Thoracic Surgeon Robert Scoma Aligns with Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

Dr. Robert Scoma has partnered with Tampa General Hospital to provide world-class care in thoracic surgical oncology.

 

West Palm Beach, Fla. (July 11, 2022) – Dr. Robert Scoma, a thoracic surgeon with nearly three decades of experience, has joined the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute as part of the academic medical center’s initiative to serve more patients across the state.

 

Scoma will continue serving patients from his West Palm Beach location and is now matched with the world-class resources and specialists at Tampa General, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. He will be an integral part of connecting more residents in the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast communities to the complex care they need, including clinical trials and advanced surgical procedures through the TGH Cancer Institute based at the academic medical center’s main campus in Tampa.

 

“This is an exciting opportunity to work with a renowned institution that is committed to delivering the highest quality in cancer care,” Scoma said. “Working with Tampa General will elevate lung cancer care by leveraging the tremendous resources and specialties that only Tampa General can provide.”

 

For the past two years, Tampa General has been creating a framework of state-of-the-art services for patients in the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast area with the expertise and innovation of an academic medical center. The Florida East Coast initiative includes alliances with the Cancer Center of South Florida and the Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches. Last fall, the hospital established TGH General Surgeons of the Palm Beaches, and opened the first Tower Radiology location, a PET/CT imaging center.

 

“Dr. Scoma is an incredibly gifted and respected surgeon. He delivers not only expert medical care, but also concern and compassion,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, chief of oncology and senior vice president of network development at Tampa General. “The addition of Dr. Scoma to our team will expand our ability to connect patients throughout the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast area to innovative cancer treatment. 

 

Scoma is a board-certified thoracic surgeon and is also certified in basic, advanced cardiac, and advanced trauma life support. He previously served as affiliate assistant professor of surgery and clinical instructor for the JFK Medical Center Campus in Atlantis, Fla., part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; division chief of Thoracic Surgery and chief of staff at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.; and division chief of Thoracic Surgery at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Scoma is an associate fellow with the American College of Surgeons, as well as a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, the Florida Medical Society, and the American Medical Association.

 

Scoma’s practice includes all aspects of thoracic surgical oncology, including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mesothelioma, and mediastinal tumors. He also treats pleural disorders, hernias of the diaphragm, and thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Scoma performs minimally invasive robotic surgery, bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), cervical mediastinoscopy, and navigational bronchoscopy for the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of lung cancer. He also treats airway disorders with laser ablation, stenting, and resection.

 

“My experience always informs my approach to treatment. My goal is to provide patients with the most comprehensive and personalized care possible,” Scoma said. “Aligning with Tampa General will help ensure I am providing world-class cancer treatment.”

 

TGH Cancer Institute oncologists work in collaboration to provide broad treatment options in a seamless manner, with a multidisciplinary approach that strongly emphasizes compassionate and personalized care focused on the whole patient. The team offers a highly coordinated range of multidisciplinary specialties, including breast, thoracic oncology, head and neck cancers, sarcomas, and colorectal and gynecologic oncology. Advanced subspecialties are offered as well, including liver and hepatobiliary oncology, genitourinary (reproductive system and genitourinary tract), and hematologic malignancies.

 

Patients who need a higher level of care have a direct connection to Tampa General’s academic medical center resources through its affiliation with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, including research breakthroughs, a wider variety of clinical trials and options for advanced immunotherapy procedures, enhanced personal treatment plans, and a convenient path to complex surgeries.

 

Tampa General Hospital has been affiliated with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine since the school was created in the early 1970s. Tampa General Hospital is the primary teaching affiliate of the University of South Florida medical school and over 300 residents are assigned to Tampa General Hospital for specialty training in areas ranging from general internal medicine to neurosurgery. In addition, USF medical, nursing, pharmacy and physical therapy students all receive part of their training at Tampa General. Faculty of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine admit and care for patients at Tampa General as do private practice physicians, many of whom also serve as adjunct clinical faculty at USF. 

 

Patients who receive more complex procedures or treatment at Tampa General will be able to follow up with their local physician on the East Coast upon returning home.

 

For more information about the TGH Cancer Institute, visit www.tgh.org/institutes-and-services/cancer-institute.

 

Dr. Scoma will remain in his West Palm Beach office at 1411 N. Flagler Drive, Suite 8300. His affiliation with TGH Cancer Institute is anticipated to be a seamless transition for patients, not requiring them to make any changes in care. Insurance, co-payments, and electronic medical records will remain the same. Patients who have questions about the new alliance and the wide array of new services are encouraged to call Dr. Scoma’s office at (561) 832-1234.

 

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL 

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top four hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings – America’s Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations, and 13th nationally in America’s Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2020, provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.