Dr. Robert Scoma earns the record-breaking achievement with Tampa General Hospital, providing world-class care in thoracic surgical oncology.
West Palm Beach, FL – July 12, 2023– The Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute’s Dr. Robert Scoma has become the first thoracic surgeon in Palm Beach County, and one of the first in South Florida, to complete 1,000 robot-assisted surgeries. Thoracic surgery involves the organs of the chest, as well as the esophagus, the trachea, rib cage, and breastbone.
By completing his first robotic-assisted surgery in 2009, Scoma has performed more than 100 per year, with 40 already completed in 2023. Most of the procedures have been pulmonary lobectomies (removal of an entire lobe of the lung). Scoma has also used the da Vinci Surgical System to perform lung wedge resection, mediastinal (area between the lungs) mass resection, thymectomy (removal of the thymus gland), repair of hiatal hernia (part of the stomach pushes into the chest cavity), and other oncological procedures.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to achieve this accomplishment as part of the TGH Cancer Institute,” Scoma said. “I could not have marked this milestone without my team’s commitment to providing patients with world-class, comprehensive and personalized care.”
With nearly three decades of experience, Scoma is a board-certified thoracic surgeon, and is also certified in basic, advanced cardiac, and advanced trauma life support. He is an associate fellow with the American College of Surgeons, as well as a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, the Florida Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. His practice includes all aspects of thoracic surgical oncology, including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mesothelioma, and mediastinal tumors. He also treats pleural disorders, hernias of the diaphragm, and thoracic outlet syndrome (blood vessels or nerves are compressed in the space between the collarbone and the first rib).
“This is a remarkable accomplishment for Dr. Scoma who is an incredibly gifted, experienced, and respected surgeon. He delivers not only expert medical care to patients, but also concern and compassion,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, chief of oncology and executive vice president of network development at Tampa General. “Dr. Scoma’s innovative approach to treatment has expanded our ability to connect patients to cutting-edge cancer treatment throughout the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast areas.”
The TGH Cancer Institute welcomed Scoma to its team in July 2022 as part of its initiative to serve more patients on Florida’s East Coast. Working from his office in West Palm Beach, Scoma can connect residents in the Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast communities to the TGH Cancer Institute to receive the more complex care they may need, including clinical trials, advanced surgical procedures, options for advanced immunotherapy procedures, and enhanced personal treatment plans. Patients who receive more complex procedures or treatment at Tampa General Hospital will be able to follow up with their local physician on the East Coast upon returning home.
Tampa General Hospital is creating a framework of state-of-the-art services for patients in the Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast areas, with the expertise and innovation of a preeminent academic health system. The Florida East Coast initiative began with an alliance with the Cancer Center of South Florida. Since then, Tampa General has also affiliated with the Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches and TGH Advanced Kidney Care, while establishing TGH General Surgeons of the Palm Beaches and acquiring Palm Beach Radiology, which is now TGH Imaging. Tampa General Hospital, which is the primary teaching affiliate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, is one of the highest-ranked hospitals in Florida by U.S. News & World Report for 2022-23.
Tampa General Hospital has been affiliated with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine since the school was established in the early 1970s. Today, more than 700 medical school residents and fellows receive specialty training at Tampa General in areas ranging from general internal medicine to neurosurgery. In addition, USF medical, nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy students all receive part of their training at Tampa General. Faculty of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine admit and care for patients at Tampa General, as do private practice physicians, many of whom also serve as adjunct clinical faculty at USF. Visit www.tgh.org/institutes-and-services/cancer-institute for more information about Scoma and the TGH Cancer Institute.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America’s Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America’s Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by 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). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
