Tampa Bay-Based Gastro Florida Joins Tampa General Hospital Provider Network, Expanding Access to World-Class Gastroenterology Care

This strategic affiliation increases access to world-class, academic-based gastroenterology and hepatology care throughout the region with the addition of a leading independent GI medical group with more than 60 board-certified providers to TGPN.

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gastro Florida, a leader in the treatment of the full spectrum of digestive diseases and GI clinical research for more than 15 years, has partnered with Tampa General Hospital (TGH) to expand access to comprehensive, academic-driven health care services in the Tampa Bay region and beyond. The strategic addition to the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN) brings together specialized expertise at scale from the region's largest GI group with the innovative, world-class resources of one of the nation's top-ranked academic health systems.

"Expanding access to high-quality, academic-driven care is central to our mission at Tampa General," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "By welcoming Gastro Florida into the Tampa General Provider Network, we are uniting leading gastroenterology expertise with the full strength of our academic health system to deliver more coordinated, advanced and patient-centered care across the Tampa Bay region and beyond."

Led by Seena Salyani, MBA, MHA, FACHE, chief executive officer of Gastro Florida and courtesy professor of USF College of Public Health, and interventional gastroenterologist Gourisankar "Shankar" Degala, MD, president and board chairman of Gastro Florida, the group will continue serving patients across the Tampa Bay region as part of TGPN, with the new affiliation benefitting residents of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Polk counties by providing enhanced care pathways for complex, gastroenterology-related conditions.

"This partnership with Tampa General Hospital marks an important next chapter for Gastro Florida and the patients we serve," said Salyani. "By aligning with an academic health system of this caliber, we are expanding access to advanced diagnostics, personalized medicine, predictive analytics – including AI applications – and coordinated treatment pathways to optimize outcomes, while becoming a platform to expand this model throughout the state of Florida.  This relationship will inevitably attract innovative business partners and top personnel for our group, including the best gastroenterologists who want to be associated with relevance and excellence."

"As physicians, our focus is always on delivering the highest quality care, especially for patients with complex gastrointestinal conditions," said Dr. Degala. "Joining the Tampa General Provider Network allows our providers to collaborate more closely with academic specialists, leverage the latest clinical advancements and ensure our patients receive seamless care across every stage of their treatment, including timely intervention for oncological cases. We were intentional in seeking a partner recognized for its commitment to the community, academic excellence, and continuous innovation, and we look forward to building a collaborative relationship that advances patient care and clinical education."

"The addition of the Gastro Florida team underscores our commitment to expanding access to expert, world-class care backed by the power of academic medicine," said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, executive vice president, chief of Oncology, president of the Tampa General Provider Network and co-vice president of Clinical and Translational Research, TGH-USF Health Office of Clinical Research. "Gastro Florida shares our dedication to clinical excellence, collaboration and patient-centered care, strengthening our ability to serve patients across the Tampa Bay region and beyond."

Streamlined Access to Comprehensive Services

Gastro Florida patients will now have direct access to Tampa General's academic health system, including cutting-edge medical advancements, collaborative treatment plans, and top-tier specialists through the TGH Digestive Diseases Institute. Patients requiring complex procedures at Tampa General can return to their local provider for follow-up care, ensuring continuity, convenience and excellence in care.

This addition to TGPN further elevates Tampa General's expertise and the quality of care delivered, which earned the academic health system the #21 spot in the nation for gastroenterology and GI surgery by U.S. News & World Report as part of its 2025-2026 Best Hospitals ranking.

Gastro Florida practices will remain at their current locations in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties. To find a location or physician, please visit gastrofl.com.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, the Tampa Bay region's only academic health system, is a 1,530-bed not-for-profit network of hospital and outpatient services spanning across Florida. As the only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care center serving 23 counties, Tampa General  delivers world-class care. The system's hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, the academic health system has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. Tampa General's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2025 America's Best Large Employers, ranked as the Tampa Bay region's #1 employer in the health care category for the fifth year in a row, and among the top five in the state of Florida, in the 2025 Best Employers by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women.

Tampa General is the area's safety-net hospital, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2024, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $289.1 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is recognized as one of the adult solid organ transplant centers in the nation and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General has a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General's footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 20 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR
Assistant Manager
Publications & Physician Communications
(727) 510-6363 (cell)
[email protected]

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital