University-area patients who visit the USF Health BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic for their medical care will be among those who benefit from a generous gift of Beata Casañas, MD, professor in the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM).
On behalf of herself and her daughter Cassandra Casañas, Dr. Casañas donated all of the medical equipment and supplies from the private medical practice office owned by her late husband, Dr. Robert Casañas. In addition to the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic, the TGH Specialty Center at Healthpark received some of the donated equipment, as well.
Dr. Robert Casañas, who passed away June 2020, had a life-long commitment to care for the underserved and the practice of humanistic medicine. He completed his Master of Science degree at USF and was an adjunct professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in MCOM. He practiced for years in California, where he directed and owned three medical practices and served as the main investigative health consultant for the State of California in Sacramento. After moving back to Florida, Dr. Casañas opened his private practice, Lunasol Institute, in Westchase where he practiced as a Functional and Integrative Medicine internist. He was a beloved physician to many in the Tampa Bay area, known for his compassion and dedication to his patients.
Dr. Casañas was a close friend to many at USF, respected for his love of medicine and contributions to the Tampa Bay community. He was known for his generosity, his keen intellect, and his sense of humor. Robert and Beata Casañas were married for 19 years and shared their devotion to their daughter Cassandra.
This gift will help serve the health care needs of patients at the USF Health BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic, a student-directed clinic caring for underserved patients in the area near the USF campus in north Tampa.
Photos courtesy of the Casañas family.