Fort Myers

Relocation Information

Education

Southwest Florida boasts 117 public schools with more than 85,964 students enrolled during the 2000-2001 calendar year. All public schools are accredited by both the Southern Association of Colleges and schools and by the Florida Department of Education. Several schools have been recognized both statewide as well as nationally. Southwest Florida is particularly proud of the Area Vocational-Technical Schools, which cater to the demands of local business and industry. Edison Community College offers Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Arts degrees. The University of South Florida at Fort Myers offers junior and senior courses leading to Bachelor's degrees and graduate courses leading to Master's degrees. Florida's tenth public university, Florida Gulf Coast University will be located in Lee County with expectations of opening in 1997 at which time it will absorb the University of South Florida at Fort Myers.

Healthcare

Health care is provided by hospitals, nursing homes, specialty hospitals, health departments, and various clinics (mental health, drug abuse, alcoholism, and migrant health). In Southwest Florida (1993), there are eleven hospitals with a total of 2,839 beds. There are numerous other health care facilities of specialized nature also located in the region, including a Veterans Administration Out-patient Clinic. The region also features a Regional Ophthalmology Surgery Center which can perform the latest laser surgery technology. There are nursing homes offering extended care and also many congregate living facilities in the area. Emergency medical services are provided by Charlotte, Collier and Lee Counties, which are equipped with advanced life support vehicles with telemetry, basic life support and EMT's (emergency and non-emergency medical technicians and paramedics). Additional ambulance and rescue services are provided by suburban fire departments.

Hospitals

Source : Florida Healthcare Purchasing Cooperative, Inc. 2000

Distance to Other Major Metro Areas

Fort Myers is the western terminus of the cross-state Okeechobee Waterway, linking the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Major airlines operate from the Southwest Florida International Airport. Area private aviation facilities include; Page Field located in Lee County; Punta Gorda Air field located in Charlotte County; and Naples Airport & Marco Island/Immobile Airfield located in Collier County. Local freight rail service ties into the state-wide rail network. Motor freight to and from points across the nation has grown steadily to meet area demands. There are general commodity truck lines providing intrastate and interstate service. Lee County currently has interstate carriers, air freight forwarders, liquid petroleum and chemical haulers and truck brokers servicing the area. Air charter service is provided by several companies. Interstate 75 is now complete from Tampa to Naples, and ties into "Alligator Alley", Florida's cross state expressway to Miami and the Florida Keys from the West coast.

Distance to other major metro areas in Florida from Fort Myers:

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