NTBC Ribbon Slicing Opened The State-Of-The-Artwork, 45,000-Sq.-Ft. Most cancers Heart In Wiregrass Ranch On Might 15!
Though the Angeline neighborhood in Land O’Lakes is getting what would be the largest most cancers therapy and analysis middle in Florida — the sprawling, 775-acre “Speros FL” Moffitt Most cancers Heart campus with 16 million sq. ft of lab, workplace, manufacturing and scientific area, the brand new Florida Most cancers Specialists (FCS) constructing on the south facet of S.R. 56 in Wiregrass Ranch offers the Wesley Chapel space two main most cancers facilities (the opposite is the 28,000 sq. ft. being occupied by the Moffitt Most cancers Heart at Wesley Chapel within the 100,000-sq.-ft. Therapeutic Plaza constructing adjoining to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel).
However, the 45,000-sq.-ft. FCS constructing, positioned solely 3.5 miles from the AdventHealth/ Moffitt middle, is now the biggest most cancers therapy facility in Wesley Chapel.
FCS lower the ribbon (at the side of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, or NTBC) to formally open the brand new state-of-the-art therapy middle on Might 15, as the placement’s VP of operations Samantha (Sam) Watkins launched director of affected person advocacy (and Board-certified oncologist and hematologist) Richard McDonough, M.D. (holding scissors within the photograph on this web page), who launched a number of of his colleagues, together with medical oncologist Dr. Ayman Barakat, radiation oncologist Dr. Bradford Perez and GYN (gynecologic) oncologist Dr. Jessica Stine to the group of greater than 100 folks, a lot of whom have been FCS medical doctors, workers members and directors.
Watkins talked about that the brand new FCS clinic will embody 5 medical oncologists and hematologists, two radiation oncologists, six advance observe nursing suppliers and a “devoted group of clinicians and assist workers.”
Watkins additionally supplied loads of the fundamental details about FCS usually, together with that in 2024, FCS celebrated its fortieth anniversary of most cancers care within the Sunshine State, when FCS handled greater than 102,000 new sufferers and supplied greater than 4.2 million clinic visits.
“One statistic that I discover unimaginable,” Watkins stated, “is that 67 % of all Floridians stay inside 20 miles of an FCS middle, which serves our mission of being in the neighborhood.”
And, though Moffitt remains to be the highest-rated most cancers therapy middle total in Florida, FCS additionally ranks among the many top-performing oncology practices and provides extra scientific trials than some other non-public oncology observe in Florida. And, in keeping with Dr. Barakat (see extra from him beneath), the brand new Wiregrass Ranch location ought to quickly be internet hosting scientific trials of its personal.
Watkins famous, “Greater than 150 scientific trials are [being conducted] at our 29 places throughout the state…. With our expanded capabilities to supply state-of-the-art genetic testing, our physicians are capable of design therapy plans with the utmost precision and supply really personalised drugs, which interprets into higher outcomes for our sufferers.”
In the meantime, Dr. McDonough stated, “My colleagues and I share a ardour and dedication to a singular objective to supply our sufferers with essentially the most superior therapies attainable which might be personalised to the distinctive wants of what they’ve. We attempt to decrease the disruption [to their lives] by ensuring we’re nearer to the place they stay and that the affected person can get the care with the assist folks and neighborhood round them, and actually to be an enormous a part of driving the most effective outcomes for our sufferers.”
Dr. Barakat supplied some further statistics concerning the new FCS facility, and the distinction between the brand new constructing and the unique Wesley Chapel location that opened in 2019. “We solely had 4 examination rooms and 7 infusion chairs,” he stated. “However now, we’ve 32 examination rooms, 62 infusion chairs, and provide professional therapy for all types of most cancers and blood issues. We now have an on-site lab, our personal oncology pharmacy care coordinator, companies with affected person help by way of our beneficiant basis, and, in fact, entry to essentially the most superior and promising therapy by way of scientific trials, which hopefully we ought to be planning to start out on this constructing very shortly.”
Dr. Perez, a lifelong Tampa native, talked concerning the crew strategy to affected person care at FCS.
“One of many issues about FCS is that it does give us the chance to work collectively as a part of a multidisciplinary oncology crew and as a radiation oncologist I’m actually glad to have a chance to work with the medical oncologists right here at FCS. This location has state-of-the-art gear, just like the Varian TrueBeamTM machine, which does exact, stereotactic radiation therapies.”
Dr. Perez additionally famous that, “Wesley Chapel is an enormous progress space, so it’s nice to have the ability to present nice take care of sufferers, with essentially the most superior know-how, the place persons are transferring and dwelling.”
Subsequent, Dr. Stine stated that when she joined FCS 4 years in the past, “My objective was to deliver GYN oncology, which is a singular specialty that doesn’t have loads of progress outdoors of metropolis facilities, to areas the place sufferers actually wanted to have entry to high-quality care. I felt that it was actually sort of a disgrace that sufferers [in suburban areas] needed to primarily go to the ‘ivory tower’ to get their surgical procedures and the care they wanted.”
She added, “We’re additionally very excited to announce that we are going to be increasing the GYN oncology program inside FCS with Dr. Heather Miller, who is definitely becoming a member of us regionally from her very thriving observe within the Brandon and Tampa Bay market. She might be caring for our sufferers right here in Wesley Chapel and in North Tampa as nicely.”
The ultimate speaker earlier than the ribbon reducing was NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy, who stated, “It’s an honor to be right here with you immediately. We broke floor in 2019, proper earlier than the pandemic, on a chilly, windy day. We noticed the renderings of what this [facility] was going to be. We couldn’t be extra honored to be right here by your facet. The neighborhood is right here to assist you. We thanks on your funding, not solely on this stunning constructing, but in addition for the service you present to our neighborhood.”
FCS (2895 Hueland Pond Blvd.) is open each weekday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, name (813) 279-7107 or go to FLCancer.com.
