Dr. Eduardo Sotomayor and Dr. Abe Schwarzberg of Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

Last year, experts with Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and others, published findings that community medical centers associated with academic health systems provide better patient outcomes.

Through its alliance with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is an academic health system evolving into a statewide center of excellence through partnerships with community hospitals and physicians across Florida.

“TGH is committed to partnering with physicians and community hospitals to provide enhanced access to complex care and clinical trials. This helps improve statewide patient outcomes,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, executive vice president, chief of oncology, and president of the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN), and vice president of clinical and translational research, TGH-USF Health Joint Office of Clinical Research.

There are two major reasons why TGH is becoming a center of excellence. First, TGH led the way in studies and trials for novel COVID-19 treatments. It also exhibited adaptability, handling patient overflow from overwhelmed local and regional hospitals, while continuing to offer necessary services to the community. The second reason TGH is leading the way is rooted in its commitment to providing care for underserved individuals and communities. “At its core, TGH is both a dedicated safety net hospital, and an independent, not-for-profit institution,” said Dr. Schwarzberg. “When folks need access to care, regardless of insurance or socioeconomic background, TGH steps in and is committed to caring for that community.”

This has caught the attention of physicians and patients alike and solidified TGH’s reputation as an academic health system dedicated to prioritizing patient care over bottom lines.

Numerous physicians’ groups on Florida’s East Coast have expressed interest in becoming part of TGH’s network, further enhancing its role as a leading Florida health care provider.

Through partnerships with practices elsewhere in the state, TGH has increased the breadth and scope of its offerings as an academic health system, reaching a larger population. In effect, it has become an academic-regional health system, able to care for potentially millions of patients with diverse backgrounds and needs, while continuing to uphold the rigorous standards of excellence required of a teaching hospital at the forefront of medical research.

“TGH is really a hospital for the state of Florida,” said Dr. Schwarzberg. “When you have complex, major changes in the health care field like COVID created, TGH’s infrastructure, access to clinical trials and nimble approach not only enabled us to care for ongoing patient needs, but also to provide subject matter expertise and unique offerings just being developed. As a large, tertiary medical system, TGH is really striving to provide that service.”

Tampa General Hospital East Coast Providers

To reach any of the TGH East Coast providers listed, call (561) 659-6543.

TGH Cancer Institute|Cancer Center of South Florida

Palm Beach Gardens • Palm Springs

Abraham Schwarzberg, MD

Talya Schwarzberg, MD

Raymond Tsao, MD

Sujal Shah, MD

Vijay Narendran, MD

Kelly Foster, MD

Varun Gupta, MD

TGH Cancer Institute

Robert Scoma, MD

Mark Meyer, MD

Marcus Eby, MD

Jason Hechtman, MD

TGH Advanced Kidney Care

West Palm Beach • Jupiter

David Amrose, MD

Imtiaz Ather, MD

Kerim Oncu, MD

Alberto Ortiz, MD

TGH Digestive Health Center

West Palm Beach • Palm Beach Gardens

Steven Krumholz, MD

Glenn Englander, MD

Jeffrey Garelick, MD

Sonja Olsen, MD

Robert Raymond, MD

TGH Heart & Vascular Institute

Boynton Beach

Amy Mostafavi, MD

TGH General Surgeons of the Palm Beaches

West Palm Beach

Itzhak Shasha, MD

TGH Concierge Health  

Palm Beach Gardens

Laurie Rothman, MD