Tampa General Hospital, Lifepoint Behavioral Health and USF Health Break Ground on New Behavioral Health Hospital, Expanding Access for Floridians to World-Class Mental Health Services

Upon completion, the new facility will meet the state's growing demands for mental health services while serving as an integral part of the Tampa Medical and Research District.

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders of Tampa General Hospital (TGH), Lifepoint Behavioral Health and USF Health were joined by elected officials, board members and other key stakeholders Monday to break ground on the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, a new four-story hospital in the heart of Tampa's Medical and Research District. The TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, which is expected to open in late 2024, will be the first and only freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital in Florida.

"As the community continues its trajectory of unprecedented growth, the demand for mental and behavioral health services is higher than ever before," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "Today marks the start of construction on the first and only freestanding academic behavioral health hospital in the state, and we are proud to have the support of our state lawmakers, local leaders and community in this endeavor. The TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will significantly expand Floridians' access to mental health services, and our patients can expect the world-class care we consistently deliver at TGH."

The new hospital is the result of a joint venture partnership between Tampa General and Lifepoint Behavioral Health, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, announced last year. Tampa General Hospital will provide a number of facility and medical support services, while Lifepoint Behavioral Health will manage the day-to-day operations. Physicians with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient care in specialized units for pediatrics, adolescents, adults and geriatrics. The hospital, which is planned to be approximately 83,000 square feet with 96 to 120 inpatient beds, will feature dedicated units for treating patients with behavioral health issues compounded by other medical conditions.

"This is an exciting day for our team at Lifepoint Behavioral Health as we break ground on Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital," said Russ Bailey, president of Lifepoint Behavioral Health and Lifepoint Rehabilitation. "We know that Tampa General Hospital shares our commitment to expanding access to high-quality, evidence-driven specialty care, and we are honored to once again work alongside their team as we bring new and vitally needed services to Tampa and the surrounding region."

The facility was made possible in part by funding from the state of Florida to address the state's growing mental health crisis. This past legislative session, Senator Jay Collins and Representative Lawrence McClure secured $10 million in the state budget to support the construction of the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital.

"The demand for mental health services is greater than ever before," said Senator Collins. "Tampa General Hospital is taking the lead to expand access to high-quality care and fulfill our greatest needs. Right here in the heart of the Tampa Medical and Research District, the patients of the new TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will benefit from the world-class care that TGH provides, the latest innovations and research findings, and the newest technologies."

"This was an important investment for the state to expand access to high-quality care, fulfill the growing demand for behavioral health services, and create jobs and foster growth right here in Tampa Bay," said Representative McClure. "With the construction of the state's only freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital, it's clear Tampa Bay is the leader in accessible, high-quality care."

At the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, psychiatrists on the faculty with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine will also offer learning opportunities for USF medical students and resident physicians. The hospital will be directly linked to Tampa General's nationally recognized Neuroscience Institute, through which best-in-class physicians provide a full spectrum of care to patients of all ages with neurological disorders.

"This facility will be an essential resource for patients with behavioral and mental health conditions, especially those experiencing complex conditions," said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and executive vice president and chief academic officer of Tampa General Hospital. "With the new behavioral health hospital, we are increasing much-needed access to highly specialized and personalized care for many behavioral and mental health conditions, which will make a positive impact on the health and well-being of the communities we serve." 

The TGH Behavioral Health Hospital is the newest addition to the Tampa Medical and Research District, a hub of world-class clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology. It will be located in South Tampa within the Medical and Research District, adjacent to the recently opened freestanding emergency department – TGH Kennedy Emergency Center – and the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, 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 and World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital 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 health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 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 Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging 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. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). 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.

ABOUT LIFEPOINT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Lifepoint Behavioral Health specializes in providing compassionate care across the behavioral healthcare continuum. Through its 23 behavioral health hospitals and contract management and joint venture partnerships with hospitals and providers across the country, Lifepoint Behavioral Health offers programs designed to address the unique needs of various patient populations, including adolescents, adults and geriatrics. Lifepoint Behavioral Health has diversified programming, allowing specific therapy models of treatment while encompassing the whole person. These treatment models provide evidence-based therapies with distinct short- and long-term goals of improving and sustaining mental health. Lifepoint Behavioral Health is a business unit of Brentwood, Tennessee-based Lifepoint Health.

ABOUT USF HEALTH
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.

Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR
Senior Communications Specialist
(813) 844-7322 (direct)
(813) 510-6363 (cell)
[email protected]

Media Contact: Aileen Bennett
Lifepoint Behavioral Health
(615) 920-7668
[email protected]

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital