Faculty
Christina Cavanagh, M.D. FAAFP DipABLM
Founding Program Director/Professor
- Specialty/Field: Family Medicine
- Residency: Self Regional Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program
- Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
- Experience: Faculty with FSU Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health 2012-2026; 2023 President of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians; National Journal Club committee member for American Board of Family Medicine
- Areas of Interest: Women's health including our maternity care service, leadership development, advocacy, lifestyle medicine
- Hometown: Boynton Beach, FL
Personal note: I am a native South Floridian, and as such I am allergic to snow and ice. In addition to the unbeatable SW Florida sunshine and palm trees, I chose to join FSU Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health as a founding faculty member in 2012 because I value the mission to train well-rounded family physicians who care for and care about the community in which we live.
Our program’s greatest asset is the amazing residents we train here, who embody that mission. I am honored to lead the new program at Gulf Coast Medical Center, and excited to build a legacy with this amazing team of faculty, staff, and our trailblazing first residents.
Fort Myers has been a great home to raise my family. My favorite weekends are relaxing at the beach or pool with my husband and son, caring for our 3 dogs, chickens, and other animals, and exploring new restaurants (or music festivals, art walk, and shows). We have a standing date night taking ballroom dance lessons and I have decreased my number of left feet from three to two in Argentine Tango, East Coast Swing, and Bachata.
Kristen Dimas, M.D. FAAFP
Associate Program Director/Assistant Professor
- Specialty/Field: Family Medicine
- Residency: Florida State University Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health, Fort Myers FL.
- Medical School: Florida State University College of Medicine
- Areas of Interest: Health Inequity, Population Health Management, Faculty Development
- Hometown: Immokalee, FL
Personal note: Growing up in the small migrant community of Immokalee, Florida, I saw a significant need for healthcare providers in my hometown. This led me to the FSU College of Medicine, which has a focus on serving the underserved. From there, I chose a career in Family Medicine, so that I could take care of patients from birth through their geriatric years. I chose the FSU Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health because of my experience with the outstanding residents and faculty. After completing my residency I was happy to join the faculty at our residency program. My areas of interest are teaching residents about health inequity and population health management.
Alfred Gitu, M.D. FAAFP DipABLM
Chief Academic Officer at Lee Health/Professor
- Specialty/Field: Family Medicine
- Residency: Self Regional Healthcare Family Medicine Residency
- Medical School: University of Nairobi, Kenya: College of Health Sciences
- Experience: Nine years of practice overseas; faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina; former Program Director at the FSU Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Memorial
- Areas of Interest: International medicine, inpatient medicine, procedural skills, obstetrics, rehabilitation medicine
- Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Personal note: My wife Rebecca and I grew up in Kenya and have enjoyed the most fulfilling and exciting journey during over three decades years of marriage. We are blessed with two (now adult!) daughters, Sheena and Shalom. I deeply enjoy reading, travelling with my family, and running. My daily personal mission is to become a better version of myself in my faith, my work and as a husband and father.
I have served as family medicine faculty since 2006, and been with our program since its inception in 2012. We have an excellent team of faculty, residents and clinic staff who serve our patients with dedication. It is my honor to continue to serve and to achieve our mission of developing world class family physicians.
Kelsey Diemer, DO
Adjunct Faculty
- Specialty/Field: Primary Care Sports Medicine
- Fellowship: Sports Medicine - University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL
- Residency: Internal Medicine - Naples Community Hospital, Naples, FL
- Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Experience: Team physician for Minnesota Twins Spring Training, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Single-A baseball, Florida Everblades Hockey team.
- Areas of Interest: Management of musculoskeletal injures, ultrasound-guided injections, Orthobiologic (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections, event coverage
- Hometown: Barnesville, Minnesota
Join Our Team
Do you want to be part of our faculty team?
Help us build a legacy!
This is a ground-floor opportunity to build an exceptional Family Medicine residency program from the very beginning.
You will be an integral part of shaping our vision, designing an innovative curriculum, and mentoring our first class of residents as we prepare to welcome them in July 2028.
We are seeking:
- Passionate Educators: Board-certified Family Physicians (MD/DO) with a creative spirit and a fierce commitment to training the next generation.
- Versatile Clinicians: We are building a dynamic team and offer flexible roles. We have dedicated positions for faculty who are primarily inpatient, primarily outpatient, or a traditional blend of both.
If you are an ambitious, inspiring leader ready to make a permanent mark on graduate medical education in beautiful Southwest Florida, we want you to be a part of our story.
To learn more, please contact Christina Cavanagh, MD FAAFP, Founding Program Director or apply online to join the team.
Contact Us
Christina Cavanagh, MD FAAFP DipABLM
Program Director
Email: christina.cavanagh@leehealth.org
6811 Palisades Park Court, Ste 1
Fort Myers, FL 33912