Tampa General Hospital and Health Care District of Palm Beach County to Open Lakeside Cancer Center in September 2027, Expanding Access to Academic-Based Cancer Care in Florida's Rural Communities

Lakeside Cancer Center will connect cancer patients in the Glades with world-class treatment, complex care coordination and access to oncology specialists.

BELLE GLADE, Fla., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and the Health Care District of Palm Beach County announced the upcoming expansion of cancer care for rural and western Palm Beach County communities Thursday evening at a town hall with key stakeholders, community leaders and residents of the Glades and Palm Beach County communities. Anticipated to open in September 2027, Lakeside Cancer Center marks the first significant expansion of care in the region since Tampa General partnered with the Health Care District of Palm Beach County to enhance rural health care at Lakeside Medical Center. It is the latest in a series of actions by Tampa General to increase access to world-class care in communities throughout rural Florida.

"Access to world class cancer care should not be limited by zip codes," said John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center (FHSC), the academic health system that includes Tampa General and more than 30 affiliated organizations. "Every patient in this region deserves every chance at the best possible outcomes. This new cancer treatment center is just the start. We're working to elevate care at Lakeside Medical Center, strengthen access across Florida's rural communities and ultimately improve patient outcomes."

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Florida and Palm Beach County. Based on a 2025 Lakeside Medical Center Community Needs Assessment, cancer accounted for 21.6% of all deaths across South Bay, Pahokee, Belle Glade and Clewiston – exceeding both the county and statewide mortality rate. Rural communities like these are more likely to face longer travel times, have less financial resources and experience limited access to specialists and clinical trials (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2019).

The new Lakeside Cancer Center is planned for 15440 Tangerine Drive, Loxahatchee, within 25 miles of Lakeside, bringing the expertise of TGH Cancer Institute directly to residents in the Glades.

"For families in rural communities like the Glades, a cancer diagnosis can mean traveling long distances for specialized care when they need support most. The new Lakeside Cancer Center will help change that," said Darcy J. Davis, President and CEO of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. "As Palm Beach County's health care safety net, our mission is to ensure the communities we serve have access to high-quality care. We're proud of our partnership with Tampa General Hospital, which brings together the District's long-standing commitment to the Glades and TGH's clinical expertise and academic resources. Together, we're strengthening rural health care and bringing specialized cancer care closer to home."

The Lakeside Cancer Center will benefit from the expertise of TGH Cancer Institute through research and clinical trials, as well as access to care coordination for complex conditions and additional specialty services available across Tampa General Hospital's network.

"The strength of the TGH Cancer Institute is not only in the advances we make in cancer treatment and research, but also in our ability to bring these advances to the patients and communities who need them most," said Abraham B. Schwarzberg, M.D., executive vice president, chief of oncology and president of the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN) at Tampa General. "This partnership will allow us to extend our expertise throughout western Palm Beach County, improving access to specialized cancer care while addressing the barriers to treatment faced by residents of the Glades."

TGH's Cancer Institute is at the forefront of innovation. There are more than 40 oncologists leading the comprehensive cancer care services powered by research, clinical trials, new technologies and cutting-edge breakthroughs. In 2025, the TGH Cancer Institute completed more than 18,000 cancer treatments and procedures and delivered more than 27,000 infusions. There were 77 active clinical trials, with 271 cancer patients enrolled.

The TGH Cancer Institute is nationally ranked in the top 10% and high performing for colon cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, as well as prostate cancer surgery.

"The power of academic medicine cannot be understated," said Stacey Brandt, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and president, community and specialty hospital division at Tampa General Hospital. "Patients with the most complex conditions seek care from Tampa General for the cutting-edge research, groundbreaking technology and expert care we provide. We offer access to the most advanced diagnostics and treatments. With the Lakeside Cancer Center, we're bringing that expert care from across our system to cancer patients in this community."

Tampa General is one of the largest and most innovative academic health systems in the nation. The system features more than 160 care locations across the Sunshine State. TGH is ranked #2 in Florida and a top 50 hospital nationally by U.S. News & World Report 2026.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, Florida's premier academic health system, is a 1,530-bed not-for-profit network of hospital and outpatient services spanning Florida. As the only center for Level I trauma and a 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 2026-2027 Best Hospitals for 11 consecutive years, with five medical specialties ranking among the top 50, two additional medical specialties ranked among the top 100 best hospital programs and two specialties ranked in the top 10% 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 four prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2026 America's Best Large Employers ranked as the Tampa Bay region's #1 employer in the healthcare category for the sixth year in a row, the 2026 America's Best Employers for Company Culture, in the top 100 for the 2026 America's Best Employers for New Grads and the 2026 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 healthcare for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is recognized as one of the leading adult solid organ transplant centers in the nation 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; Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 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.

Media Contact:
Amanda Bevis
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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital