The Heath Care District partnership expands Tampa General's footprint in Palm Beach County, a market that has attracted other out-of-area hospitals.

BELLE GLADE — Tampa General Hospital and the Health Care District of Palm Beach County have reached a five-year agreement in which the two organizations will partner to run Lakeside Medical Center in Belle Glade.

Leaders of both groups say the goal is to expand access to healthcare in The Glades communities near Lake Okeechobee. They are promising to listen to the region’s needs and comments.

The partnership is the latest effort by Tampa General, the largest hospital system on Florida’s west coast, to expand into Palm Beach County, a lucrative healthcare market.

John Couris, the president and CEO of Tampa General and the former CEO of Jupiter Medical Center, said hospital officials will meet with community leaders and residents in The Glades in the coming months to identify needs. He stressed that most changes to Lakeside will be gradual.

“It’s going to take us two to three years to get to where we believe we can get Lakeside to,” Couris told the nearly 200 people who attended an April 28 forum at Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus.

“It’s going to take some patience. It’s going to take grace. ... We don’t want to build something that doesn’t reflect your community’s need.”

Couris said the primary goal will be to reduce the need for residents to travel outside of The Glades for basic medical services.

“We believe that every single Floridian has a right to access world class healthcare in the communities that they live in,” he said.

“This is about creating an environment and a set of services and programs where people can access those services right here at home. You don’t need to be transferred out. That’s critically important.”

As a part of the agreement, Tampa General appointed Ron Doncaster to be Lakeside Medical Center's business operations and integration vice president.

Lakeside partnership adds to Tampa General's footprint in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County’s only public hospital, Lakeside is a rural teaching hospital with 70 private patient rooms. It was built in 2009 and serves the rural communities near Lake Okeechobee, where about 40,000 people live and most of the population is middle- to low-income.

In recent years, Tampa General has partnered with physician practice groups in Palm Beach County to create 18 medical offices stretching from Palm Beach Gardens to Delray Beach. It also has joined with Mass General Brigham, the teaching hospital system for Harvard Medical School, to build medical offices in Palm Beach Gardens.

"Tampa General represents excellence on all fronts," said Darcy Davis, the Health Care District’s president and CEO.

"We really appreciate that they're going to be able to partner with us to bring more services to the Glades. It doesn't matter where you live. Everyone deserves the best care possible."

Lakeside to consider restoring maternity services closed in 2022

During a question-and-answer session with the audience at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center, a panel addressed a variety of issues, including whether there are any plans to reopen Lakeside's labor and delivery unit.

The hospital announced in 2022 that it would close the unit due a declining number of births. The change left Palms West Hospital in Royal Palm Beach as the nearest medical outlet for expectant mothers.

Davis said reopening the Lakeside unit will be considered and would largely depend on whether there is an increased need.

“Everything is on the table in terms of what we are looking at and of where we want to go,” she said.

Couris addressed a question about whether the changes could include a reduction in the number of staffers at the hospital.

“We’re not here to cut," he said. 'We’re here to grow. We’re here to expand. We’re here to build. What we need is investment in these communities."

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham . Help support our work: Subscribe today.