Tampa General Hospital and Mass General Brigham have openeda new radiation oncology centerin Palm Beach Gardens, the first step in a collaboration between the health systems that is expected to stretch throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
Called Tampa General Mass General Brigham Cancer Care, the center comes as the population continues to grow along Florida's southeast coast, boosted by the presence of new companies and new residents. These new, often well-insured patients are attractive to health care providers. Some of these residents also are wealthy enough to show their gratitude for good medical outcomes with donations to their providers.
The Palm Beach Gardens radiation oncology center is in the Legacy Place shopping center off
of PGA Boulevard, just east of Interstate 95.
The radiation oncology center is an example of the county's increasing sophistication. What was once a Pier 1 Imports retail store is now an advanced medical facility led by two non-profit healthcare organizations.
On Wednesday, Sept. 9, Dr. Eugene Shieh, the center's radiation oncologist, gave a tour on the 10,000-square-foot facility.
"This center represents a huge commitment for Tampa General Hospital and Mass General Brigham to spare no expense to create a state-of-the-art facility, which we are very proud of," Sheih said.
Executives at Mass General Brigham and Tampa General say cancer treatment is an area where southeastern Florida patients need additional physicians and expert research-based treatments, particularly from academic medical centers.
In fact, just prior to the tour, Sheih completed a virtual meeting with the Mass General Brigham tumor board to discuss a patient's case.
Mass GeneralBrigham is the teaching hospital system for Harvard Medical School. In addition, Mass General is home to the Mass General Research Institute, the nation's largest hospital-based research enterprise. Oncology is one of Mass General Brigham's specialties.
Tampa General, meanwhile, is the teaching hospital for the University of South Florida's medical school.
The Palm Beach Gardens center also was developed in collaboration with Cancer Center of South Florida, a physician practice group that has partnered with Tampa General since 2020.
At the new Palm Beach Gardens facility, Cancer Center doctors provide direct patient care, Tampa General manages daily operations, and Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute provides quality and safety oversight for clinical and technical aspects of care.
A $5 million machine, and another one coming soon
During the tour, center director Petrina Zuvic showed off parts of the lobby intended to make the space more comfortable for patients. This includes phone charging stations, a beverage center and a large jigsaw puzzle.
The center features clinical offices, plus radiation oncology treatments and imaging using Mass General Brigham's cancer research and protocols. Cancers treated by radiation include prostate, lung, colorectal, skin, brain and lymphomas.
There are 10 exam rooms, including a special room for patients receiving injected radiation therapy.
But the main event in the facility is a $5 million Trubeam Hypersite Linnear Accelerator, the latest in radiation oncology systems.
The device maps the entire body digitally, eliminating the need for tiny tattoos used in years past to mark locations for radiation treatments. The newest version of the TruBeam also allows for more precise targeting of tumors in a faster timeframe for patients, Sheih said.
Sheih said the facility expects to add a second linear accelerator within the next two years to keep up with the expected patient demand. In fact, a lead-lined room already has been prepared for this second machine, which will cost another $5 million.
In addition, work soon will begin on a separate space for advanced imaging, including a 3T MRI and a PET/CT scanner. The imaging center is expected to open in 2027.
Right now, the center has 18 staff members, including physicians, physicists and treatment therapists. But Sheih said that number is expected to grow, especially after a second linear machine is installed.
Gardens facility is "tip of the spear" for patient care
The Tampa General/Mass General Brigham partnership, which first began in 2024, also will grow to include other specialty practice areas and even out-patient surgery centers throughout the county, hospital officials said.
Sheih called the radiation oncology office "the tip of the spear" when it comes to the planned unfolding of the collaboration.
The partnership comes amid fierce competition by health care providers, including out-of-state systems establishing Palm Beach County offices.
These providers includeNYU Langone,Cleveland Clinic, Northwell Health and Mount Sinai New York. Even Boston Children's Hospitalis eying an expansion to West Palm Beach.
Tampa General's march into Palm Beach County
Since the 2020 COVID pandemic, Tampa GeneralHospital has opened 20 offices in Palm Beach County, often by acquiring existing specialty physician practices.
These offices, and new ones still to open in Martin and St. Lucie counties, will be co-branded with both health care system's names, a move that will raise both hospital's profiles.
Prior to its affiliation with Tampa General in 2024, Mass General Brigham has sought a presence in Palm Beach County for nearly two decades. Then Mass General Brigham officials met executives at Tampa General, which officials said has a similar commitment to patient care.
Alexandra Clough is a business writer at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at aclough@pbpost.com. X: @acloughpbp. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Now open: Mass General Brigham, Tampa General's new cancer care center
