Citizen & Community Advocates for Best-In-Class Hospital Operator
“The greatest wealth is health.” – Virgil.
Update - July 7th, 2026 - The Lower Florida Keys Hospital District Board voted to approve the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the District-owned Hospital, Lower Keys Medical Center, paving the way for qualifying Hospital Operators to bid on the next lease term which begins April 2029
To view the RFP and instructions click here for a link to the LFKHDB website
Upcoming Meetings
Monday August 17th, 2026
2:30PM Finance
3:00PM Regular Hospital Meeting
Public Input Encouraged
Doubletree Grand Key Resort
Tuesday September 8th, 2026
2:30PM - Special Hospital Lease Meeting
Public Input Encouraged
Doubletree Grand Key Resort
Tuesday October 6th, 2026
2:30PM - Special Hospital Lease Meeting
Initial Presentations by Interested Hospital Suitors
for next Long-Term lease of LKMC
Doubletree Grand Key Resort
To review past Public Meeting videos
review our News and Updates section
Lower Keys Medical Center (LKMC) is our Publicly Owned District-Hospital which we lease to Community Health Systems (CHS), our current Hospital Operator, who's lease ends on April 30th, 2029. After two and a half years of collaborative advocacy between OUR HOSPITAL Key West (OHkw), Commissioner Sam Kaufman and his task-force, District Board Fact-Finding Committee members, and engaged citizen support the Hospital District Board voted to approve a competitive bidding Request for Proposal (RFP) on July 7th, 2026 for selection of our next Hospital Operator.
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The RFP approved places evaluation criteria prioritizing operator quality, breadth of services, system integration, capital investment, and a dedicated commitment to indigent care in the scoring methodology. With these considerations, the District appears to be transitioning its role from a passive landlord to an active Guardian of Public Health.
OHkw and our community supporters are very pleased with this competitive progress.
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Hospital Operators interested in attaining our next (presumably next 30 year lease) include existing Hospital Operator CHS, as well as Mount Sinai, Baptist and possibly others.
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With the RFP process officially underway, the District Hospital Board will engage with potential Hospital Operators over the coming months, in preparation for a determination on a successor Hospital Operator. ​
