BELLE GLADE, Fla. (CBS12) — Tampa General Hospital is working to help provide high-quality healthcare to residents in Palm Beach County. The hospital is moving forward with a five-year deal to help run Lakeside Medical Center in Belle Glade.
Lakeside Medical Center is the area’s only public hospital and Tampa General Hospital is the region’s first and largest teaching hospital.
“It’ll be a game-changer for this community,” said resident Connie Boldin Jr.
The medical center is also a teaching hospital, focused on providing high-quality care and access to everyone, but it is overwhelmed with patients.
Herald Hall is a long-time Belle Glade resident.
“A lot of people come here, and they can’t do nothing for them,” Hall said. “Then they have to ship them to West Palm.”
He knows because he has been in a similar situation, having to travel more than 100 miles for quality care, so he says the partnership is much needed.
“I think that’ll be nice because I had to take my son to W.T Edwards in Tampa because they didn’t have enough stuff to work on him here,” the long-time resident said. “If they get more help and more physicians and stuff like that then people won’t have to get scared and lose their lives.”
Although the extent of Tampa General Hospital’s involvement is still unclear, in a letter sent out to lakeside employees last week, Health Care District of Palm Beach County CEO Darcy Davis wrote in part
“By combining our strengths with Tampa General Hospital, we will advance access to high-quality healthcare among underserved populations, improve the community we serve by ensuring access to health care that supports better health outcomes and enhance Lakeside Medical’s clinical services and innovation initiatives.
According to the letter from Davis the health district is not selling Lakeside Medical Center simply partnering with Tampa General Hospital to better serve the Glades community.
SOURCE: CBS12: Tampa General Hospital partners with medical center in Belle Glade
