Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute Joins Prestigious Cancer Institute Network dedicated to Academic Cancer Centers in the US and Canada

The Association of American Cancer Institutes shapes national cancer policy and improves access to care through joint initiatives.

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute has been accepted into the prestigious Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), a recognition of its commitment to excellence in cancer research, treatment, education and community outreach and engagement.

As a member of the AACI, the TGH Cancer Institute plays pivotal roles in shaping national cancer policy and improving access to care. Through joint initiatives and partnership with cancer centers, it strives to improve the overall quality of cancer care. The TGH Cancer Institute joins this elite group of more than 100 leading academic and freestanding cancer centers in North America just four years after Tampa General, the region's only academic health system, established the cancer institute.

To be eligible for AACI membership, cancer centers are required to demonstrate a wide range of cancer-related clinical disciplines related to patient care. This includes a broad portfolio of cancer clinical trials, active participation in cancer-related community prevention, education and screening activities as well as a deep investment in advancing the field of oncology.

AACI membership will allow the TGH Cancer Institute to further participate in national policy discussions, share best practices and contribute to the development of higher standards of cancer care across the country.

"AACI membership signals that a cancer institute is committed not only to excellence in patient care and research but is also part of a larger mission to accelerate progress against cancer," said Dr. Eduardo Sotomayor, vice president and executive director of the TGH Cancer Institute. "It is a significant recognition of our singular commitment to creating a leading cancer institute that brings innovative cancer care across the state of Florida and beyond.

"The highly effective resources of the AACI will help take us to the next level as we continue to build a world-class institute grounded in compassion, innovation and expertise."

Over the relatively short span of its existence, the TGH Cancer Institute has expanded its multidisciplinary programs, recruited top-tier cancer specialists and strengthened partnerships with leading research institutions worldwide. Boundaries of personalized medicine continue to be pushed, with innovative therapies and clinical trials that bring hope to patients across the region.

"As an academic health system, we are highly supportive of the AACI's commitment to enhancing the impact of academic cancer centers," said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, executive vice president, chief of oncology, president of Tampa General Provider Network and co-vice president of Clinical and Translational Research, TGH | USF Office of Clinical Research. "Through our more than 50-year partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, we prioritize clinical trials, basic science and translational research as do many other AACI members. This provides an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with other leading cancer institutes around the country in a way that can only propel the fight against cancer."

One of the few Florida cancer centers backed by academic medicine, in partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the TGH Cancer Institute ranks among the nation's top 10% of U.S. hospitals by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals 2025-2026. The Cancer Institute provides comprehensive care via groundbreaking therapies, advanced diagnostic imaging tools and a highly coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to world-class patient care. It is certified by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Accreditation, by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for meeting the strict standards required by the society's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) program, awarded accreditation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), 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 and has been named among America's Best Cancer Hospitals by Newsweek.

For more information about the TGH Cancer Institute and its commitment to leading-edge cancer care, visit Cancer Institute | Tampa General Hospital.

ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION of AMERICAN CANCER INSTITUTES

The AACI is the only membership association dedicated to academic cancer centers. AACI represents more than 100 premier academic and freestanding cancer centers in the United States and Canada. The association advances the objectives of cancer centers by promoting widespread recognition of the cancer center network, educating policymakers and fostering partnerships among cancer centers and like-minded organizations to improve the overall quality of cancer care.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, the Tampa Bay region's only academic health system, is a 1,529-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.

Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR
Assistant Manager
Publications & Physician Communications
(727) 510-6363 (cell)
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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital