St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Brings Expert Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Care to Polk County

Children diagnosed with blood disorders or cancers who live in or near Polk County now have access to expert care closer to home. St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Bayless Cancer Institute is expanding its services to include a weekly clinic in Lakeland, FL. 

The hospital’s team of highly specialized hematology-oncology physicians will host an outpatient clinic on Mondays in the BayCare Kids Specialty Center, located at 1417 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33805. 

During the weekly clinic, the physicians will see a full range of hematology patients as well as oncology patients who have completed chemotherapy. Patients currently undergoing chemotherapy will continue to receive infusions at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa. 

“Our physicians are passionate about elevating quality care for children with blood disorders and cancers and are looking forward to the chance to better serve existing and new patients and families in Polk County and beyond,” said Dr. Don Eslin, medical director of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Hematology-Oncology program. “This added service will help improve access to expert medical care for families who are going through a difficult journey.”

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Bayless Cancer Institute physicians are board certified in pediatric hematology-oncology, and specialize in all hematological, malignant disorders/disease and neuro-oncology that affects infants, children, adolescents and young adults.  

Howard and Deanna Bayless of Lakeland recently made a leadership gift to rename St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Cancer Institute. The Bayless family are long-time supporters and advocates of the hospital’s pediatric oncology services. Their daughter, Emily, was diagnosed in 2005 with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue sarcoma, when she was just a year old and was successfully treated at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. 

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is Tampa Bay’s largest provider of children’s health services and is committed to providing everything needed for the health and well-being of children. Together, BayCare Kids and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital offer specialized inpatient and outpatient pediatric care to thousands of children and their families each year in multiple locations throughout west central Florida. From the tiniest baby to the high school quarterback, patients are cared for by doctors who specialize in treating children, in surroundings designed exclusively for kids. 

To schedule a pediatric hematology-oncology appointment at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Specialty Center in Lakeland, please call (813) 321-6820.