Cancer care is coming closer to the Glades. The Health Care District of Palm Beach County and Tampa General Hospital plan to open the Lakeside Cancer Center at 15440 Tangerine Drive in Loxahatchee, with the opening expected in September 2027.

The two partners announced the center at a community town hall in Belle Glade on Oct. 22. They describe it as a milestone in their partnership to strengthen rural health care through Lakeside Medical Center, the public hospital in Belle Glade.

Who it is for

The center is aimed at residents of the Glades, including Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay and Clewiston, along with other rural and western Palm Beach County communities. The district says the Tangerine Drive site is within 25 miles of Lakeside Medical Center.

Distance is the problem it is meant to address. The district's announcement points to research showing that people in rural areas often face longer trips, fewer financial resources and less access to cancer specialists and clinical trials. It also cites a 2025 community needs assessment by Lakeside Medical Center that found cancer accounted for nearly 22 percent of deaths in the four Glades communities, a higher share than for the county or the state.

What Tampa General brings

The partners describe the center as bringing academic-based cancer care to the region through Tampa General's cancer program, the TGH Cancer Institute. According to the district, the institute has more than 40 oncologists. In 2025 it completed more than 18,000 cancer treatments and procedures, delivered more than 27,000 infusions and ran 77 active clinical trials with 271 patients enrolled.

The district describes itself as the county's health care safety net, and says Tampa General adds clinical expertise and academic resources to the district's long-standing work in the Glades.

Who is behind it

The announcement was made by Darcy J. Davis, president and CEO of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County; John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center, the academic health system that includes Tampa General; Stacey Brandt, Tampa General's executive vice president and chief administrative officer; and Dr. Abraham B. Schwarzberg, Tampa General's executive vice president and chief of oncology.

What comes next

The district has not yet announced the center's services, size or cost. Those details, and updates on the September 2027 opening, will be posted in the Health Care District's newsroom.

Sources