Ryan Ray
This morning in the Capitol rotunda, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam stood with Moffitt President and CEO Alan F. List to announce the department’s largest private-sector partnership to promote what they call “Living Healthy in Florida,” an initiative to increase awareness of the importance of being physically active, eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding carcinogens.
“This new partnership underscores the impact cancer has on Floridians. Cancer is the leading cause of death in our state, and Florida ranks No. 2 in the United States for cancer incidence and mortality,” List said. “It is important for Moffitt and our state legislators to work together to find new ways to prevent and stand up to cancer in our local communities.”
Putnam spoke about the need for greater awareness of what goes into the American diet, which according to Moffitt — the “gold standard” in oncology — doesn’t include enough of the kinds of fruits that are growing in Florida this time of year.
A crowd of about 75 cancer survivors, families of survivors and Moffitt volunteers joined the usual Capitol crowd of reporters and aides to watch Marsha Hill, who essentially served as the announcement’s keynote speaker, detail her journey as a Floridian diagnosed with the dreadful diagnosis of cancer. She was sent across the country, Hill said, including to a prestigious Dallas, Texas, hospital that housed a physician she called “Dr. Nightmare,” only to end up back in her native Florida to receive treatment at Moffitt.
“When I arrived at Moffitt, I knew I belonged,” said Hill, who had been diagnosed with “triple-negative” cancer in both breasts, in her testimonial. “They rolled out the red carpet. The nurse who received me was so warm and welcoming, and the people who drew my blood were so welcoming. I knew I had found a place where I could feel at home.”
Speaker Allan Bense, an ardent supporter of Moffitt during his tenure as speaker, also was on hand and received a special thanks from Putnam, as were Majority Leader Dana Young and Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills.
Moffitt, named for former House Speaker H. Lee Moffitt of Tampa, is the only cancer institute in the country created by state statute.
