ORLANDO, Fla. — PrideFest is less than 24 hours away. It kicks off Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Kissimmee Civic Center, with thousands expected to attend.

What You Need To Know

  • Preparations for PrideFest on Saturday continue
  • One of PrideFest’s sponsors is a Central Florida nonprofit medical practice that serves everyone with a target to fill a need in the LGBTQ+ community

  • Pineapple Healthcare, which also offers mental health services, is expanding into both Kissimmee and Lakeland

One of PrideFest’s sponsors is a Central Florida nonprofit medical practice that serves everyone with a target to fill a need in the LGBTQ+ community.

The clinic also offers mental health services and is expanding into both Kissimmee and Lakeland.

Lead nurse practitioner Erick Suarez said building healthier communities feels rewarding.

“A big need is an example of our patient today who hasn’t had bloodwork in six to seven years,” he said.

Suarez says there is a need for affordable health care services in Orlando that, patient by patient, they are filling.

But the reality is that there’s a big need in other cities nearby as well.

“We were specifically looking for health care deserts, places that were having a need of health care and lack of access,” he said.

Erick’s husband is Ethan Suarez. The couple has been married for nine years.

“HIV is on the rise in the country and in these areas, and there’s not a lot of services for HIV specifically with either prevention or treatment,” said Ethan, who is the chief executive officer.  

Ethan says Lakeland will have a bilingual provider while Kissimmeee, with its growing Hispanic population, will be staffed with a fully bilingual team just like in the Orlando office.

“We wanted to bring our services to them so that they could feel culturally seen and be able to communicate with their provider without having to go through a translator,” he said.

There are dozens of pineapples throughout the office. Owners say it’s because it invites a sense of sweet, bright and welcoming hospitality.

“We feel at that as a nonprofit ourselves, we need to give back to our communities,” said Ethan.

Their practice has seen an increase in mental health services and  isseeing high rates of anxiety and depressive episodes.

Pineapple Healthcare’s Lakeland office is opening on June 9.

The Kissimmee location is under construction, projected to open by mid-September.

As a nonprofit, Pineapple Healthcare will service anyone regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay.