Lisa F. Crites is the award-winning inventor of The SHOWER SHIRT®, the first and only patented (US Patent No. 8,516,613), water-resistant garment to protect chest surgery patients while showering. Her patented invention, awarded for ‘design’ and ‘method of use,’ was created following her breast cancer diagnosis and bi-lateral mastectomy surgery. Lisa was a 2015 InnovateHER winner for her work and innovation in creating The SHOWER SHIRT®, an initiative to award inventors who create products to enrich the lives of women. Lisa has been featured in FORBES Magazine, the Huffington Post and Readers Digest; FOX News, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Lifetime TV’s, ‘The Balancing Act,’ discussing her invention and the legislative filing of the ‘Post Mastectomy Infection Reduction Act,’ sponsored by United States Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) and Congressman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL).
A Health/Medical broadcast journalist, print columnist, corporate healthcare consultant, media strategist, guest speaker and entrepreneur, Lisa has more than 30 years of experience in the field of health/medical journalism, corporate communications, news issue management and marketing. Lisa was the original Health/Medical television anchor/reporter for Central Florida News 13 (Channel 13) in Orlando; her background in television also includes anchoring at America’s Health Network (now Discovery Health); reporting for ‘Success Central Florida’ on WKMG Local 6, also in Orlando, and feature reporter for the Travel Channel. Lisa consults with Gannett News Service as a broadcast media coach and works for both CNTV and NADA-TV as a medical television correspondent.
Lisa’s philanthropic work includes being a member of the Cocoa Village Playhouse Board of Director’s; and Driven by Heart Advisory Council Member. Lisa has volunteered for the Central Florida Second Harvest Food Bank and Central Florida Homeless Coalition for the past 28 years. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Journalism from Murray State University, Murray Ky; and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Barcelona, European School of Business, Barcelona, Spain.