NTBC Ribbon Cutting Opened The State-Of-The-Art, 45,000-Sq.-Ft. Cancer Center In Wiregrass Ranch On May 15!
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 45,000-sq.-ft. Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) building off S.R. 56 in Wiregrass Ranch on May 15 was more than just another Grand Opening event. It expands Wesley Chapel’s reputation as a health-care hub, now with two major cancer treatment centers. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Although the Angeline community in Land O’Lakes is getting what will be the largest cancer treatment and research center in Florida — the sprawling, 775-acre “Speros FL” Moffitt Cancer Center campus with 16 million square feet of lab, office, manufacturing and clinical space, the new Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) building on the south side of S.R. 56 in Wiregrass Ranch gives the Wesley Chapel area two major cancer centers (the other is the 28,000 sq. ft. being occupied by the Moffitt Cancer Center at Wesley Chapel in the 100,000-sq.-ft. Healing Plaza building adjacent to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel).
But, the 45,000-sq.-ft. FCS building, located only 3.5 miles from the AdventHealth/ Moffitt center, is now the largest cancer treatment facility in Wesley Chapel.
Samantha (Sam) Watkins
FCS cut the ribbon (in conjunction with the North Tampa Bay Chamber, or NTBC) to officially open the new state-of-the-art treatment center on May 15, as the location’s VP of operations Samantha (Sam) Watkins introduced director of patient advocacy (and Board-certified oncologist and hematologist) Richard McDonough, M.D. (holding scissors in the photo on this page), who introduced several of his colleagues, including medical oncologist Dr. Ayman Barakat, radiation oncologist Dr. Bradford Perez and GYN (gynecologic) oncologist Dr. Jessica Stine to the crowd of more than 100 people, many of whom were FCS doctors, staff members and administrators.
Watkins mentioned that the new FCS clinic will include five medical oncologists and hematologists, two radiation oncologists, six advance practice nursing providers and a “dedicated group of clinicians and support staff.”
Watkins also provided a lot of the basic information about FCS in general, including that in 2024, FCS celebrated its 40th anniversary of cancer care in the Sunshine State, when FCS treated more than 102,000 new patients and provided more than 4.2 million clinic visits.
The new FCS facility in Wiregrass Ranch has 62 infusion chairs.
“One statistic that I find incredible,” Watkins said, “is that 67 percent of all Floridians live within 20 miles of an FCS center, which serves our mission of being in the community.”
And, although Moffitt is still the highest-rated cancer treatment center overall in Florida, FCS also ranks among the top-performing oncology practices and offers more clinical trials than any other private oncology practice in Florida. And, according to Dr. Barakat (see more from him below), the new Wiregrass Ranch location should soon be hosting clinical trials of its own.
Dr. Richard McDonough
Watkins noted, “More than 150 clinical trials are [being conducted] at our 29 locations across the state…. With our expanded capabilities to provide state-of-the-art genetic testing, our physicians are able to design treatment plans with the utmost precision and provide truly personalized medicine, which translates into better outcomes for our patients.”
Meanwhile, Dr. McDonough said, “My colleagues and I share a passion and dedication to a singular goal to provide our patients with the most advanced treatments possible that are personalized to the unique needs of what they have. We try to minimize the disruption [to their lives] by making sure we are closer to where they live and that the patient can get the care with the support people and community around them, and really to be a big part of driving the best outcomes for our patients.”
Dr. Ayman Barakat
Dr. Barakat provided some additional statistics about the new FCS facility, and the difference between the new building and the original Wesley Chapel location that opened in 2019. “We only had four exam rooms and seven infusion chairs,” he said. “But now, we have 32 exam rooms, 62 infusion chairs, and offer expert treatment for all forms of cancer and blood disorders. We have an on-site lab, our own oncology pharmacy care coordinator, services with patient assistance through our generous foundation, and, of course, access to the most advanced and promising treatment through clinical trials, which hopefully we should be planning to start in this building very shortly.”
Dr. Bradford Perez
Dr. Perez, a lifelong Tampa native, talked about the team approach to patient care at FCS.
“One of the things about FCS is that it does give us the opportunity to work together as part of a multidisciplinary oncology team and as a radiation oncologist you know I’m really glad to have an opportunity to work with the medical oncologists here at FCS. This location has state-of-the-art equipment, like the Varian TrueBeamTM machine, which does precise, stereotactic radiation treatments.”
Dr. Perez also noted that, “Wesley Chapel is a big growth area, so it’s great to be able to provide great care for patients, with the most advanced technology, where people are moving and living.”
Dr. Jessica Stine
Next, Dr. Stine said that when she joined FCS four years ago, “My goal was to bring GYN oncology, which is a unique specialty that doesn’t have a lot of growth outside of city centers, to areas where patients really needed to have access to high-quality care. I felt that it was really kind of a shame that patients [in suburban areas] had to essentially go to the ‘ivory tower’ to get their surgeries and the care they needed.”
She added, “We are also very excited to announce that we will be expanding the GYN oncology program within FCS with Dr. Heather Miller, who is actually joining us locally from her very thriving practice in the Brandon and Tampa Bay market. She will be caring for our patients here in Wesley Chapel and in North Tampa as well.”
Hope Kennedy
The final speaker before the ribbon cutting was NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy, who said, “It is an honor to be here with you today. We broke ground in 2019, right before the pandemic, on a cold, windy day. We saw the renderings of what this [facility] was going to be. We could not be more honored to be here by your side. The community is here to support you. We thank you for your investment, not only in this beautiful building, but also for the service you provide to our community.”
FCS (2895 Hueland Pond Blvd.) is open every weekday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, call (813) 279-7107 or visit FLCancer.com.
The Varian TrueBeamTM machine actually rotates around the patient to provide precise radiation treatments.
We continue to shine our spotlight on the local businesses who host North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting events — as a no-cost add-on to their Chamber memberships — and this issue is no different. We really hope you’ll tell these businesses that you first read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!
Pinellas Vascular’s Tampa Office
On April 16, Board-certified vascular surgeon Avianne Bunnell, MD (at right in photo below, with NTBC president/CEO Hope Kennedy), and her staff at their new location (at 3450 E. Fletcher Ave., Ste. 330, Tampa) of Pinellas Vascular, hosted a great party for their Grand Opening, with food, a wine tasting and tours of the new office.
According to its website, Pinellas Vascular, “provides the most advanced, low-risk treatments available anywhere to help improve your quality of life.” At the ribbon cutting, Dr. Bunnell said, “We are now serving patients with vascular and arterial diseases, diabetic patients…and we also have a wonderful nurse practitioner (Chelsea Hermez, APRN) providing aesthetic services (including cosmetic injections, weight management strategies and vein ablations and sclerotherapy).”
For more info about Pinellas Vascular, visit PinellasVascular.com or call (813) 771-8346.-GN
“Just Pull It” At 54 & Collier Pkwy.
On April 30, periodontist Jeffrey Hameroff, D.D.S. (right), the founder of “Just Pull It,” a unique dental office that specializes in low-cost, same-day tooth extractions, welcomed NTBC members to the ribbon-cutting event celebrating the third anniversary of the Just Pull It location at 1942 Collier Pkwy. in Lutz (across Collier Pkwy. from Pizza Suprema).
Dr. Hameroff opened the first Just Pull It in Spring Hill in 2018 and today has four Tampa Bay-area locations, including one off U.S. Hwy. 301 in Zephyrhills, with two more offices opening soon.
“It’s simple,” Dr. Hameroff told the NTBC members in attendance. “No other dental office does what we do — especially for only $250!”
For more info about the Lutz location, call (813) 738-9490 or visit JustPullIt.dental.
Clean Freak Car Wash-Overpass Rd.
And finally, on May 1, regional director of operations Chris Laurella (left) welcomed NTBC members to the new Clean Freak Car Wash at 32359 Overpass Rd., just east of Curley Rd., behind the coming-soon Chick-fil-A. The ribbon-cutting event also included free tasty coffee beverages from Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck.
Laurella described the differences between Clean Freak — which has 30 locations, mainly in Arizona (Wesley Chapel is the company’s first in Florida) — and other “tunnel” car wash chains.
“There’s not a lot of water in Arizona,” Laurella told the NTBC members who followed him on a tour of the new Clean Freak (the tunnel wash system was turned off for the tour), “so we do everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint, like our water recycling system and using eco-friendly chemicals. Our tunnels also feature the latest car wash technology.” He even showed the tunnel’s unique soft brushes (below) “that won’t damage your vehicle’s paint job.”
Clean Freak’s parent company, True Blue Car Wash, LLC, was acquired by the parent company of Circle K. So, your $19.99 monthly membership also earns you discounts on fuel at participating Circle K locations.
We continue to promote the ribbon-cutting events hosted by members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC). A recent one we attended was for Peak Brain & Body (2404 Creel Ln, #101, Wesley Chapel; below photo) on Mar. 11.
Peak is the office of Family Nurse Practitioner and Chiropractic Physician Dr. Spencer Zimmerman, who moved with his family to our area from Idaho and is the only dual-licensed nurse practitioner/chiropractor using advanced neurological diagnostics, functional neurology, functional medicine and peptide therapy in Florida.
Our photographer Charmaine George also was on hand for the ribbon cutting at Jachimek Chiropractic & Wellness, located at 5111 Ehrlich Rd., Ste. 128, Tampa (Top Photo) on Mar. 20. Chiropractic physician Juliet Marvenko, or Dr. J, cut that Chamber ribbon.
For more information, call (813) 960-2225 or visit JachimekChiro.com.
And then, on Mar. 26, Tiny Tots Playtown (photo right & below), located at 24412 S.R. 54 in Lutz (in the Eagle Plaza, behind Brunchies), cut an NTBC ribbon. Owner Lauren Pratt introduced Chamber members to her super-cute, shoe-free (don’t forget to bring your socks) little indoor play center for young kids — which surely will be a welcome respite from Florida’s summer heat and rains, which are fast approaching.
Tiny Tots can host kids parties and has gift cards and unlimited play opportunities available.
If you haven’t yet been to the new North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) office — located at 28329 Paseo Dr., Suite 195, in the same space next to Dillard’s in the Shops at Wiregrass that previously was home to a Pasco Sheriff’s Office substation (and then, the off-site office for the Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch apartments), you really should go check it out.
As NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy mentioned when I was her first guest at her new in-office studio for her “Chamber Chatter” podcast last week, “This is the office I always wanted here at the mall. I’m so glad we finally were able to get it!”
Hope said that it was only fitting that I would be her first guest in the new studio, because of the long-standing symbiotic relationship between the Chamber and the Neighborhood News, especially since Hope first took over the reins at the former Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber 13 or so years ago.
Not only did I get to tell that story, but also a lot of the history of the only news publication directly mailed to all of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for the last 30 years under the same owner and editor.
My 30-minute chat with Hope also touched on my obsession with helping local mom-and-pop restaurants succeed in our communities, on my not understanding why we have to have so many chicken places and my decision to host a contest to find our readers’ favorite chicken restaurant.
Hope also brought up my dismay over the fact that two sisters who live in Wesley Chapel — Scarlett Spongberg and Fallon Fields (above left photo) — didn’t get to win one of 20 drawn-at-random free Raising Cane’s-for-a-year prizes, despite being first in line at the Raising Cane’s Grand Opening. Hope mentioned “the nice story” that local Realtors Chad and April Emory of Emorys Rock Realty split the cost with me of providing that prize for the two young women.
Check out “Chamber Chatter” at NorthTampaBayChamber.com. To try to be a guest on the show, call the Chamber office at (813) 994-8534.
Congrats, Tri-Health!
One of the other things Hope mentioned during the podcast was how much she appreciates us shining the spotlight in print on so many Chamber members who host NTBC ribbon-cutting events at their locations.
One such event we never published was the ribbon cutting (right) for Tri-Health Primary Care & Women’s Health Services, located at 2253 Green Hedges Way, #101, in the Summergate Prof. Center, which cut a Chamber ribbon on Jan. 30.
Local Business Community Begins Investigating The Possibility Of Incorporation; Feasibility & Boundaries Will Be Determined By Studies
The last time we posted a map of Wesley Chapel on our front cover, back in Oct. of 2023, it was pretty obvious that a lot of people didn’t know what the boundaries of the fastest-growing community in the state of Florida actually were.
And, even though a small group of local business leaders is now talking about incorporating Wesley Chapel as its own municipality again, where to draw the boundaries of the proposed new city is still a work in progress.
What is clear, however, at least according to Jamie Hess (at right in photo), the owner of the Computer Emergency Room locations on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel and on County Line Rd. in Lutz, is that the time for Wesley Chapel to become a city is now.
“We already have almost everything we need here, other than maybe a true city center and a post office,” Hess told me during an exclusive interview at the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) office, along with NTBC president and chief executive officer Hope Kennedy (left in photo). Hess has been an NTBC Board member for several years and he and his fellow Board members gave Kennedy the O.K. to at least look into what an incorporated Wesley Chapel would look like, and what areas it would include. For right now, the group is using the zip codes currently called “Wesley Chapel” — 33543, 33544 and 33545 — as the boundaries, but Hess and Kennedy acknowledge that “fixing” those boundaries is a long way off.
With her Board’s directive in place, Kennedy already has a proposal from a company in Texas to conduct two studies that she says would both have to have favorable results before the subject of incorporation can gather any real momentum.
How It All Began
But speaking of momentum, Hess said that the catalyst for the NTBC Board to begin seriously considering the possibility began with a seemingly innocent comment made at an NTBC Coffee event in Oct. of 2024, where District 20 State Senator Danny Burgess, himself at one time the youngest-ever Mayor of Zephyrhills, said that the one goal he had before he retired from government service was, “For Wesley Chapel to become its own city.”
That got the wheels turning for Hess, who was sitting in the front row (with yours truly) that day. “I kept asking myself, ‘Why not? Why can’t we?,’” Hess told me. “Wesley Chapel is basically a cash machine for Pasco County, so it would be great for us to keep our tax dollars right here.” Kennedy added, “Right after that meeting, our Board came together and said to me, ‘Make it happen.’”
The Op-Ed Piece
Right before sitting down with me, the following Op-Ed piece by Hess appeared in the Tampa Bay Business Journal on March 7:
The Time is Now: Why Wesley Chapel Must Take Control Of Its Future
Wesley Chapel is no longer just a suburb — it’s a thriving economic powerhouse. Yet, despite our rapid growth, we remain unincorporated, with no direct control over how our tax dollars are spent. We generate millions in revenue, yet much of it is allocated to projects outside our community. It’s time to consider incorporation to ensure our tax dollars are reinvested where they belong — right here in Wesley Chapel.
Once a rural town, Wesley Chapel has evolved into one of Florida’s fastest-growing areas. We have top-tier healthcare, strong schools, and a booming business community, yet we lack a local government to advocate for our needs.
Currently, all decisions affecting our growth — zoning, infrastructure, business regulations — are made at the county level. Incorporation would allow us to shape policies that align with our community’s unique needs and priorities. Incorporation would allow us to establish a true city center — a place where businesses thrive, government services are easily accessible, and residents can engage with their local leaders. A true city center would create a hub for commerce, government services, and civic engagement. A dedicated city hall would bring the government closer to the people, offering a place for public meetings, business licensing, municipal planning, and other vital functions. A local post office would provide more convenient service, rather than relying on locations serving multiple communities. Wesley Chapel is large enough to sustain these services, it’s time we took ownership of them.
For businesses, incorporation means stability and efficiency. Permitting, zoning, and economic incentives would be handled locally, reducing delays and creating a business-friendly environment. With direct control over tax revenue, we could fund infrastructure improvements, support local businesses, and attract new industries. Instead of waiting for county-wide initiatives, we could take immediate action to enhance our economic future.
Traffic congestion on S.R. 54 and I-75 is a growing issue, yet local infrastructure projects often take a backseat to county-wide priorities. As an incorporated city, we could direct funding toward much-needed road improvements and explore expanded transit options. Public safety is another pressing concern. Wesley Chapel relies on county services spread thin across a vast area. Incorporation would allow us to create a dedicated police and fire department, ensuring faster response times and better community-focused safety measures.
Before moving forward, we need a comprehensive economic impact study to assess the feasibility of incorporation. This study will provide critical data on how incorporation would affect residents, businesses, and public services. With clear financial insights, we can make informed decisions about our community’s future.
Wesley Chapel has outgrown its unincorporated status. Our businesses and residents deserve a government that prioritizes local needs, reinvests tax dollars into our own infrastructure, and fosters economic growth. The time has come to take control of our destiny and build a Wesley Chapel that works for us.
The future is ours—let’s take the next step. — Reprinted from the Tampa Bay Business Journal
The Game Plan
Hess and Kennedy assured me that the process currently being undertaken has been a “very thoughtful one,” according to Kennedy. “It’s going to be very much data-driven.”
“We’re starting by raising money for an economic impact study,” Hess added. “That’s the first step.”
At our press time, the NTBC Board had not yet ratified the decision to officially retain a neutral third party — Austin, TX-based Angelou Economics — to conduct the economic impact study, at a cost of $75,000. But, Hess was confident that the Board would approve Kennedy’s recommendation at the Board meeting on Mar. 11.
“My initial conversation with [Angelou] was so extraordinary,” Kennedy said. “They said, ‘This situation (the possibility of incorporating Wesley Chapel) is incredible.”
If and when that economic impact study comes back with a positive result, as Hess and Kennedy expect, another $75,000 would be needed to fund a second study — an actual incorporation feasibility study — that also would be conducted by Angelou.
“Right now, we only need $75,000,” Hess said. “If the economic impact study doesn’t come back favorable, we’re probably not going to need that other $75,000. There would be no need to raise money for a feasibility study. But, we’re confident that both studies are going to end up giving us the green light to move forward.”
Kennedy added, “We’re actually planning to try to raise a total of $200,000, because we estimate that we’re also going to need about $50,000 for community engagement and marketing. But, we believe that doing it incrementally is a good idea. Angelou isn’t going to require us to pay for the second study until the first one comes back positive. This way, we won’t be on the hook for the whole $200,000. Yes, we are currently raising capital, but we haven’t made an official ‘ask’ yet and we’re not ready to announce any major donors at this time.”
Hess added, however, “That a lot of people have already told us they want to help, but until enough people actually write a check, we’ll still be in fund-raising mode.” He noted that even small amounts contributing to the fund-raising campaign, as a couple of local business owners have offered, “will definitely be accepted.”
Hess and Kennedy said they are thankful to former Florida House Speaker (and Wesley Chapel resident) Will Weatherford, who got legislation passed before he left the house in 2014 that said a community wanting to incorporate did not need to get permission from the county in which it is located. “It will be a referendum for those impacted,” Kennedy said, “and we believe that 50% + 1 vote of the registered voters who show up to the polls for the referendum from the area proposing incorporation will have to vote in favor of it for it to pass.”
Kennedy also acknowledged that this is not the first time incorporating Wesley Chapel has been considered. “But, the last time, around 2016 or so, a group of Wesley Chapel residents came to the Chamber and said, ‘We want to incorporate,’ which gave us quite a lift, but it fell apart for two main reasons — arguing over what the boundaries should be and the lack of involvement from the business community.”
Of course, there are dozens more large-scale businesses located within what could become the City of Wesley Chapel now than there were ten (or even five) years ago, and. Kennedy said, “Because we’re starting with the business community and the studies, we feel confident there will be more momentum for it this time around.”
She also noted, however, that the Chamber has its own 501(c)(3) foundation that the funds for the studies could flow through, “because it’s in our Foundation bylaws that we can use Foundation funds for ‘Studies of Community Impact.’ So, any donations to this cause would be tax deductible because you’d be funding a study.”
Igniting The Spark
“Senator Danny Burgess (photo left, with Kennedy) essentially lit this idea on fire,” Kennedy said of the Oct. 2024 Chamber Coffee event. “Our Board came back to me after that meeting and said, ‘Go ahead. Make it happen.’ And, I’ve been working on this ever since.”
One of the first things Kennedy and Hess had to look into was law enforcement.
“We approached (Pasco) Sheriff Chris Nocco’s office about establishing a police presence in Wesley Chapel,” Kennedy said. “They have told us that, ‘[PCSO’s] official position is that we will support whatever the citizens of Wesley Chapel decide for their future.”
That could mean hiring additional Pasco Sheriff’s deputies just for Wesley Chapel or establishing a municipal police force (as in the cities of Dade City and Zephyrhills). Either way, police protection would be paid by the residents of the new City of Wesley Chapel.
“The only thing we have out here in terms of services that’s doing O.K. is fire,” Hess added. “The fire [and emergency medical] services are pretty good, but police is way behind. Plus, we can’t seem to get a post office and we have no municipal buildings of any kind.”
So, the fund raising is beginning in earnest now and Hess is quick to point out that the group is not looking for one or two sweetheart donors to fund the whole $75,000 starting cost.
“We’re looking for local business people and residents who want to donate anything from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to get the ball rolling,” he said. “We don’t want anyone thinking that because they funded most or all of it, that they have control over how we proceed.”
Kennedy also has made an initial inquiry with Pasco supervisor of elections Brian Corley, who said he would have to look into how it would work to set up an initial municipal election and how potential voters would be notified.
“Brian said, I’ve never done this before, so I will have to get back to you. But this is exciting!”
Thankfully, Hess noted, “There are a lot of examples over the last 10 years or so of communities in Florida incorporating, so at least we have some examples to study.”
The most recent such example is Westlake, which became the 411th municipality in Florida on June 22, 2016. Of course, the master-planned unit development known as Westlake only had about 900 residents when it incorporated (it’s up to about 6,000 today), vs. anywhere from about 60,000 to more than 100,000 residents of what would be the City of Wesley Chapel, depending upon whose population estimates you use and where the boundaries would be set.
“As far as places our size in Florida, there’s only a handful that aren’t incorporated,” Hess said. “We would definitely be a city, because of the size, not an incorporated town or village.”
Kennedy and Hess also discussed the type of municipal government that might be set up in the City of Wesley Chapel.
The current cities in Pasco County — Dade City, Zephyrhills, San Antonio, New Port Richey and Port Richey (St. Leo is an incorporated town)— are all run by City Councils, with mayors selected from the Council members.
But, Kennedy said that because Wesley Chapel is so much bigger, the government could be set up as a strong mayoral form of government, with City Council members representing the districts in which they live. “All of that needs to be figured out in the future,” she said.
They both said that if the studies come back favorable, the goal is to get the proposed city charter written in time for consideration by the 2026 State Legislative session. If approved, the governor could then select a charter mayor, and there could be municipal elections sometime during the following election cycle. As for who might be interested in serving as (or running for) the Mayor of Wesley Chapel, neither of them wanted to speculate. “It’s just so early in the process,” Hess said.
So, What About Those Boundaries?
As mentioned above, for now, the “working” boundaries for the proposed city are the three Wesley Chapel zip codes (33543, 33544 & 33545 on the map), but that could change.
As we reported in Oct. 2023, Kennedy would prefer to use the Census Designated Places (CDP) map, which uses natural boundaries for CDP boundaries, which would move the boundary of Wesley Chapel well west of I-75, to Cypress Creek. This would allow Wesley Chapel to also include the Tampa Premium Outlets, but using the CDP map also would mean that places like Watergrass, the northern half of Epperson and other parts of the so-called “Connected City” would not be included in the city limits.
No matter which boundaries end up being used, the City of Wesley Chapel would include all three local hospitals, plus Pasco Fire Rescue Station Nos. 13 (on Old Pasco Rd.) and 26 (in Meadow Pointe) and could include No. 38 in Watergrass.
Hess said that until the economic impact study comes back, there’s no reason to try to set the boundaries.
“The main thing for me,” he said, “is that if our taxes would have to go up significantly to make this happen, I couldn’t support it.”
For more info about the City of Wesley Chapel, email Jamie Hess at jamie.hess@computeremergencyroom.com.
