In 1978, H. Lee Moffit, at the time a Florida state representative, went on a mission to have a hospital focused on cancer research in the state of Florida. After surviving a battle with cancer himself, and witnessing cancer defeat two of his friends, was adamant in persuading the Florida legislature to build, fund, and support a cancer institute in the state of Florida. At the time, he talked about how Florida’s high rate of cancer is prevalent among the community and that more than 14,000 new cancer cases were expected each year in the state. After hearing the statistics, Moffitt went into more depth in getting help from his colleagues/peers, community, even teamed up with then dean of the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine
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This made a lot of people nervous since the health care in the area was already occupied by many facilities and adding one more, especially one the specializes in cancer would attract more people outside Hillsborough county and eventually take business away from the other hospitals. Either way, groundbreaking ceremonies for the $70 million, 162-bed facility took place in January 1983. The center was incorporated in the spring of 1984 in which the newly elected board of directors agreed to name the hospital after then House of Representatives Speaker H. Lee Moffitt. Construction was completed in 1986 and it first received their first patients on October 27, 1986.
In 1990, the cancer center acquired a building across from them, which was a research center, which made it a lot easier to recruit scientist, clinicians, and support staff. This helped expand Moffitt’s vision, instead of a hospital specialized in treating cancer now they can help investigate new ways for defeating cancer. The Florida Legislature funded $12 million for the renovation and equipment for the new research
This made a lot of people nervous since the health care in the area was already occupied by many facilities and adding one more, especially one the specializes in cancer would attract more people outside Hillsborough county and eventually take business away from the other hospitals. Either way, groundbreaking ceremonies for the $70 million, 162-bed facility took place in January 1983. The center was incorporated in the spring of 1984 in which the newly elected board of directors agreed to name the hospital after then House of Representatives Speaker H. Lee Moffitt. Construction was completed in 1986 and it first received their first patients on October 27, 1986.
In 1990, the cancer center acquired a building across from them, which was a research center, which made it a lot easier to recruit scientist, clinicians, and support staff. This helped expand Moffitt’s vision, instead of a hospital specialized in treating cancer now they can help investigate new ways for defeating cancer. The Florida Legislature funded $12 million for the renovation and equipment for the new research