Tampa General Hospital Strengthens Academic-Community Cancer Care Outreach with Appointment of Dr. Usha Menon

Nationally recognized leader in cancer control interventions to strengthen community outreach and advance cancer care at TGH Cancer Institute.

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute has named Usha Menon, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FSBM as associate director of community outreach and engagement. Menon will retain her roles as dean and distinguished university health professor at the USF College of Nursing and senior associate vice president at USF Health. Her new appointment underscores the growing partnership between Tampa General and USF Health to deliver transformational cancer care, drive scientific discovery and strengthen community health through exemplary leadership.

A nationally recognized expert in behavioral science and cancer prevention, Menon brings decades of experience developing culturally tailored, evidence-based interventions to improve cancer screening and outcomes among vulnerable populations. At Tampa General, she will lead efforts to deepen community partnerships, enhance outreach and expand access to cancer care across Tampa Bay.

"Dr. Menon's appointment marks a major step forward in our mission to transform cancer care in our community and beyond and it will get us closer to fulfill our aspirations in becoming a NCI-designated cancer institute within the decade," said Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, vice president and director of the TGH Cancer Institute. "Her proven leadership in advancing positive health outcomes for all patients and her groundbreaking work in community-engaged research will enable us to expand our reach across the state, close gaps in care and deliver even greater impact to the patients and families we serve, in particular those living in rural communities in Florida. We are proud to have her expertise and vision shaping the future of the TGH Cancer Institute."

Dean Menon's new role with Tampa General shows how the strong USF | TGH academic partnership benefits Florida's residents, said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

"I am delighted to see Dean Menon working with our Tampa General partners to increase community outreach and expand access to top-quality cancer care across Tampa Bay and beyond," Dr. Lockwood said. "This kind of interprofessional partnership shows how an academic health system like ours can bring greater resources to improve complex health concerns for our patients and our region."

Dr. Lockwood also is executive vice president and chief academic officer at Tampa General.

Over her 25-year career, Menon's research has been grounded in frameworks like the Health Belief Model and ConNECT Framework which have been successfully implemented across multiple populations that experience high burdens of cancer. The Health Belief Model is a psychological framework that explains how personal beliefs about health issues influenced health behaviors, emphasize perceived threats, benefits, barriers and actions. The ConNECT Framework is a model for advancing behavioral medicine science and practice to foster positive health outcomes for all.

Currently, she leads a 4-year, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded initiative deploying the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic to people in the most underserved areas in the Tampa Bay area, providing mobile primary care while training the next generation of nursing professionals. At USF Health, she helped secure a $40 million legislative award to expand nursing education at the College of Nursing to address the state's nursing shortage, launched the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic and Port of Tampa Seafarers Center Clinic, providing accessible interprofessional care for the community, and elevated the College of Nursing to No. 1 in Florida for Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity to unite clinical innovation with community empowerment," said Menon. "The TGH Cancer Institute is setting a national standard for patient-centered, accessible cancer care. I'm excited to expand our reach and help communities in the 15-county service area access the care and support they need and deserve."

Menon is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Society for Behavioral Medicine, and a widely published researcher in cancer prevention, culturally sensitive interventions, health literacy, and implementation science.

Previously, Menon served as a multiple principal investigator for the National Institute of Health's (NIH) national All of Us Precision Medicine Initiative and led a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded implementation science study to increase colorectal cancer screening among underserved groups.

"Menon exemplifies the transformative power of visionary leadership. Her unwavering commitment to advancing health care for all, fostering innovation in education and building inclusive clinical partnerships has elevated the USF College of Nursing to national prominence. In her role at the TGH Cancer Institute, her leadership continues to inspire collaboration across disciplines and institutions," said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, MD, MBA, 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.

One of the few Florida cancer centers backed by academic medicine, the TGH Cancer Institute ranks among the top 10% cancer centers the nation by U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, the 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 and by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for meeting the strict standards required by the society's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) program and has been named among America's Best Cancer Hospitals by Newsweek. For more information about the TGH Cancer Institute, visit www.tgh.org/cancer.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,530-bed, not-for-profit academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the Tampa Bay region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn 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, Tampa General 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. The academic health system'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, the top 50 in Florida in the 2024 America's Best Employers by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women.

Tampa General is the safety-net hospital for the region, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2023, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $301.8 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 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General is home to 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.

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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital