practice. "This time of year a lot of people come out to see medical providers because its not season."

Luongo feels that part of the lack of specialists may be nothing more than just people waiting for the market to get better locally.

"The cautionary type of feeling in our area about seeing what happens before they move forward is going away," said Luongo who is seeing more and more of her office spaces being rented. "To spite the slow down, we have done really well and people are coming here anyway, so any practice can be successful."