Sunnier, less humid day in store with highs in the low 70s Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up
the weather authority Sunnier, less humid day in store with highs in the low 70s The Weather Authority says a pleasant day is in store for Southwest Florida, with much more sunshine than we saw on Saturday.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police department hosts annual Cops and Joggers 5K FMPD hosted the Cops and Joggers 5K event on Saturday. This unique experience takes attendees through the heart of Downtown Fort Myers.
Purple Heart Army veteran receives new home thanks to charity A Purple Heart Army veteran and his family entered their new accessible home on Saturday, thanks to the charity “Homes for Our Troops.”
CAPE CORAL Rain doesn’t stop crowds at 40th Annual Cape Coral Arts Festival For 40 years, the Cape Coral Arts Festival has drawn crowds from across Southwest Florida, showcasing a blend of small businesses from the region.
CAPE CORAL Sports trading card collecting going through “a generational reboot” The hobby of sports trading card collecting has been on the rise since 2020, especially in Southwest Florida with more card shows.
PUNTA GORDA 11th annual short film festival coming to Punta Gorda The Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor Convention Bureau will host its 11th annual short film festival.
the weather authority Mild, breezy day on tap with more clouds than sun The Weather Authority says a brief line of showers, associated with a cold front, is moving through Southwest Florida Saturday morning.
ESTERO 1 injured after shooting at Coconut Point Mall According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been injured after a shooting at the Coconut Point Mall on Friday.
CAPE CORAL CCPD cruiser damaged after officer involved crash An officer-involved crash leaves a Cape Coral police cruiser smashed.
PORT CHARLOTTE Sweet’s Diner in Port Charlotte reopens After months of fundraising and rebuilding, this diner, which had a car fly-through it, is back open.
FWC pushing to protect Florida’s endangered manatees Florida Fish and Wildlife is pushing to protect endangered manatees. One danger that animals face is when boats bash into them, leaving deep scars across their backs.
FORT MYERS The Fort Myers Fire Department looks towards new year Fighting fires is always top of mind for the Fort Myers Fire Department. The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the way when it comes to protecting your property when a fire breaks out.
WINK NEWS Palisades Wildfire devastates SWFL family Just hours after evacuating their Malibu home, the Wohl family learned they would never go back.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral expands with development The Cove at 47th The Cove sits in south Cape Coral between Cape Coral Parkway and Southeast 47th Terrace right next to Cork Soakers.
the weather authority Sunnier, less humid day in store with highs in the low 70s The Weather Authority says a pleasant day is in store for Southwest Florida, with much more sunshine than we saw on Saturday.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police department hosts annual Cops and Joggers 5K FMPD hosted the Cops and Joggers 5K event on Saturday. This unique experience takes attendees through the heart of Downtown Fort Myers.
Purple Heart Army veteran receives new home thanks to charity A Purple Heart Army veteran and his family entered their new accessible home on Saturday, thanks to the charity “Homes for Our Troops.”
CAPE CORAL Rain doesn’t stop crowds at 40th Annual Cape Coral Arts Festival For 40 years, the Cape Coral Arts Festival has drawn crowds from across Southwest Florida, showcasing a blend of small businesses from the region.
CAPE CORAL Sports trading card collecting going through “a generational reboot” The hobby of sports trading card collecting has been on the rise since 2020, especially in Southwest Florida with more card shows.
PUNTA GORDA 11th annual short film festival coming to Punta Gorda The Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor Convention Bureau will host its 11th annual short film festival.
the weather authority Mild, breezy day on tap with more clouds than sun The Weather Authority says a brief line of showers, associated with a cold front, is moving through Southwest Florida Saturday morning.
ESTERO 1 injured after shooting at Coconut Point Mall According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been injured after a shooting at the Coconut Point Mall on Friday.
CAPE CORAL CCPD cruiser damaged after officer involved crash An officer-involved crash leaves a Cape Coral police cruiser smashed.
PORT CHARLOTTE Sweet’s Diner in Port Charlotte reopens After months of fundraising and rebuilding, this diner, which had a car fly-through it, is back open.
FWC pushing to protect Florida’s endangered manatees Florida Fish and Wildlife is pushing to protect endangered manatees. One danger that animals face is when boats bash into them, leaving deep scars across their backs.
FORT MYERS The Fort Myers Fire Department looks towards new year Fighting fires is always top of mind for the Fort Myers Fire Department. The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the way when it comes to protecting your property when a fire breaks out.
WINK NEWS Palisades Wildfire devastates SWFL family Just hours after evacuating their Malibu home, the Wohl family learned they would never go back.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral expands with development The Cove at 47th The Cove sits in south Cape Coral between Cape Coral Parkway and Southeast 47th Terrace right next to Cork Soakers.
We all go to the doctor. As WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte found, there are some extra checks you may want to do before you go to a new practice. Marnie Watts worked as an office manager for a dermatology practice in Naples called Art of Dermatology. “I thought it was going to be great,” said Watts. “I put all my time and effort into it. It was set to open in early 2023.” She started a few months before that to get things ready. But she said the problems started before the doors opened and kept coming. “We got a letter from the state saying that we couldn’t get this HCCE permit, which gave us the ability to order medications from medical suppliers,” stated Watts. An HCCE or Health Care Clinic Establishment permit is required for a healthcare business to buy prescription drugs. Watts claimed because they didn’t have one, the Florida practice could not legitimately order any prescription drugs, so Art of Dermatology shipped them from their Michigan office. “Yeah, from the Michigan Office, all like wrapped in like a birthday present,” said Watts. “So was that because they couldn’t legitimately get them here?” asked Cifatte. “Correct. Because we didn’t have the HCCE permit,” explained Watts. In fact, the practice’s landlord sued to evict them from their offices on Goodlette Frank Road. In addition to not having an HCCE permit, the suit said Art of Dermatology didn’t have a business license, a business tax license, or insurance and failed to make loan or lease payments on its equipment. The dermatology office denied any wrongdoing. We found their name stripped from the building where their office was. All the issues were too much for Watts. She resigned. Watts also sued over pay. She claimed, per her employment contract, she is owed overtime and a $5000 recruitment bonus from her employers, Doctor Chethana Gottam and her husband Vikram. The suit claimed they also deducted health insurance from her pay but did not pay the premium or reimburse her for out-of-pocket expenses. In the court response, the doctor denied all of the claims above. When Watts quit, she thought it would be a good idea to warn potential patients. “I had posted something on the NextDoor app,” she explained. “That our dermatology is not open, you know, the truth of the story. And I first got a letter about a defamation lawsuit for that.” She received a cease and desist letter. She took her review down and the company did not pursue further action. But Watts punched back with her lawyer, Robert Goodman. “I responded that everything she said was true, and therefore, it’s not defamation. And that she’s got potential counterclaims,” explained Goodman. Watts said things got so bad she came home one night after quitting to find a police detective at her house. “They accused me of rerouting insurance checks to my home address through the postal department, which is very odd because they weren’t credentialed with any insurance companies in Florida,” she added. Naples Police investigated and couldn’t find any proof a crime had been committed by Marnie Watts. Now, she wants the back pay she is owed for the work she did and to move on. Watts and Art of Dermatology have now settled the lawsuit. The eviction lawsuit was also settled. The company sent WINK News the statement below through its public relations firm: Our company acknowledges that we did have some unexpected license and permitting paperwork delays when we opened our first office in Florida two years ago. We took care of these as quickly as possible and they are now behind us. For nearly a year now, we have been serving satisfied clients in our new state-of-the-art office. All of our licensing and permits have been procured and are current, and we remain in good standing with all appropriate state agencies and regulatory bodies. Regarding the wage and hour claims made by Marnie Watts, she was a former employee who worked for us for a very short period of time. While we dispute any wrongdoing, both parties have agreed to settle the matter. It’s been an absolute privilege to serve patients throughout Southwest Florida and we truly look forward to continuing our good work for many years to come. –Art of Dermatology Resources To check for an HCCE permit, click here. Choose to search by name, then enter the company name or person’s name in the appropriate space. To check for a business license, click here. You can check by business name or for an individual. To verify a medical license, click here.