Tampa General Hospital Establishes the Ruffolo, Hooper & Associates Pathology/Cancer Institute Education Fund

The gift will support education, training and ongoing cancer research at the TGH Cancer Institute.

Tampa, FL (May 28, 2024) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) today announced the establishment of the Ruffolo, Hooper & Associates Pathology/Cancer Institute Education Fund to support continued teaching and education within the TGH Cancer Institute.

“At the TGH Cancer Institute, we are 100% committed to strengthening our expertise in cancer prevention, treatment and education,” said Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, vice president and executive director, TGH Cancer Institute. “The Ruffolo, Hooper & Associates Pathology/Cancer Institute Education Fund is a transformative step in advancing academic medicine and clinical research at Tampa General as well supporting the training of our next generation of cancer researchers and providers in the Tampa Bay community and beyond.”

The gift was made possible by Ruffolo, Hooper & Associates, M.D., P.A., a dynamic physician-owned medical practice providing comprehensive anatomic and clinical pathology services throughout Florida. The practice of board-certified pathologists serves as laboratory medical directors and staff pathologists at hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, independent laboratories and other patient care centers, including Tampa General Hospital.

“For more than 35 years, we have supported Tampa General and the TGH Foundation in its mission to provide world-class treatment and care for patients with cancer,” said Dr. Robert Ruffolo, president, Ruffolo, Hooper & Associates, M.D., P.A. “From continued research and education for physician residents and nurses to advancing experience in surgical pathology, we are working together to further the treatment of cancer today.”

The donation will enable the TGH Cancer Institute to develop teaching conferences for hospital residents, interns and fellows as well as nursing and APP (Advanced Practice Provider) team members; facilitate research and education sessions for providers at all levels; and establish a new Pathology Surgical Fellow position at Tampa General Hospital.

“We’re very grateful for our long-term partnership with Dr. Ruffolo and Ruffolo, Hooper & Associates, M.D., P.A., and their continued support in cancer education and research,” said Frann Leppla, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer, Tampa General Hospital. “This exceptional gift enables Tampa General to further its mission in becoming one of the country's leading academic health systems.”

Tampa General Hospital’s Cancer Institute is nationally recognized for world-class care that is revolutionizing cancer treatment and is one of Florida’s few cancer centers backed by academic medicine. The Institute provides comprehensive care via groundbreaking therapies, advanced diagnostic imaging tools and a highly coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to quality patient care. Currently, Tampa General ranks in the Top 10% of Hospitals in the Nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report 2023-24 and is named one of America's Best Cancer Hospitals by Newsweek.Tampa General’s Cancer Institute has also earned accreditation from the Commission on Cancer, a quality program established by the American College of Surgeons. For more information about the TGH Cancer Institute, visit www.tgh.org/cancer.