Most Grandezza residents are familiar with the United Way but may not be acquainted with its We Care Program. We are proud to highlight Dr. Alan Brown who exemplifies the dedication of medical providers who help patients and generate the program’s success.
Alan Brown, M.D. and his family have been a full-timers in Grandezza since 2006—first renting in Savona before purchasing a home in Grande Estates in 2008. After completing his undergrad studies at Washington University in St. Louis with a B.S. in Biology, Alan headed to the University of Michigan for medical school. There, he graduated at the top of his class with the distinction of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and he completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, serving as Chief Resident of the Harvard Combined Radiation Oncology Program.
Dr. Brown understands the emotional and physical distress that cancer wreaks on patients and their families throughout their medical journey. His passion for treating cancer was inspired by the loss of both of his grandmothers to cancer and his mother’s breast cancer survivorship. In choosing the specific field of radiation oncology, he wants to find a cure for cancer. On the national level Dr. Brown has been recognized for his community involvement and cancer research. He is a member of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology, the American Medical Association, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
On the local level, Dr. Brown is lauded for his association with Advocate Radiation Oncology which runs the new Proton Radiation program in Estero in collaboration with Lee Memorial Hospital.
By using state-of-the-art technology, a multidisciplinary approach, and integration of alternative medicine with traditional treatments, Dr. Brown offers his patients both his compassion and expertise. His impact is further extended by his involvement in the United Way’s We Care Program.
Under the We Care Program, an extensive network of generous volunteer medical professionals provides free care to patients living in Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties who suffer from serious medical conditions. The patients are either uninsured, under-insured or fall under the federal poverty limit. The program thus removes detrimental variables and the stressors of payment for those in need. Dr. Brown explained that the ages of the patients fall between sixteen and ninety-nine, and their average yearly income is only around $24,800. Additionally, between two and four percent of We Care patients are homeless. In 2023 alone 332 patients
were helped; 2,448 procedures were conducted; and $9,062,686 worth of charitable medical care was provided to those patients.
Many cancer patients and other seriously ill patients, because they do not have adequate health insurance, turn to the emergency room as their first line of care. As a result, We Care generally becomes aware of needy patients after their emergency room visits. Often, symptoms further advance after the patients are discharged, and patients may be referred by a medical provider, hospital, or specialist. With the intervention of targeted treatment, new technology, the revolutionary sequencing of genes and proteins, and thanks to the dedication and philanthropy of Doctors such as Alan Brown, there is new hope in the treatment of cancers.
Grandezza’s Dr. Brown enjoys spending his free time with his family, which includes his wife Rahel, their sixteen- and fourteen-year-old daughters Liya and Alana, and their dog, Gizmo. Since 2008 this family man has chauffeured the girls to the Canterbury School in Ft. Myers every day, and, like many parents Alan refers to himself as “a glorified Uber driver.” However, since his oldest daughter is of age and now driving, he has relinquished that position. Avid travelers, the family enjoys traveling and exposing their daughters to different cultures, allowing them to better appreciate the wider world. Also, Alan and Rahel encourage their girls to extensively volunteer their time in social programs that help others, tutoring, and volunteering at the hospitals. In his limited spare time, Alan enjoys exercising, mentoring, and finds that grilling dinner on the weekends is definitely therapeutic.
