Health
Lakeland Partnership Reduces Repeat Breast Cancer Surgeries
A partnership between Lakeland Regional Health and Lakeland’s MicroPath Laboratories has reduced the number of repeat operations needed by the hospital’s breast cancer patients, Tampa Bay Business Journal reports in an article available only to its subscribers. Micropath pathologists are on call to assess tissues immediately after surgeries to assess whether the full tumor was removed.
Obesity Study Ranks Polk Heaviest in Florida
A new study says the Lakeland-Winter Haven area has a lot of heavyweights — but not in a good way. Polk County is the heaviest county in Florida, with an obesity rate that’s nearly nine percentage points higher than the rest of the state, according to new calculations by 24/7 Wall St., a financial news website. More
WFLA Reports Question State Radiation Monitoring at Oakbridge, Grasslands
News Channel 8 aired investigative stories today and yesterday following up a lawsuit by homeowners at south Lakeland’s large Oakbridge and Grasslands communities. They report:
- The Florida Department of Health’s environmental administrator admitted under oath that the department hasn’t monitored radiation levels at reclaimed phosphate mines in about five years.
- A lawyer for the homeowners suing the subdivision developers over radiation levels claims state regulars used the wrong handheld devices to monitor radiation before declaring there were no health risks.
City Gives Hospital Rent Relief, Plans Budget Cuts
Lakeland Regional Health is getting rent relief after city commissioners agreed Monday to suspend annual rate increases for five years.
The amendment to the hospital lease agreement removes the annual 2.75% increase in rent through fiscal year 2024, freezing the price at $14.4 million. The annual rent increases had been set under a 25-year agreement between the city and the hospital signed in 2015. More
City Manager Offering Budget Cuts to Avoid a Tax Increase
A plan by the city’s staff will reduce the pressure to raise the property tax rate if a request for rent relief by Lakeland Regional Health is granted, but it won’t be pain-free, City Manager Tony Delgado said. More
Lakeland Regional Health Seeks Lease Forgiveness
Facing financial challenges, Lakeland Regional Health has asked the city of Lakeland to forego planned rent increases through 2025. If city commissioners approve the request, it would mean a $48.6 million revenue reduction over the next few years for the city and a possible property tax increase for residents.
LRH Top Exec Thompson Retiring Next Year; Successor Named
Elaine C. Thompson, who has been the chief executive at Lakeland Regional Health since 2010, is retiring at the end of next year and will be replaced by Danielle Drummond, currently the hospital’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. More
Options for Same-Day Medical Care Expanding
Lakelanders with busy schedules don’t have to look far to find a nearby center where they can get same-day health care. There are currently at least nine urgent care centers in Lakeland, including one, MedExpress, that hosted a grand opening earlier this month at 3700 U.S. 98 N. And Watson Clinic has announced it will break ground next month on an urgent care center at its Oakbridge location. More
Lakeland Woman’s Sister-in-Law Carried Her Baby
Hollie Hepler of Lakeland was born without a uterus, but she fulfilled her dream of having a baby when her sister-in-law, PJ Willis of Gainesville, volunteered to help. In a procedure overseen by a Colorado fertility doctor, PJ carried the fetus created by uniting Hollie’s egg and her husband Joe’s sperm. The Heplers’ son, Jarrell Clayton Hepler, was born healthy last week, weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces, ABC’s Good Morning America reported.