Moffitt Center Departure
 

The Moffitt Center which arrived several years ago with great fanfare and TV requesting over a million bucks in donations for equipment is no more. They never intended to nor did they ever offer full services for cancer treatments which are available only at their main location in Tampa. Anyone concerned about what happened to the money that was donated and about why the relationship with TV deteriorated in such a short time.

I am

You said that so much better than I could have.

Perhaps they couldn't reach a financial agreement with TV to continue their operation here. Speculation on my part, but it would appear that if TV doesn't get what they want, you're outta here. JMHO I'm a little jaded. I hope the entity taking over from Moffet garners as good a reputation.

I would expect an accounting for the donations that were committed to the "Moffitt Cancer Center".

Since we are speculating we are entitled to think out loud. Maybe the agreement was what it is and has expired per the plan. Could have been an agreement of sorts to get the cancer center up, running and established.
Mission accomplished.

So many events that used to be handled in TV for cancer celebrations were disallowed when Moffitt came on the scene.....for example relay for life.

I am impressed with how little is being reported about the current actions.

You really should read the posts on the thread noted above by Gracie. The bottom line is that Moffitt originally made some promises about expanded services and then recently notified TV Hospital that they changed their mind. At that point TVRH appropriately terminated the contract.

IMO Moffitt knew from the very beginning that they could not or would not be able to keep some very significant parts of their contractual agreement. The stones get cast completely at Moffitt, not TV or TVRH.

Moffitt Center Departure
 

BTK - Moffitt agreed to create a Comprehensive Cancer Center here - essentially a duplication of their Tampa Campus. They had to realize from the onset that promise was neither feasible or financially reasonable. There are only about 44 CCCs in the country. Think of building a Sloan Kettering and all the associated facilities, staff, and researchers, etc. Or an MD Anderson. There is just no way.

IIRC, the funds the residents contributed were intended to purchase exam and treatment equipment for the clinic. I believe that equipment is still here and will be used by the new company coming in.

And all the donors who use it will be billed for their use.

What a great business plan! If I can get a bunch of suckers to contribute to something like that money making possibilities are unlimited!

Don't most hospitals, including TVRH, have fundraising foundations that help fund new equipment and new construction? I'm not seeing a conspiracy here...funds donated here bought equipment that stays here. Donations don't entitle you to free use. Sounds to me like TVRH and Moffitt came to a logical business decision based on services not being provided as expected.

Well said

Absolutely, hospitals do it all the time, and it's a good thing. But it is usually for a non-profit entity. I don't know--is Moffit non-profit? I never heard of them before ToTV---it's not like they're some kind of nationally known cancer center like Sloan or Anderson. But if they are for profit, it's kind of double dipping---getting free equipment then billing for its use. Even that's OK if the money goes back into research or patient care---but if it goes into someone's pocket..........

The fundraiser was by the developers who were building on to the hospital in the anticipation of having Moffitt open here.


The Relay for Life used to be huge here... and the developers asked them to kick in for the Moffitt Center and they said no and the developer said well then, you can't use our property. So Relay for Life is no longer here on Villages property. There was much anger and one of the local cancer doctors was not happy either that Moffitt was coming to the area. This is all just what I think was happening.


Basically I think the developers were trying to improve Medical care round abouts, BUT why is up for grabs. Some folks always say they are money grubbing greedy folks. I kinda was hoping that they were trying to improve medical care here because it needs to be improved in my very humble opinion.

Just an FYI:

"As the third largest cancer center in the nation based on patient volume, Moffitt Cancer Center offers a level of service that stands above the rest. Our recognition as a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – the only one based in Florida – shows our dedication to translating important research discoveries quickly from our onsite labs directly to the patient’s bedside.'

https://moffitt.org/cancers/

And, at least the replacement group practice coming into the TV branch is not just a radiation therapy doctor posing as a one-stop, comprehensive center that would meet all one's cancer treatment needs. That was the case in the beginning, with full page sour-grapes newspaper ads and group sessions against Moffitt coming into The Villages.

So the donation in fact went to TVRH for construction, not specifically or directly to Moffitt--that clears that issue up. But I can't agree with a decision to cancel a charity relay based on which charity benefited.

I do think "the developers" are trying to improve medical care--they've poured millions into TV Health, kept an eye toward the future by organizing it as a PCMH, and most likely will never recoup their investment.

OK, so they're the big fish in Florida. Most of the rest of the country has no reason to know that---thanks for the info.

I think I remember the fundraiser was earmarked for some state of the art imaging stuff rather than construction of the building.

I was involved with many hospital expansion projects, and none of them asked for donations "on the fly". All funding for construction and equipment was secured before either by loans, grants, or an existing set aside. The facilities opened complete. I was surprised to see the piecemeal approach. It didn't fit the developer's modus operandi.

In that case, it goes back to the question--exclusively for use by Moffitt?, and is Moffitt non-profit? Every imaging procedure has two separate billing components---a professional fee (physician interpretation) and a technical fee, which is meant to help pay for the equipment. IF, IF, IF it was something only Moffitt would use, and IF, IF,IF Moffitt is for profit, then I would view it as double dipping

I doubt that most of the rest of the country finds it feasible to just hop on over to Sloan or MD Anderson for their weekly and monthly diagnostics, surgeries, chemo, radiation, consults with other specialists, etc.

The fancy stuff stayed here. I think.

I don't think I understand your post. It's great that Florida has one of 44 comprehensive cancer treatment centers in the US and only 90 miles or so from TV. I only stated that most medical communities, at least in the North, have never heard of it.

For free use by United Health Care. Those who donated for it and don't have United Health Care can go pound salt.

.

The cancer center will not be available for all people who want to use it? Really? Are you sure?

The equipment can be used by Florida Cancer Specialists patients, the company taking over after Moffitt's departure. All former Moffitt patients have the option to continue treatment with FCS.

The funds raised helped purchase the TrueBeam Radiotherapy System.
https://www.varian.com/oncology/prod...therapy-system

The funds were raised under full disclosure that Moffitt would be operating the system. FCS is now taking on the responsibility

The equipment is staying. The operator is changing.

What do you consider north? New York? [emoji6]

Florida Cancer Specialists | Sarasota, FL (Florida)


"Florida Cancer Specialists Summary

Insurances Accepted

United Healthcare
Independence Blue Cross
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
Great-West Healthcare
Unicare
AvMed Health Plans"

.

Moffitt Center Departure
 

The developer will recoup it's investment as part of its exit strategy, just as any other investor attempts to do.

My prediction is that United Healthcare will assume the entire organization at some point. I have observed UHC for years and would be shocked if their contractual arrangement does not include one or more triggers that allow UHC to buy out the developer. And the buyout model is likely memorialized in that same document. Neither the developer nor UHC got where they are today by happenstance.

As an alternative, the developer could also spin off the medical group as an independent organization. I've seen that done more than once.

I would not be surprised to see the list above change to one degree or another. As an independent group of physicians they have the right to select those insurers with whom they will partner. To some extent that independence has likely changed because of its new arrangement and the addition of TOTV as a partner. For example, when a hospital develops a relationship with a radiology group it is not uncommon for the contract to require that the radiology group accept at least MOST insurers that the hospital accepts. This is almost a universal requirement.

As a patient you would be pretty upset if your insurance was accepted by a hospital, but not the radiologists, or Anesthesiologists, or ER docs.

I am pretty comfortable stating that I believe FCS's list of accepted insurances will more closely resemble TOTV's. For example, I go not see Medicare noted on your list above. Either that is an oversight on your part, or FCS will most certainly make that change soon, IMHO.

My understanding is that Moffitt was only billing the Professional Component as some part of TVH owned the equipment and building (and employed the techs, etc.). The Technical Component is still pretty profitable, especially if you do not have to fund the equipment purchase. How do you suppose Cancer Treatment Centers of America can afford a national ad campaign? Or the for profit cancer care chains.

I would point out that united healthcare Medicare advantage plan dropped Moffit from its provider list and replaced with another group. The referrals from the villages health will then dry up.

N6 - I was with you until your last two sentences. As for profit organizations, CTCA and other for profits typically purchase equipment from funds resulting from operations. Another route is by selling stock on the markets, or selling bonds. They do not have foundations supporting the purchase of equipment.

This is from Wikipedia:

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is a nonprofit cancer treatment and research center located in Tampa, Florida. Established in 1981 by the Florida Legislature, the hospital opened in October 1986, on the University of South Florida campus.[1] Moffitt is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida.[2]

Here is a link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._Lee...arch_Institute

It is probably just as well known as any of the other National Cancer Institute designated centers are known outside of their geographical areas.

I would venture to say Sloan-Kettering, Dana Farber, MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic and St. Jude's Children's are far more well known outside their geographic areas than Moffitt

Interestingly when I lived out west, I learned that few out there knew about Sloan Kettering or MD Anderson. Reputation, except for a few exceptions, seems to be regional.

Doesn't matter. Let's just be happy we have a first class cancer center within 100 miles.

I was just pointing out that cancer care is still a very profitable business, especially radiation oncology. It just seemed strange to me that the residents were supposed to pay for the equipment up front. Well, that was an argument for anther day.

We agree. Regarding the equipment, it is fairly common for not-for-profit hospitals to try and raise charitable contributions for any number of purposes. So that did not surprise me.

Thinking back to that time, what bothered me was we were not "asked to", but were "expected to" donate.