Former Lee Mental Health CEO retires

FORT MYERS — David Winters, the chief administrative officer of SalusCare, plans to retire early next year.

Winters, 60, was the former president and CEO of Lee Mental Health who helped orchestrate the merger with Southwest Florida Addiction Services in 2013 to form SalusCare, the region's largest provider of treatment for mental health and substance-abuse disorders.

Fort Myers-based SalusCare, which treats 17,000 people a year at seven locations in Lee County and one in Hendry County, says it does not plan to replace Winters. The non-profit organization offers crisis stabilization, outpatient and residential treatment as well as prevention programming and an employee-assistance program for about 50 area companies.

“David Winters is a quiet and strong leader within the behavioral health care community,” says SalusCare CEO Kevin Lewis, in a statement. “His extensive background in health care management and administration has served Lee Mental Health and now SalusCare well by bringing innovation along with a focus and discipline to our work serving community needs.”

Prior to moving to Fort Myers in 2000 and joining Lee Mental Health, Winters was the chief financial officer of TCN Behavioral Health Services in Xenia, Ohio. He also served in executive positions with other healthcare companies in Ohio.