Tampa General Hospital, University of South Florida Strengthen Affiliation

TAMPA, Fla., July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida today announced the formation of a new clinical affiliation, a significant milestone that will further solidify one of the largest academic medical centers in Florida and build upon their longstanding relationship and commitment to improving health care in Tampa Bay.

The enhanced affiliation enables the two organizations to align administrative and clinical practice areas into a new organization, an effort mirrored across the country as most top-ranked medical schools and hospitals move towards integrated models that bolster both academics, research and clinical care. TGH's Board of Directors and the USF Board of Trustees previously approved the new organization, which will be jointly governed by both organizations.

The new USF and TGH focus means Tampa Bay's best health care providers are well-positioned to deliver the cutting-edge care and innovative treatments that are a hallmark of academic medicine.

The new affiliation will benefit patients across Tampa Bay by enabling the region's only academic medical center to provide seamless, comprehensive care for patients, said John Couris, TGH President and CEO, and Steven C. Currall, President of USF.

"This is a great day for health in Tampa Bay," Couris said. "TGH, USF and our private practice physicians have always had the most success when working together to improve health in Tampa Bay. Now that we are more strategically aligned, we can create a powerhouse that delivers world-class health care on the west coast of Florida."

TGH and USF have worked closely together for nearly 50 years, since the opening of the medical school in the early 1970s. This new endeavor builds on this long-standing relationship and will enable the two organizations to advance more quickly and broadly on a variety of strategic goals.

"Strengthening and expanding upon the affiliation between the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital presents extraordinary benefits and new opportunities for education, health care and research in the Tampa Bay region and beyond," Currall said. "Our joint vision is to become one of the nation's most outstanding academic medical centers."

The ultimate beneficiary of this agreement is the community, as physicians from both groups are coming together to provide tightly coordinated, seamless patient care.

"As the only academic medical center in the region, USF and TGH are uniquely positioned to offer premier, nationally ranked, academically productive sub-specialty programs to enhance our residency and medical student training efforts, as well as increase academic support funding for research and enhance our growing ability to recruit top talent," said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, senior vice president for USF and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. "We are stronger together and we'll offer an environment full of collaborative clinical care and research opportunities for the future physicians of Florida.

The new affiliation also will benefit the private practice physicians on staff at Tampa General Hospital by offering purchased services and management services through the new company.

"Our private practice physicians are integral partners to Tampa General Hospital and USF, and providing them the opportunity to participate in this partnership in a way that benefits their practices was a cornerstone to our agreement," Couris said.

Next steps include launching a national search for an executive to lead the new organization and implementing clinical integration.

SOURCE Florida Health Sciences Center, Inc. d/b/a Tampa General Hospital