Ribbon-Cutting Held For New TGH Cancer Institute In South Hillsborough

TAMPA, FL — Tampa General Hospital is having a banner month.

After being named one of the top hospitals and health systems in the U.S., hospital leaders celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the completion of Phase 2 of the TGH Cancer Institute in south Hillsborough County Wednesday.

The event included tours of the TGH Cancer Institute at the TGH Brandon Healthplex, 10740 Palm River Road, Tampa.

TGH President and CEO John Couris said the ribbon-cutting marks Tampa General Hospital's efforts to expand access to its world-class cancer center in the rapidly growing communities of south Hillsborough County. The completion of the TGH Cancer Institute Brandon location is planned for the fall with the opening of its Radiation Oncology Center.

TGH Kennedy Emergency Center Opens

The ribbon-cutting comes on the heels of TGH opening the doors of its new TGH Kennedy Emergency Center at 1301 W Kennedy Blvd., this month.

The state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot freestanding center, providing adult and pediatric emergency care, marks a major addition to the emerging Tampa Medical and Research District, a growing hub featuring clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology.

Staffed by a coordinated care team of board-certified physicians and hospital-trained nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and paramedics, the TGH Kennedy Emergency Center is a full-service emergency department with advanced capabilities needed to diagnose and treat patients experiencing broken bones, abdominal pain, severe back pain, poison or medical overdose, shortness of breath as well as fainting, dizziness or weakness..

The center is part of TGH's $550 million master facility plan with an estimated total economic impact of over $967 million and the creation of more than 5,900 new jobs.

Named Among Country's Top Hospitals

The openings come just as Tampa General was named one of the greatest hospitals in the U.S. and to the 2023 Becker’s Hospital Review’s “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs” list by the 2023 Becker's Hospital Review.

Tampa General is one of 86 hospitals nationwide, one of only two hospitals in Florida and the only hospital in the Tampa Bay region to be included on the 2023 Becker’s Hospital Review “Great Hospitals in America” list.

“As one of the nation’s leading academic health systems, we are keenly focused on leveraging brilliant minds and harnessing resources to ignite and spur discovery, develop next-generation therapeutics and life-saving treatments, improve patient outcomes, expand world-class care and advance 21st-century medical education,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “This recognition is a testament to the meaningful progress we have made to drive innovation in care delivery, leading-edge research, and academic training.”

According to Becker’s, Tampa General’s inclusion on the list underscores the academic health system’s commitment to clinical excellence, patient safety, innovation efforts, research, education and patient satisfaction.

Hospitals on the list are leaders who contribute to breakthroughs and discoveries that impact the future of medicine, benefitting both the communities they serve and the health care field as a whole.

Examples of Tampa General’s commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, patient safety, research, education and patient satisfaction include:

• Clinical excellence: As a not-for-profit academic health system and one of the largest hospitals in the U.S., Tampa General is consistently recognized for world-class care, is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Tampa Bay by U.S. News & World Report for 2022-23 and is nationally ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation in seven specialties. Additionally, Tampa General was ranked as “high performing,” or among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation in five more specialties along with 11 procedures and conditions.
• Innovation: Tampa General leadership is consistently seeking out advances through technology and new approaches which can be seen in programs like AI Technology in Physician Offices, AI Technology in a Hospital and TGH at Home.
• Patient safety: Earlier this year, Tampa General received two coveted qualifications in its journey to becoming fully accredited as a High-Reliability organization, which recognizes adherence to international safety and risk management best practice standards.
• Research and education: In affiliation with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the next generation of physicians and medical trailblazers are furthering their education at Tampa General, with more than 700 residents assigned for training and research roles in specialty areas. In 2022, Tampa General and USF Health opened the TGH|USF Health Precision Medicine Biorepository to drive leading-edge scientific collaboration and research. The biorepository is similar to a high-tech library where researchers, physicians and scientists can access donated samples and correlating data with patient permission for scientific study.
• Patient satisfaction: Tampa General is implementing a $550 million, five-year master facility plan. Since being announced in September 2021, the largest expansion in the hospital’s history has opened or will begin construction soon on the freestanding TGH Kennedy Emergency Center in Tampa’s Medical and Research District, the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital scheduled to begin construction this summer to offer a full range of inpatient and outpatient services led by psychiatrists from USF Morsani College of Medicine, the TGH Cancer Institute hub, which opened its second phase Wednesday, the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital, which opened in May 2022, providing comprehensive care for patients recovering from debilitating injuries, illnesses, surgeries and chronic medical conditions.

On top of that honor, this month Becker’s Hospital Review named TGH among “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs," for delivering exemplary heart and vascular care.

Tampa General is one of 100 hospitals recognized nationwide, one of only six hospitals in Florida, and the only hospital in the Tampa Bay region to receive recognition on Becker’s list.

“Tampa General takes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that allows us to deliver world-class heart and vascular care to patients throughout the Tampa Bay region and beyond, including those with some of the most complex cases,” said Couris. “We are tremendously proud of this latest recognition, which is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our world-class team and to our continued investment in building one of the nation’s best and most innovative heart and vascular institutes.

Tampa General’s inclusion on the list reflects the academic health system’s commitment to providing comprehensive, individualized care for patients with a variety of heart and vascular conditions.

Tampa General was also recognized by U.S. News & World Report as “high performing” in cardiology and heart surgery, ranking in the top 10 percent nationally for that specialty for 2022-2023, and “high performing” in heart attack and heart failure care.

Becker’s noted that the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute “utilizes leading-edge technology to ensure top-notch care, such as 3D printing for planning aortic valve replacements, trauma surgery, cancer surgery and other reconstructions. It is also the first in Florida to perform robotic mitral valve repair with the smallest incisions and without rib spreading.” Rib spreading refers to the process of using a device to spread the ribs apart to provide better access during cardiothoracic surgery.

“Our team at the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute strives daily to deliver high-quality cardiovascular care that is specifically tailored to the unique needs of our patients,” said Dr. Guilherme Oliveira, vice president and chief of the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute and professor and director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “That highly specialized care is made possible by our unique ability as an academic health system to bring cutting-edge research and the latest innovations to the bedside, with the goal of improving outcomes.”

“Rankings such as this one can be helpful for patients and their families when making decisions about their heart care,” said Tara Collet, senior administrator of the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute. “They verify that Tampa General’s heart specialists are continuously on the forefront of driving innovation to provide the most advanced care available in the area.”

Tampa General was the first health system in Florida to offer a minimally invasive robotic procedure for mitral valve repair and uses state-of-the-art technological advancements such as 3D printing for planning aortic valve replacements, trauma surgery, cancer surgery and other reconstructions.

As part of the region’s leading academic health system, Tampa General is also investigating breakthrough treatments and conducting clinical research to advance heart and vascular care in partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Other recent honors include:

• Newsweek “Best Cancer Hospitals 2023” — June 2023
• Newsweek “World’s Best Hospitals 2023” — March 2023
• Newsweek “Best Maternity Hospitals 2023” — May 2023
• Fortune/Merative “100 Top Hospitals” — July 2022

Tampa General — the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine — was also among the top 20 employers for new graduates, according to Forbes’ 2023 “Best Employers for New Graduates” list of 300 companies.

The academic health system was ranked No. 1 in Florida and is the only organization in Forbes’ health care and social category to be named. Tampa General’s inclusion on Forbes’ list attests to its commitment to putting team members first and supporting personal and career growth at all levels of the organization, said Couris.

“At Tampa General, we continue to prioritize the needs and growth of our team members by implementing training and offering professional development opportunities across all levels. As we continue to innovate and advance world-class care, we recognize the importance of seeding new talent and believe wholeheartedly in the value and new perspectives recent graduates can bring to the table,” said Couris.

“Team members can do their best work when they feel supported by the organization and secure in their career development, and this is especially true for recent graduates who are entering the professional workforce for the first time," he said. "I am proud that we have been recognized for creating a workplace where new graduates are able to flourish.”

Award winners were selected based on the results of an independent survey of more than 28,000 U.S. young professionals who work for companies that employ at least 1,000 people. The survey focused on work-related issues and their experiences in the workplace. Participants were asked to rate the likelihood that they would recommend their employer to family and friends.

“It is an honor to be included on Forbes’ list as a ‘Best Employer for New Graduates’. Creating an inclusive culture where all team members, including recent graduates, feel valued and supported is integral to the vision of Tampa General,” said Qualenta Kivett, chief people and talent officer of Tampa General.

Other workplace honors include:

• Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2023 “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare”
• "Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards"
• Newsweek’s "America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023"
• Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for Women list (No. 1 in the United States) for 2022
• Forbes’ America's Best Employers by State (Top 10 Employer in Florida) for 2022