The Palm Beach County Health Care District has approved a five-year agreement with Tampa General Hospital to partner on operating Lakeside Medical Center in Belle Glade.
According to Stet News, the district’s board of commissioners approved the deal during a Dec. 11 meeting, although specifics of the agreement are reportedly still being negotiated.
In a statement, the district said it expects Tampa General to “provide administrative leadership, operational and strategic support and deep expertise.”
An email sent to a Tampa General spokesperson seeking comment was not returned Thursday.
In a document submitted to the board, the district said the partnership will begin Jan. 1 in two phases. The first, lasting about a year, will focus on revenue, care coordination and recruitment of a vice president who will be employed by TGH. A second phase will concentrate on evaluating areas such information technology, physician alignment, research and talent.
The district has allocated $600,000 for the first phase.
The 15-year-old Lakeside Medical Center is described by Stet News as a “virtually unused,” 70-bed teaching facility in the western end of the county. The average daily census for November was 10.7 beds, the health district said. In 2023, it had 416 admissions and 18,882 visits to its 17-bed emergency room.
The hospital has been operated by the district, a taxing body that helps pay health care costs for indigent and medically needy residents. In 2023, the district spent $27 million to subsidize operations.
In search of partner that “could provide access to high quality services” in the rural Glades region near Lake Okeechobee, the district brought in consultant Kaufman Hall, who helped select Tampa General, Stet News reported.
TGH has been expanding its footprint in the county and Treasure Coast region since 2020. A recent addition to the initiative is a 20,000-square-foot oncology center in Palm Beach Gardens planned as part of an expanded partnership with Boston-based Mass General Brigham.
The nonprofit Tampa hospital already has 20 physician groups with about 70 physicians and 400 medical professionals in Palm Beach County. The network includes TGH Cancer Institute, a digestive health center, two imaging centers and a concierge practice.
Tampa General’s main campus near downtown Tampa, a level 1 trauma center with 981 beds, has an academic partnership with the University of South Florida Health Morsani School of Medicine.
In addition to Tampa and the Treasure Coast, the network includes TGH North, with 372 beds in Hernando and Citrus counties.
