For what it's worth
 

My wife had major heart surgery a few months ago at LRMC Following the successful surgery by Dr.Tim Moore and his team from Leesburg-Ocala Heart Institute, the care she was given in the LRMC Cardiac ICU and Cardiac Care Units after the surgery was outstanding which led to her speedy recovery. I had occasion to ask if they will ever have a similar Cardiac Care Center at TVRH and was told, it is too costly to duplicate all that is required for cardiac surgery and care afterwards at another close-by hospital.

Just wondering if it makes financial sense to have multiple Cancer/Oncology facilities, all within an hours drive from the Villages. I realize that there may be more folks needing this type of care than needing heart surgery, but how many facilities are really needed or can be justified?

While thinking about this, I was also wondering why to my knowledge, there has not been any discussion about the need for a level 2 Trauma Center closer to The Villages. I think about that need, every time I read of a a serious automobile accident or, someone being ejected from their golf cart and when I hear a medevac helicopter coming into TV or leaving for Orlando or Tampa or Gainesville. In most of these situations, time is extremely important and golf cart access to the trauma center is a non-issue.

Hancle, those are excellent points. We certainly have the need for a variety of top level medical facilities in a variety of specialties, more so than duplicating the cancer radiation facilities that we already have in the area.

I attended the Bouisanneault open house and was advised by one of the staff that they were operating at 25% capacity in the summer season and 50% in the winter.

Cancer incidence expected to skyrocket with baby boomers aging
 

While people question and even condemn adding more cancer treatment facilities because of possible "duplication" of services, I think it's best to look at what a radiation oncologist told me last year (paraphrasing):

"All projections in our specialty indicate that the incidence of cancer is going to keep rising, but more dramatically in coming decades, as the population of baby bommers etc. ages over 65 and the population lives longer because of medical advances. Cancer incidence is expected to rise and double in the next 2 to three decades and the systems and providers we now have can be quickly overwhelmed and unable to accommodate and treat all who need it."

Take a look at the article linked below, and the numbers given for increased aged population compared to how new oncology centers are already overwhelmed in New York, for example. One key factor for all areas but especially in The Villages is that by 2025, the number of New Yorkers over the age of 65 will have increased by 40% over today's numbers. Go on to read about how for example, Brooklyn's Maimonides 50,000 cancer visits were up 66% in just two years. Its 5-year old $42 million cancer center is already out of space and needs to expand.

This and many other key demographic trends are good to read. Then take into account how aging New Yorkers, for example come to live in The Villages along with the aging population from all other states. I'm only using NYers as an example because I've been told they are the #2 state from which people move to TV.

To me it looks like we need to prepare for this rising tide of cancer driven by larger numbers of people aging.....and what is wrong with paying for some of that ourselves instead of waiting for the government or somebody else to take care of it?!?!?

See: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...SUB/308229982#
It may require a log-in by Free Trial, but it's easy to do by giving your email address and making a password, and it is well worth the read.

And some wonder why they have started an all out PR assault on the new affliation?

Most go where insurance pays most
 

And just because the provider has 50% or less occupancy does not mean everyone can go there and have bills fully covered by the insurance or medicare advantage plan they have.

I've read that Boissaneault is mainly networked the Ocala Health System, not CFHA. If a patient goes "out of network" having a CHFA plan like Preferred Care Partners, they will usually have to pay a good percentage of the bill themselves, right?

There is no link between CFHA and Preferred Care - one is a business that owns TVRH and the other is a Medicare Advantage Plan. Boissoneault is accepted by Preferred Care, see page 59 of their 2011 provider manual. Dr. Anderson, founder of RBOI, started his practice in Ocala and probably gets a lot of referrals from that area. He then expanded to the Villages using his own funds to build his office and purchase equipment. This move benefited TV and didn't cost us a dime.

I do not know where you got the impression anyone was against the new Moffitt affiliate. What I am against is the fraudulent means that Morse, Daily Sun, CFHA and TVHS has used to extract donations from Villagers. You are not donating to equipment owned by the Moffitt Cancer Center, you are donating for equipment owned by TVHS who has 175 million dollars in assets.

I don't think there was a PR assault, only information that was not available from sources within TV. Some day we will get a real newspaper and be able to make informed decisions.

I was referring to the PR assault by other cancer treatment providers. I don't blame them. They stand to lose a large portion of their practice.