Lakeland Regional Health and Tampa General Hospital Partner to Enhance Cancer Care and Research

The partnership increases access to subspecialized cancer care throughout the region.

LAKELAND, Fla., Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lakeland Regional Health's Hollis Cancer Center (LRH) and the Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute (TGH) are partnering to expand subspecialized cancer care across the region, increasing research capabilities and advancing clinical trials through a robust, collaborative agreement between Lakeland Regional Health and the TGH-USF academic health system. The partnership will streamline care and broaden access to specialized clinical expertise, making it more convenient for patients to receive world-class, complex care within their community.

"We are very excited to collaborate with the TGH Cancer Institute, which is widely recognized as a national leader in cancer care and research," said Danielle Drummond, MS, FACHE, president and CEO of Lakeland Regional Health. "Our goal is always to provide the highest level of care to our patients close to home, and we are confident that combining our resources and expertise will offer tremendous benefits for our patients."

The addition of TGH oncologists will allow even more patients to receive specialized care close to home at Hollis Cancer Center. Subspecialists bring expertise in specific types of cancer and access to cutting-edge research, leading to improved patient experiences and more personalized treatment plans.

"I am impressed by the innovation and the dedication to the community that I've witnessed at Lakeland Regional Health," said John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center | Tampa General. "When health care professionals work together to advance research and improve outcomes for cancer patients, everybody wins."

"We are excited to partner with an organization that shares our values and strategic priorities for the future of cancer care," said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, executive vice president, chief of oncology and co-vice president of Clinical and Translational Research, TGH | USF Office of Clinical Research. "As physicians, we know that patients and their caregivers benefit when we combine our resources and expertise to expand opportunities to access world-class care and clinical trials. We look forward to the positive impact the TGH Cancer Institute and Hollis Cancer Center can make together through this innovative partnership — both advancing clinical research and patient outcomes with personalized cancer care."

Both Hollis Cancer Center and the TGH Cancer Institute have earned national recognition for outstanding cancer care.

The Hollis Cancer Center holds top-tier Gold Status Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer. Hollis's Radiation Oncology program has been awarded the American Society for Radiation Oncology's Accreditation Program for Excellence, and the Breast Cancer Program is fully accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancers. The Lung Cancer Alliance has designated Hollis Cancer Center as a Screening Center of Excellence, and Lakeland Regional Health has been named to U.S. News & World Report's High Performing for Colon Cancer Surgery list for several years.

The TGH Cancer Institute is accredited by the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer and is one of Florida's few cancer centers backed by academic medicine. The Institute has been ranked among the Top 10% in the nation for Cancer Care by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026. Last fall, the Cancer Institute joined the Association of American Cancer Institutes, which recognizes excellence in cancer research, treatment, education, and community outreach and engagement. The TGH Cancer Institute is certified by the American Society of Clinical Oncology for meeting the strict standards required by the society's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative program and was awarded accreditation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, a testament to the academic health system's commitment to clinical excellence, innovation and patient safety in stem cell transplant and cellular therapy for the treatment of aggressive blood cancers. TGH was named one of the World's Best Specialized Hospitals for Oncology by Newsweek.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, the Tampa Bay region's only academic health system, is a 1,530-bed not-for-profit network of hospital and outpatient services spanning across Florida. As the only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care center serving 23 counties, Tampa General delivers world-class care. The system's hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, the academic health system has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. Tampa General's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2025 America's Best Large Employers, ranked as the Tampa Bay region's #1 employer in the health care category for the fifth year in a row, and among the top five in the state of Florida, in the 2025 Best Employers by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women.

Tampa General is the area's safety-net hospital, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2024, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $289.1 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It was the nation's No. 1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024 and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General has a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General's footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 19 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT LAKELAND REGIONAL HEALTH
Not-for-profit Lakeland Regional Health reaches beyond its hospital walls to promote wellness, education, and discovery in new places and new ways, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at its Medical Center, Hollis Cancer Center, a Freestanding Emergency Department, and 35+ ambulatory care locations. The 910-bed comprehensive tertiary referral Medical Center – the largest single component of the LRH health system and one of Florida's largest hospitals – operates the only Trauma Center in the tri-county area and the second busiest single-site Emergency Department in the U.S. with 210,000 annual visits. Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center operates the Jack and Tina Harrell Family Institute for Advanced Cardiovascular Medicine and its Chest Pain Center, Polk County's only accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation; the Bannasch Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation Medicine, Polk County's only inpatient acute physical rehabilitation facility; and the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness. The Carol Jenkins Barnett Pavilion for Women and Children at the Medical Center includes Polk County's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, its only dedicated Children's ER and pediatric surgical services, and its only Center for Fetal Care. The Hollis Cancer Center holds top-tier Gold Status Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer. Hollis Cancer Center holds numerous accreditations and designations, including the American Society for Radiation Oncology's Accreditation Program for Excellence; the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancers; and the Lung Cancer Alliance's Screening Center of Excellence.

In its annual Best Hospitals ratings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Lakeland Regional Health as a High Performing hospital for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colon cancer surgery, heart arrhythmia, heart failure, knee replacement, and pacemaker implantation. Additionally, LRH was one of only 13 hospitals in Florida to be named High Performing in maternity care. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives has named Lakeland Regional Health a Most Wired or Most Wired Advanced organization 10 times since 2013.

With more than 8,000 team members and 1,300+ medical staff members, Lakeland Regional Health is one of Polk County's largest employers and has earned workplace awards from Forbes, Newsweek, Gallup, and Becker's Hospital Review. The LRH Physician Group employs 400+ physicians and advance practice providers representing more than 40 specialty areas. LRH is advancing the future of healthcare through Graduate Medical Education. Currently, 172 residents and fellows are training at LRH across nine accredited programs, and the first class of cardiology fellows enters in 2026. For more information, visit myLRH.org.

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital