Tampabay: Hospitals link efforts on cancer

CLEARWATER -- Morton Plant Health System is joining with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa to help both parties deliver better cancer care to more people.

The affiliation will give Morton Plant's doctors and cancer patients in Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties better access to Moffitt's many clinical trials and screening programs, officials at both organizations said Monday.

Moffitt's leaders also hope it will keep more cancer patients in the area and increase the pool of potential participants in important research trials.

"One of the things that we have been concerned about over a number of years is the number of patients who don't just leave the area for cancer care, but leave the state for cancer care," said Jack Kolosky, Moffitt's executive vice president of planning and finance and chief financial officer.

"We feel this partnership . . . will help us determine how best to get patients better access to cancer care through the two providers."

Morton Plant, which includes the Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater and North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey, also gains the cachet of being associated with Moffitt, Florida's only National Cancer Institute-designated research center.

Although neither side foresees having Moffitt doctors cross Tampa Bay to practice in Clearwater, physicians from both camps will collaborate on training, continuing education and research.

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