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UCH Says It Will Stop Offering 3 Cancer Treatments

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By MARILYN BROWN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 14, 2008

TAMPA - University Community Hospital plans to discontinue three patient cancer therapies at the end of this month.

Declining profits and fewer patient visits are the reasons, said Phoebe Ochman, a hospital spokeswoman.

She said the hospital tried unsuccessfully to work with pharmaceutical companies to lower costs before the decision was made to cut the services.

Patients are being notified when they come in for Thyrogen injections, chemotherapy and Procrit therapy.

Letters with a list of other centers that could provide the treatments are being prepared and should be in the mail this week, she said.

Patients will need referrals from their doctors to transfer treatments, she said. As for insurance transfers, she said patients will have to match their coverage with the new providers.

"There is a remote possibility some may have difficulty finding another location," Ochman said. "We'll work with that individual. We're not going to have anyone waving in the breeze."

University Community Hospital will continue to provide IV antibiotic and blood transfusion treatments. A total of 51 patients were receiving some form of therapy in the Infusion Center at the hospital's Fletcher Avenue location.

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069.

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