Pulmonology Program Led by Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Joins Two Global Organizations with a Shared Purpose to Empower Patients

The USF Health and Tampa General Hospital pulmonary and critical care medicine program earned two national designations: as a founding member of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance and selection as a Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center Network.

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital and USF Health are proud to announce that their collaborative pulmonology program has joined forces with two prestigious organizations that will improve the lives of patients globally — the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center Network.

The Tampa General Hospital Center for Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplant, where the USF Health/TGH pulmonary program is based, has become one of the founders to launch the FSR Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance. It will have a worldwide impact on advancing sarcoidosis research and improve the lives of those with sarcoidosis through patient and clinician education, engagement, and support. The FSR Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance brings together sarcoidosis clinics and hospitals, whose mission is to find a cure and offer evidence-based, patient-centric care for those living with sarcoidosis.

The USF Health/TGH program is one of 22 esteemed founding members. Membership is offered to a select number of clinics that serve a high percentage of underserved communities. There are 1.2 million patients impacted by sarcoidosis, a disease characterized by the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells found in different parts of the body, but commonly found in the lungs and lymph nodes.

Additionally, The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation announced that the USF Health/TGH pulmonology program has joined the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center Network, whose mission is to accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is dedicated to promoting earlier recognition and diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis and ensuring that patients receive the highest quality health care. As part of that commitment, the Foundation has worked with the pulmonary fibrosis medical community to establish the PFF Care Center Network, where people with pulmonary fibrosis can find experienced medical professionals who understand their disease and support services to improve the quality of their lives. Pulmonary Fibrosis is a disease in which the lungs become scarred (fibrosed) and damaged causing difficulty in breathing.

"The TGH Center for Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplant is thrilled to be one of the founders of the FSR Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance. Our goal is to bring world-class, innovative pulmonary care to the Tampa Bay region and beyond and provide our team with the ability to collaborate with research and make an impact in improving the outcomes and care of patients with sarcoidosis," said Dr. Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, director of interstitial lung disease and sarcoidosis, TGH Center for Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplant, and associate professor, internal medicine with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "We are also very proud to join the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center Network and partner with a stellar group of medical centers dedicated to improving the lives of those living with pulmonary fibrosis."

Overall, USF Health faculty supporting the TGH Center for Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplant provide comprehensive care via state-of-the-art therapies and advanced diagnostic imaging and molecular tools. As part of a leading academic medical center, the TGH Center for Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplant's team of surgical and medical experts take a multidisciplinary approach, combining access to cutting-edge clinical trials and therapies with compassionate and personalized care.

"Joining forces with these two outstanding organizations furthers our mission to provide world-class care and helps move us forward in achieving our vision of becoming the safest and most innovative academic health system in America," said Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, vice president and chief, TGH Transplant Institute and surgical director, Liver Transplantation. "These alliances reflect our multidisciplinary team's deep dedication to research and innovation in providing vital care to lung patients globally."

In addition to treating pulmonary fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and patients with sarcoidosis, the nationally renowned physicians with USF Health and the TGH Center for Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplants offer a range of multidisciplinary services to treat advanced-stage lung tumors, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic cough, chronic pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary infections.

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report's national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital