Advances | Tampa General Hospital | West Coast Spring 2025

ADVANCES

THE ACADEMIC DIFFERENCE

INNOVATIVE SERVICE LINES

MEET OUR LEADERSHIP

Acute Care Surgery Institute

Jose J. Diaz, MD

Chief of the TGH Trauma Institute

Ambulatory Services

Daron Diecidue, MD

Chief of TGH Ambulatory Services

Behavioral Health Institute

Ryan Wagoner, MD

Chief of the TGH Behavioral Health Institute

Cancer Institute

Abraham Schwarzberg, MD

Chief of Oncology

Eduardo Sotomayor, MD

Executive Director of the TGH Cancer Institute

Richard Tuli, MD

Deputy Director, TGH Cancer Institute

Critical Care Institute

Keith Dombrowski, MD

Chief of the TGH Critical Care Institute

Jose Herazo-Maya, MD

Associate Chief of the TGH Critical Care Institute

Dermatology Institute

James M. Grichnik, MD, PhD

Chief of the TGH Dermatology Institute

Digestive Diseases Institute

Christopher DuCoin, MD, MPH, FACS

Chief of the TGH Digestive Diseases Institute

Ear, Nose & Throat Institute

Tapan Padhya, MD

Chief of the TGH Ear, Nose & Throat Institute

Endocrinology Institute

Jeffrey Krischer, PhD

Chief of the TGH Endocrinology Institute

Enterprise Imaging

Krishna Nallamshetty, MD

Chief of TGH Imaging, Diagnostic Radiology

Bruce Zwiebel, MD

Chief of TGH Imaging, Interventional Radiology

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Institute

M. Raheel Qureshi, MD

Chief of the TGH ECMO Institute

Heart & Vascular Institute

Benjamin D. Mackie, MD

VP & Chief of the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute, Cardiology

Murray Shames, MD

Chief of the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute, Surgery

Hospital Medicine Institute

Lien Le, MD

VP of the TGH Hospital Medicine Institute

Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH

Patricia Emmanuel, MD

Chief of the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH

Neuroscience Institute

Clifton Gooch, MD

Chief of the TGH Neuroscience Institute, Neurology

Harry van Loveren, MD

Chief of the TGH Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery

Orthopaedic Institute

Roy Sanders, MD

Chief of the TGH Orthopaedic Institute

Plastic & Burn Surgery Institute

TGH at Home

Joanna Barris, DO

Medical Director of TGH Hospital at Home

TGH-USF Health Office of Clinical Research

Clifton Gooch, MD

VP & Co-Chief of Clinical & Translational Research

Abraham Schwarzberg, MD

VP & Co-Chief of Clinical & Translational Research

Transplant Institute

Kiran Dhanireddy, MD, FACS

VP & Chief of the TGH Transplant Institute

Urology Institute

Raviender Bukkapatnam, MD

Co-Chief of the TGH Urology Institute

Rafael Carrion, MD

Co-Chief of the TGH Urology Institute

Women’s Institute

Nicholas Panetta, MD, FACS

Chief of TGH Plastic & Burn Surgery Institute

Judette Louis, MD, MPH

Chief of the TGH Women’s Institute

CONTENTS

Departments

FORWARD

12 COLLABOR ATION WITH MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM

Affiliation increases Floridians’ access to multiple specialties

14 THE ONLY CHOICE

Academic health systems offer world-class care while forging the future of medicine

16 ULTRASOUND THERAPY FOR A SILENT KILLER

The latest advancement for high blood pressure

18 UNDER THE SEA

A collaboration with The Florida Aquarium for pediatric patients

20 DIVING DEEPER, REACHING HIGHER

The TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research is leading the therapeutic revolution

22 SWADDLED IN COMPREHENSIVE CARE

The TGH Women’s Institute earns the highest national designation for superior maternal care

WELL-BEING

66 FEEL-GOOD SWEETS

Dessert recipes packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants

72 SUN PROTECTION STANDOUTS

Combat the sun’s harsh rays

ON THE COVER: From the lobby to the operating room to the skies, Tampa General Hospital is weaving artificial intelligence (AI) into every facet of health care to streamline efficiency and elevate patient experience and outcomes.

Features

24 A PRESCRIPTION FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS

Learn about TampaWell

28 TR ANSFORMING HEALTH CARE THROUGH AI

How Tampa General is incorporating AI innovations

34 ADVANCED CARE FROM COAST TO COAST

Tampa General’s footprint is expanding across the state

40 FIRST OF ITS KIND IN TREATING MENTAL HEALTH

The TGH Behavioral Health Hospital is expected to open this year

42 BEWARE FOREIGN OBJECTS

The cautionary tale of an errant earbud

44 TEAMING UP FOR GOOD HEALTH

Tampa General and the Tampa Bay Lightning unite for #WhateverItTakes

46 R ADIATION ONCOLOGY EXPERTISE EXPANDS

Advanced treatment options at TGH Cancer Institute

52 TGH TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE

Celebrating 50 years of saving lives

56 HONORING A DAUGHTER’S MEMORY

Welcome to the new Muma Children’s Hospital

60 TR ANSFORMATIVE TOWER

The story behind the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower

GREATER SURVIVAL RATES AT REGION’S ONLY ACADEMIC HEALTH SYSTEM

Patients treated at academic health systems like TGH have up to 20% greater survival rates.

Tampa General and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine drive lifesaving innovation. Our team collaborates across disciplines, pioneers research, uses the most advanced technology and teaches the next generation to save more lives.

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) *University-based program

1 Tampa General Circle Tampa, FL 33606

813.844.7000 • TGH.org

Drew A. Graham Chairman of the Board

Erika Abel, MD Medical Chief of Staff

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Natalie Annis-Goodwin

Marylou Y. Bailey

Kimberly A. Bruce Raviender Bukkapatnam, MD

Kenneth A. Burdick

Blake J. Casper

Gregory J. Celestan

Phillip S. Dingle

Immediate Past Chairman

Gordon Gillette

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Oscar J. Horton

Patricia Jurinski

T. Corey Neil

Debbie A. Rinde-Hoffman, MD

Bruce Zwiebel, MD

Scott Arnold, Executive Vice President & Chief Digital and Innovation Officer

Stacey Brandt, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer

Jennifer Crabtree, Vice President of Corporate Communications & Chief of Staff

Peggy Duggan, MD, Executive Vice President, Chief Physician Executive & Chief Medical Officer

Melissa Golombek, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Wendi Goodson-Celerin, DNP, APRN, NE-BC, Executive Vice President & Chief Nursing Executive

Jim Kennedy, General Counsel

Qualenta Kivett, JD, Executive Vice President, Chief People & Talent Officer

Frann M. Leppla, Executive Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer, TGH Foundation

Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, Executive Vice President & Chief Academic Officer, Tampa General Hospital; Executive Vice President, USF Health; Dean, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

Mark Moseley, MD, MHA, CPE, Executive Vice President & President, USF Tampa General Physicians

Mark Runyon, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Abraham Schwarzberg, MD, Executive Vice President, Chief of Oncology & President of the Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN); Co-Vice President, Clinical & Translational Research, TGH | USF Health Joint Office of Clinical Research

Steve Short, Executive Vice President & Market President, TGH North

Adam Smith, Executive Vice President & Chief Ambulatory Care Officer

SHARED PURPOSE

We heal. We teach. We innovate. Care for everyone. Every day.

VISION

We will become the safest and most innovative academic health system in America.

John Couris, President and CEO, Tampa General Hospital

THE ACADEMIC DIFFERENCE

Publisher Terry Duffy

Director of Sales Deidre Wade

Associate Publisher Dina Turner

Editorial Director Daphne Nikolopoulos

Editor Cathy Chestnut

Creative Director Olga M. Gustine

Senior Art Director Ashley Meyer

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Stacey Brandt, Jennifer Crabtree, Laurie Slater, Beth Hardy

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Eric Barton, Phil Borchmann, Robin DeMattia, Karen Feldman, Heather Graulich, Erika Klein, Rob Lucarelli, Dave Scheiber, Denise Scott, Liza Grant Smith, Jennifer Woo

ADVERTISING

Publisher, Naples Meegan Wyatt

Account Managers Kathleen Beuttel, Kathy Breen, Tanya Lorigan

Advertising Services Coordinator Elizabeth Hackney

Marketing Manager Rebecca Desir

PRODUCTION

Production Director Selene M. Ceballo

Production Manager Lourdes Linares

Digital Pre-Press Specialist George Davis

Senior Advertising Designer Jeffrey Rey

Advertising Design Coordinator Anaely J. Perez Vargas

Production Coordinator Ileana Caban

Digital Marketing Manager Tyler Sansone

OPER ATIONS

Chief Operating Officer Todd Schmidt

Accounting Specialist Mary Beth Cook

Accounts Receivable Specialist Ana Coronel

Distribution Manager Judy Heflin

Logistics Manager Omar Morales

Circulation Manager Marjorie Leiva

Circulation Assistant Britney Stinson

Circulation Promotions Manager David Supple IT Manager Omar Greene

In Memoriam Ronald J. Woods (1935-2013)

HOUR MEDIA, LLC

CEO Stefan Wanczyk

President John Balardo

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TOP 50 IN THE NATION FOR CANCER CARE

Region’s Only Academic Health System*

COLLABORATION

ENHANCES HIGH-QUALITY CARE, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES IN FLORIDA

The Tampa General Hospital and Mass General Brigham affiliation increases Floridians’ access to multiple specialties, including cancer care and military veterans’ health

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and Boston-based Mass General Brigham (MGB) are deepening their affiliation with the development of new programs and services, including cellular therapy treatments for aggressive blood cancers, at the Tampa-based academic health system. The

two organizations are growing their health care services to support Florida’s veterans and service members through Home Base Florida. Additionally, Tampa General and MGB are collaborating to expand world-class services in Florida’s Palm Beach County.

“This collaboration formalizes the long-

standing relationship between Tampa General and Mass General Brigham. For years, our leadership, providers, researchers, and teams have worked closely to share knowledge, information, findings, and outcomes to elevate the level of care we offer,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “As we

look ahead, we aim to build a greater presence in the state of Florida, where patients can benefit from the exchange of knowledge and the best-in-class providers of both networks.”

Together, these efforts complement and deepen the ongoing exchange of expertise and clinical best practices between the two health care systems. MGB has worked closely with Tampa General over the past three years to enhance its capabilities as a leading destination for medical innovation and training, research, physician recruitment, and patient care.

The relationship with MGB is a key component of Tampa General’s strategic approach to transforming health care through innovation, building on existing ties with academic and research organizations, including the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, and improving highquality care and the best possible patient outcomes.

“As an integrated health care system with patients at its center, it’s important to align with institutions who share our core values to improve the communities we serve, promote equity, and strive to advance the field of medicine to not only improve patient outcomes, but the lives of those we care for,” said Dr. Anne Klibanski, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham. “Our affiliation creates a high-quality system of care, leveraging the strengths of a national academic system and a statewide academic system to meaningfully impact patient care across all of Florida.”

SUPPORTING FLORIDA’S VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS

The expansion to Tampa of the Florida Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness Program in 2021 was one of the first joint programs between Tampa General and MGB. Headquartered on the academic health system’s campus in Tampa, Home Base is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war for veterans, active service members, and their families through clinical care, wellness, education, and research.

Begun in 2009 as a partnership between Massachusetts General Hospital, one of MGB’s academic health centers and the Red Sox Foundation, the official charity of the Boston Red Sox, Florida Home Base at Tampa General serves more than 375 veterans and service members per year at no cost to patients.

Led by trained TGH Fitness Center specialists, the Home Base Warrior Health and Fitness program is designed to assist U.S. military veterans in improving their health and well-being through:

• Fitness evaluations and personally tailored exercise

programs

• Nutrition and meal planning counseling

• Health education

• Warrior yoga and resiliency training

Tampa General and MGB have further plans to expand from health and wellness to mental health services.

EXPANDING STATE-OF-THE-ART CANCER CARE

Over their three-year partnership, Tampa General and MGB have developed the TGH Cancer Institute Cell Therapies Unit. Offering bone marrow transplant and CAR T-cell therapy, a cancer immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own T cells to fight cancer, the program treats patients who are suffering from aggressive blood cancers such as leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma in addition to other cancers. The Cell Therapies department is housed in a dedicated, state-of-the-art unit managed by top blood cancer specialists.

“This affiliation combines the expertise, experience, research, and findings from two of the nation’s leading academic health care systems,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, executive vice president and chief of oncology at Tampa General, president of Tampa General Provider Network, and co-vice president of Clinical and Translational Research of the TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research. “We’ve already seen how our collaboration can benefit the patients we serve and we’re working to build on this success with more services and locations in Florida.”

PARTNERING ON THE TREASURE COAST AND THE PALM BEACHES

Tampa General and MGB will expand their collaboration to Florida’s Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County, where they plan to build medical offices that will house radiation oncology and imaging. The partnership will grow to include other specialty practice areas and even outpatient surgery centers throughout Palm Beach County, enhancing the clinically excellent health care Tampa General currently provides communities in that area.

“We are excited to expand this relationship with Tampa General Hospital, an outstanding academic medical center with a highly talented leadership team,” said Dr. Ron Walls, chief operating officer of Mass General Brigham. “We share a commitment to the highest quality, safest, most expert, and compassionate patient care informed by cutting-edge research. That is the foundation of this consummate collaboration.”

Dr. Anne Klibanski

Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg

Dr. Ron Walls

John Couris

The ONLY Choice FORWARD

As Florida’s leading academic health system for more than 50 years, Tampa General Hospital, in collaboration with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, offers the latest in world-class health care today while forging the future of medicine

BY CATHY CHESTNUT

Everyone wants the best possible care for themselves and their families but sometimes the choices can seem confusing. When a diagnosis is lifethreatening and complex, the choice becomes clearer. You want an academic health system

behind you every step of the way. But what does that mean?

“Academic medical care means the best possible clinical care in an environment that integrates education, patient care, cutting-edge technologies, and groundbreaking research

with access to medical breakthroughs not available elsewhere,” said Dr. Peggy Duggan, executive vice president and chief physician executive, Tampa General Hospital (TGH). A 2019 study published in JAMA, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American

Dr. Peggy Duggan

RIGHT: Tampa General President and CEO John Couris congratulates a USF Health Morsani College of Medicine medical student during a white coat ceremony, a rite of passage marking the beginning of a medical student’s professional training and transition into the clinical phase of medical school.

Medical Association, found that patients treated at a major teaching hospital have up to 20 percent higher odds of survival compared with those treated at nonteaching hospitals.

Residents in the Tampa Bay region and across Florida have access to one of the largest academic health institutions in the nation, forged through the long alliance between Tampa General and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. This unique collaboration, which began in the early 1970s, has driven superior patient care, research, education, and medical advancement. In 2025, Tampa General is strengthening its affiliation with USF Health, investing more than $162 million in talent, Graduate Medical Education programs, academics, and research.

Tampa General is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Faculty from the school admit and care for patients at Tampa General, and actively participate in almost every facet of the hospital’s specialized institutes. More than 700 resident physicians and medical fellows receive specialty training at the academic health system in areas ranging from general internal medicine to neurosurgery, in addition to training medical students, nurses, and students in specialized programs such as physical therapy and radiology.

Here are some of the ways that this partnership can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

The TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research participates in an array of clinical trials that allow Tampa General to offer patients access to advanced therapies and technologies that they might not have otherwise. When no other alternatives exist, clinical trials provide options, including close monitoring of clinical care, increased clinic visits, frequent testing, and potentially free access to diagnostics and therapeutics. Research integrates seamlessly into a patient’s

multidisciplinary care team.

Close to 150 physician investigators are involved in 690 clinical investigations of drugs, devices, and procedures. The office is accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, certifying adherence to rigorous standards. (See page 20 for “Diving Deeper, Reaching Higher.”)

COLLABORATION & MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE

TGH Behavioral Health Hospital

Named one of the first such teaching hospitals in Florida, the new state-of-theart TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, a joint venture with Lifepoint Health, also collaborates with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Physicians within USF Health’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences will deliver a full complement of inpatient and outpatient care in dedicated units for pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics. Faculty psychiatrists will teach its medical students and resident physicians at the hospital. (See page 40 for “First of Its Kind in Treating Mental Health.”)

Tampa Medical & Research District

Tampa General and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine have strategically partnered with the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and other innovative leaders in health care and life sciences to

establish the Tampa Medical & Research District. It is expected to generate more than $8.3 billion in annual economic impact for the region and the state as it continues to expand. The district is anchored by Tampa General’s 3-million-square-foot campus and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s campus. Spanning more than 1,500 acres in and around downtown Tampa, it also includes the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and the TGH | USF Health Precision Medicine Biorepository.

The growing district plays a vital role in fostering collaboration and innovation. In addition to the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, the district includes Tampa General’s freestanding, 80-bed acute rehabilitation hospital and a freestanding emergency department.

“As one of the nation’s leading academic health systems affiliated with a university, TGH’s experienced teams of doctors and scientists collaborate on providing advanced patient care through pioneering research and the latest technology,” Duggan said. “This level of expertise can help many patients improve their quality of life and even achieve a full recovery.”

For more information on the Tampa Medical & Research District, scan the QR code:

ULTRASOUND THERAPY

for a Silent Killer

Dr. Fadi Matar, Cardiology Section chief and Cardiac Catheterization Lab director at Tampa General and associate professor of Medicine and interim chief of Cardiology, at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, used the Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation (RDN) System by Recor Medical for the first time in the Tampa Bay area.

Find out about the latest advancement for high blood pressure that doesn’t respond to lifestyle changes or medications | BY ERIKA KLEIN

Statistically, there’s a strong chance that you have high blood pressure. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half (48.1 percent) of U.S. adults have the condition, known as hypertension.

High blood pressure—measured as the force of blood against the artery walls—is diagnosed when the systolic blood pressure (the upper number in a blood pressure reading) exceeds 130 mmHg or the diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in the reading) rises above 80 mmHg. It can negatively affect your health because it forces your heart to pump harder and leads to blood vessel damage. Hypertension, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, contributed to the deaths of nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. in 2022, according to the CDC.

To help treat the condition, Tampa General Hospital offers a new therapy. The Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation (RDN) System from Recor Medical uses ultrasound waves to lower blood pressure by destroying (known as ablating) nerves around the renal arteries, the blood vessels that bring blood to the kidneys and lower blood pressure.

At first glance, there may be no apparent connection between nerves around the kidneys and blood pressure in the body. However, research indicates that overactive nerve activity in this area can reduce kidney function, which, over time, may lead to high blood pressure by altering the balance of sodium and water within the body. The ultrasound waves in the RDN system reach around 80 percent of the sympathetic nerves in the area, disrupting the overactive nerve activity that can lower kidney function. The treatment also includes a HydraCooling system that circulates sterile, cooling water through a balloon to protect the wall of the artery from the ultrasound energy during the procedure.

Dr. Fadi Matar

Dr. Fadi Matar, Cardiology Section chief and Cardiac Catheterization Lab director at Tampa General and associate professor of Medicine and interim chief of Cardiology, at the USF Health Morsani College of Medi-

A

Did you know?

Acine at the University of South Florida, expressed his hope that the new procedure will effectively treat patients. “This is an exciting weapon in the war against the disease,” he said. “If we can help change the course of hypertension, we can help change the course of coronary diseases that can lead to serious outcomes including strokes and heart attacks.”

The minimally invasive procedure lets most patients return home the same day without an overnight hospital stay. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Traditional treatments for hypertension focus on lifestyle changes and medications. Some patients, however, may be unable to take the medications or may see insufficient results. This situation—called uncontrolled hypertension—affects around three-quarters of adults with high blood pressure, according to the CDC.

Research suggests that the RDN system may help lower blood pressure in people with uncontrolled hypertension. A clinical study conducted by Recor Medical indicated that 42 percent of patients preferred using the RDN system over

A

The Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation system from Recor Medical uses ultrasound energy to calm overactive nerves surrounding the renal arteries, which has been shown to help reduce high blood pressure. The main renal arteries on both sides are treated and the catheter is removed, leaving nothing behind.

taking an additional blood pressure medication.

“It’s critical to bring [hypertension] under control, and this technology offers a novel way to treat it,” said Matar, who is also the Interventional Heart Failure Program director at the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute. The new treatment reconfirms the academic health system’s commitment to heart health, in line with its recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Nation’s Best Hospitals for Heart & Vascular Care” and as a “High Performing Hospital for Heart Attack and Heart Failure treatment” for 2024-2025.

Left untreated, hypertension may lead to health conditions including heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and eye damage. Typically, there are no signs of high blood pressure; and one in five adults with the condition don’t realize they’re living with it, according to the CDC.

When high blood pressure progresses to a serious level, it can damage your organs and cause symptoms including diffi culty breathing, sudden headache, and weakness. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s vital to seek medical care immediately.

Hypertension is more common in men, affecting 50 percent of men compared with 44 percent of women, according to the CDC. It affects Black adults at a rate of 56 percent, compared to hypertension rates of 48 percent in white adults, 46 percent in Asian adults, and 39 percent in Hispanic adults.

X

Getting It Back to Normal

You may be able to help control your blood pressure through healthy lifestyle changes that may help prevent you from developing hypertension or lower blood pressure that’s already high by adopting these modifications:

• Eating a diet that’s high in fresh fruits and vegetables

• Reducing your intake of sodium and saturated fat

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Reducing stress levels

• Getting a full night of sleep

• Avoiding or quitting smoking

• Exercising regularly—at least 2.5 hours of moderately intense exercise each week

• Limiting alcohol intake

UNDER THE SEA

Collaboration

sparks delight for pediatric patients in the hospital with virtual, interactive field trips to The Florida Aquarium

BY CATHY CHESTNUT

Pediatric patients at Muma Children’s Hospital at Tampa General Hospital can cruise with stingrays, sea turtles, and sharks via a remote, custom-built robot that they can steer from their hospital bed.

From two miles away, a Florida Aquarium staff member chaperones a young patient through the aquarium via the rolling Aquabot 3000, which provides up-close views of a coral reef, wetlands, shoreline, and more—wherever the patient wants to steer it or linger with the touch of a laptop key.

As the region’s only university-based academic health system, Tampa General treats patients with critical and complex conditions that can require stays of several weeks or months, from admission through rehabilitation and recovery.

“This has been an incredible opportunity for our team to expand the impact of our work by engaging children who are excited to explore and learn but may not otherwise have the

Aquabot 3000, a “telepresence robot,” gives patients at Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH the chance to experience The Florida Aquarium and interact with the

opportunity to visit us,” said Roger Germann, president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium.

Lauren Potenza appreciated the 30-minute distraction when her daughter Stella was receiving treatments because they could both interact with the aquarium staff one-on-one during their virtual private tour. For some, it’s their first visit to the aquarium. The goal of the certified child-life specialists who facilitate the virtual tours is to bring play into the hospital with stimulating activities to alleviate boredom, stress, and anxiety.

“We are tremendously proud to partner with the Florida Aquarium to revolutionize the care experience for our pediatric patients and their

loved ones who are along for the duration of their care journey with them,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General and president of the board of The Florida Aquarium.

The program was created with a patientcentered approach and insight from Tampa General’s Patient and Family Advisory Council. This collaboration offers “our pediatric patients something fun to look forward to during what is often a challenging time in their lives,” said Melissa Golombek, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Tampa General, and “it gives them a sense of autonomy and an opportunity to create joyful childhood memories despite their illness or injury.”

Stella Potenza and her mom, Lauren, view sharks and other sea creatures in The Florida Aquarium coral reef habitat.

exhibits from their hospital rooms.

Melissa Golombek

Roger Germann

PEDIATRIC CARE POWERED BY THE REGION’S ONLY ACADEMIC HEALTH SYSTEM*

The Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH specializes in pediatric care in a family-friendly environment.

The experts at the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH are specially trained to deliver the highest level of care to the youngest patients and their families — the kind of care you can get only at an academic health system. Pediatric specialists and surgeons, pediatric-certified nurses, psychologists, certified child life specialists, and pediatric therapists all work together to ensure that children get the best care and families get the support they need.

*University-based program

The TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research coordinated a record 690 clinical trials in 2023-2024.

Diving Deeper,

A

REACHING HIGHER

The TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research is leading the therapeutic revolution in medicine and patient-centered care

BY ROBIN DEMATTIA

Tampa General Hospital and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida are national leaders in clinical research—dedicated to pioneering breakthrough treatments, conducting game-changing research to improve the lives of patients near and far, and training the next generation of health care professionals. They “continue to lead the therapeutic revolution in medicine to the great benefit of our patients,” said Dr. Clifton Gooch, chief of the TGH Neuroscience Institute, neurology, Tampa General, co-vice president of the TGH | USF Health Office of

Clinical Research, and associate dean, Clinical Research, professor and TGH Endowed Chair of Neurology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research continues to expand its scope of research. Gooch anticipates that these profound and exciting developments will have “evergreater impacts on human health worldwide.”

CONTINUED GROWTH AND INVESTMENT

The TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research coordinated a record 690 clinical

trials in 2023-2024, with a record growth in oncology trials.

To support groundbreaking clinical trials and strengthen its role as a leader in biomedical research and therapeutic innovation, the academic health system created the TGH | USF Health Precision Medicine Biorepository. It functions as a high-tech library where researchers, physicians, and scientists study samples donated by patients. In addition, the TGH Cancer Institute Phase 1 Clinical Research Unit offers early-phase cancer clinical trials that help pioneer new treatments.

Dr. Clifton Gooch

Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg

Dr. Eduardo Sotomayor

GROUNDBREAKING CLINICAL TRIALS

Clinical trials led by the TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research span the spectrum of health care. Many trials focus on transplants, as well as neuroscience, cardiology, diabetes, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and urology.

One trial underway is the evaluation and validation of the performance of Spectral MD DeepView, which utilizes artificial intelligence and a camera to assess healing from thermal burns. Another, sponsored by USF, is investigating physical activity and quality of life for patients with fibrotic lung diseases following antifibrotic therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation.

TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research clinical trials have resulted in breakthroughs that have benefitted people in the Tampa Bay region and around the world, including:

• Research on organ preservation following rectal adenocarcinoma (rectal cancer) that revolutionized rectal cancer treatment

• Pioneering work on Regeneron COVID-19 antibodies that placed the TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research at the forefront of pandemic response, enabling rapid deployment of monoclonal antibodies and other treatments

• Participation in a trial that led to the approval of a specialized stent for complex brain aneurysms

• The development of critical reversal agents for anticoagulant medications such as Pradaxa, Xarelto, and Eliquis

• The development of HIV and hepatitis C research projects

• The creation of an essential antivenom for coral snake bites

“Results like this led to our reaccreditation by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs in 2024,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, co-vice president of Clinical and Translational Research, TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research, executive vice president and chief of oncology, Tampa General and president of the Tampa General Provider Network. “This prestigious accreditation is a testament to the advanced caliber of the TGH | USF Health Office of Clinical Research.”

Dr. Robert

Gallo

X– Focusing Research on Cancer-Causing Viruses

A World-Renowned Researchers Join Tampa General

As part of its commitment to groundbreaking clinical research, Tampa General welcomed one of the world’s most celebrated scientists and researchers, Dr. Robert C. Gallo, to lead the newly established Microbial Oncology Program at the TGH Cancer Institute. At USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Gallo is the James P. Cullison Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Gallo will also develop and serve as director of the USF Health Virology Center.

Microbial refers to microbes that can cause disease, and Gallo is considered one of the best biomedical scientists in American history. He is founder and director of the microbial oncology program and senior scientific adviser to the executive director of the TGH Cancer Institute.

In 1984, Gallo determined HIV-1 as the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). He pioneered the development of the HIV blood test for identifying infected individuals and protecting the blood supply.

“It is a true privilege to welcome a scientist, a pioneer, and a mentor of the stature of Dr. Gallo to the scientific team at the TGH Cancer Institute as we embark on our journey to apply for the coveted National Cancer Institute designation within the decade,” said Dr. Eduardo Sotomayor, vice president and executive director of the TGH Cancer Institute.

At the TGH Cancer Institute, Gallo will focus his research on viruses causing cancer and bacterial proteins and products that he and his scientific group have demonstrated to be involved in cancer progression. Many of these cancers are currently untreatable or difficult to treat, and Gallo and his team have already identified novel targets that will lead to groundbreaking treatments and potential cures.

Dr. Marshall Posner – Medical Director of the Cancer Center of South Florida Clinical Research Trial Office

World-renowned physician scientist and head and neck oncologist and clinical researcher Dr. Marshall Posner is the medical director of the Cancer Center of South Florida Clinical Research Trial Office in Palm Beach Gardens. He also works with Gallo in the Microbial Oncology Office at the TGH Cancer Institute.

“Dr. Posner will be an invaluable asset,” said Schwarzberg. “He brings a stellar reputation as an oncologist, plus a wealth of knowledge and experience as a clinical researcher that will help continue to expand the world-class, advanced care we provide patients.”

Posner is part of the team establishing the microbial oncology program as it relates to human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers and through his work, local cancer patients have expanded access to groundbreaking cancer trials.

Posner has performed seminal studies in induction chemotherapy and de-escalation treatment in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer. He has published more than 285 peer-reviewed laboratory and clinical studies. He has been the principal investigator of National Institutes of Health grants in immunology and of multiple Phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials. His research and clinical practice have most recently been aimed at immunotherapy, HPV oropharyngeal cancer, and salivary gland cancers.

Dr. Robert Gallo

Dr. Marshall Posner

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Swaddled in COMPREHENSIVE CARE

THE TGH WOMEN’S INSTITUTE EARNED THE HIGHEST NATIONAL DESIGNATION FOR PROVIDING SUPERIOR MATERNAL CARE—FROM CONCEPTION THROUGH DELIVERY AND POSTPARTUM RECOVERY

BY ERIC BARTON

The Tampa General Hospital Women’s Institute recently achieved a rare feat: earning the coveted Level IV Maternal Care Designation from The Joint Commission, the gold standard in health care accreditation. This puts the institute among a small but elite group of birthing hospitals nationwide recognized for providing the highest quality care for mothers and babies, from basic care to the most complex situations. The Joint Commission, established in

1951, is the oldest and largest health care accrediting body in the United States, providing accreditation, certification, and resources for health care professionals. It reviews and designates health care organizations on a four-tier system, ranging from basic care for low-risk pregnancies at Level I to comprehensive care for the most complex maternal conditions at Level IV. The Level IV designation signifies a powerhouse equipped to handle the most intricate medical situations—including advanced lifesaving care—for mothers and their unborn babies. For Tampa General, this translates to a team of highly skilled specialists readily available to navigate even the most challenging deliveries.

For the team at Tampa General—which delivered 7,045 babies in fiscal year 20232024—this recognition is a well-deserved validation. “The highest designation acknowledges the comprehensive care we provide women, from conception to delivery

and postpartum,’’ said Dr. Judette Louis, chief of the TGH Women’s Institute, and James M. Ingram professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. “This is about providing world-class care for mothers regardless of the complexity of their medical condition.’’

This recognition is just the latest in a string of accolades for the Women’s Institute. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked the institute top tier for maternity care in uncomplicated pregnancies. In addition, Blue Cross Blue Shield designated the institute a “Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care.”

The Level IV designation is the result of the collaboration among highly skilled specialists who treat complex cases.

Dr. Judette Louis

LEFT: Dr. Judette Louis examines patient Katherine Thomas, who was expecting her first baby. The TGH Women’s Institute delivered more than 7,000 babies in 2024.

An epicenter of innovation

Tampa

Medical & Research District: Where innovation & progress thrive.

In the city of Tampa, a new landscape is taking shape, one where a world-class academic health system, trailblazing medical schools and universities, a thriving business community, and cutting-edge medical research organizations all come together to ignite collaboration and fuel discovery. Anchored by Tampa General Hospital and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the Tampa Medical & Research District is where you’ll find clinical care, life sciences, biotech, private equity, venture capital and academics uniting to create a bedrock of expertise that improves patient care, strengthens communities, fuels economies and betters lives, every day. And this is only the beginning.

COMMUNITY WELLNESS A Prescription for

TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND 100

COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE OFFERING TAMPA BAY RESIDENTS SEVERAL WAYS TO PURSUE WELLNESS AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH

BY ROBIN F. DEMATTIA

In 1735, Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Fast-forward to today, and Tampa General Hospital and the City of Tampa are working together to improve the health and wellness of Tampa through TampaWell, an initiative focusing on preventative health care measures that are proven to reduce chronic disease and hospital readmissions.

The goal is to make Tampa a wellness destination while supporting the city’s most at-risk residents by addressing underlying social factors that impact health. The multi-year program, which started in 2022, concentrates on three main areas: regular movement; healthy eating and access to healthy food; and positive mental wellness.

The multi-year program concentrates on three main areas: regular movement; healthy eating and access to healthy food; and positive mental wellness.

It is modeled after the acclaimed Wellness Valley in Romagna, Italy, which was created in 2003 with a focus on wellness to improve quality of life for the region’s citizens. Guided by extensive research, data analysis, and the Community Health Needs Assessment, Tampa General and City of Tampa officials believe the community has a good foundation for promoting wellness, including a young and growing workforce, a thriving economic environment, and a solid infrastructure of fitness facilities and programs.

Tampa also has unhealthy habits that need to be addressed. Roughly 29 percent of adults are sedentary, about 27 percent are obese, and 36 percent have hypertension—a condition that in most people can be managed through lifestyle change. As a grassroots effort, TampaWell

aims to improve these numbers by increasing access to necessary services and programs with the goal of creating a culture of sustainable wellness and health improvements throughout the community.

“We’re on a mission to transform the health and wellness of our community,” said Tampa General President and CEO John Couris.

“Healthy foods and regular physical activity play a pivotal role in both the prevention and the treatment of chronic health conditions, but not everyone has access to these essentials.”

LET’S MOVE: BAYSHORE FITNESS TRAIL

To encourage movement, the program reimagined the Bayshore Fitness Trail along

LEFT: LeaAnn Kinkead and Ethan Hunter with the Tampa Parks and Recreation Department demonstrate some of the equipment on the renovated Bayshore Fitness Trail.

Located on picturesque Hillsborough Bay, the trail offers fitness stations, benches, a water fountain, and more.

RIGHT: Tampa General President and CEO John Couris at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated Bayshore Fitness Trail.

a scenic path adjacent to Hillsborough Bay. The trail has 10 fitness stations, starting at South Rome Avenue and ending at West Bay Street. Each fitness station focuses on specific techniques and equipment for flexibility and

strength exercises targeting specific muscle groups and areas of the body.

The popular trail and fitness equipment were updated in 2024 thanks to funding provided by TampaWell and the Hill Ward

As always, consult a physician before starting a new exercise program, be cautious, and use the equipment as described in the instructions. Instructional videos are available via QR codes at each station and at TGH.org/TampaWell.

NOURISH: COMMUNITY GARDEN AND FOOD PHARMACY

Based on the concept that “food is medicine,” the TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy nourishes the bodies and minds of residents in the underserved community of East Tampa. At the TGH Family Care Center Healthpark campus at 5802 N. 30th St., eligible patients can select fresh, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables and shelf-stable items from the Food Pharmacy, free of charge. Community members are also encouraged to volunteer in the garden to grow herbs and vegetables for distribution in the community.

Henderson law firm.

The TampaWell Community Garden is located on the TGH Family Care Center Healthpark campus in the underserved community of East Tampa.

Patients who are diagnosed with prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or obesity schedule a time to select food weekly from the Food Pharmacy for a period of six months with an opportunity to renew their prescription, depending on their need and diagnosis. Patients are referred after being screened through Tampa General medical providers who use the Hunger Vital Sign tool to identify those who are food insecure and have a nutrition-related chronic condition or disease.

Participating patients also can join in the Tampa YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program or Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring—both evidencebased health initiatives—as well as communitybased nutrition and health education classes.

The garden and food pharmacy are made possible by the collaboration and support of community partners, including a $65,000 donation in 2024 from Aetna Better Health of Florida. The MBJ Foundation also donated an undisclosed amount for the TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy.

Additionally, the Feeding Tampa Bay Food Rx Program and the Tampa YMCA Fresh Produce Prescription Program support TampaWell’s efforts to increase access to healthy food.

“With the new community garden and food pharmacy, we are effectively increasing access to fresh and nutritious foods in areas where we can

have the most meaningful impact,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said.

RELAX AND LEARN OUTDOORS

TampaWell’s mission to promote positive mental wellness got a boost in 2024 when Florida Blue donated $250,000 to support an outdoor classroom that hosts health education programs, cooking demonstrations, shared meals, and other engagement opportunities for Tampa General team members, patients, and residents.

The outdoor community space serves as a respite for Healthpark team members, patients, and East Tampa residents and community members to rest, relax, and recharge in their own time or as part of a structured class, supporting community resiliency and overall wellness.

Bank of America awarded a $100,000 grant to create a Mindfulness Lawn at the TampaWell Community Garden located on the campus of the TGH Family Care Center Healthpark. Highlights of the Mindfulness Lawn include peaceful landscaping, flat places to move, and music. Yoga, Zumba, boot camp, and other health education and fitness classes are offered.

Health education programs include “Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body,” a 14-week “Healthy Eating Every Day” guide, and a 6-session “Chronic Disease Self-Management Program.”

Looking to a Healthier Future Through community events and innovating new community wellness initiatives, TampaWell will continue on its journey to integrate health and wellness into the lives of all Tampa Bay residents and make the area one of the healthiest in the nation.

To learn more about all the ways TampaWell is empowering communities and transforming lives, click on the QR code. For events planned in Hillsborough County that support movement, healthy eating, and positive mental health, contact hi@villagewell.co to learn how to add your event to the TampaWell app.

Contact the Tampa General Hospital Foundation at cpp@tgh.org

Corporate partners and community groups volunteer at the TampaWell Community Garden to tend the plants.

TRANSFORMING HEALTH CARE THROUGH

TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL IS WEAVING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) INNOVATIONS INTO EVERY FACET OF HEALTH CARE TO REDUCE REDUNDANCY, STREAMLINE EFFICIENCY, AND ELEVATE PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND OUTCOMES BY

DENISE SCOTT

The academic health system is ensuring these cuttingedge technologies—used for inpatient care, outpatient locations, affiliated doctors’ offices, and elsewhere—adhere to the highest standards of security and privacy. “We’re on a mission to transform health care through innovation and technology,” said Scott Arnold, executive vice president and chief digital innovation officer.

RIGHT: The Care Coordination Center team uses AI applications to eliminate barriers, decrease inefficiencies, and shorten the length of stay.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Ronetta Lambert, senior director of Care Coordination Center operations, left, works with Clarissa Abraham, Care Coordination Center administrator on duty.

IN THE HOSPITAL Care Coordination Center Empowers Communication and Decision-Making

Tampa General was the first in Florida to partner with GE HealthCare in 2019 to open the Care Coordination Center, a clinical command center in the hospital featuring a large wall of video screen “tiles.”

It is the heartbeat of the hospital, connected to all units and providing real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care, operate at maximum capacity, and reduce costs.

Coordination that once required manual processes is now automated—but still has a human touch. The Care Coordination Center’s team uses AI technology to eliminate barriers, decrease inefficiencies and shorten the length of stay. At any given moment, tasks include coordinating helicopter transports; organizing the flow of patients into rooms; scheduling scans and surgeries; detecting and escalating care for sepsis; and facilitating discharges, to name a few.

Glenda Wright, senior director of operations at Tampa General, said the benefits realized since implementing the Care Coordination Center are immeasurable. “We used to have physical silos and process silos, where teams did not know quickly what was going on across the organization,” she said. “Now that we’re all in one room, one building, our command center is palpable—the energy, you can feel it.”

and length of stay.

Advanced Analytics Platform Improves Care Coordination

To keep moving forward with AI, the hospital system has deployed Palantir Technologies’ analytics platform called Foundry to deliver a new care coordination operating system for its frontline teams. It is meant to improve quality and patient care while reducing wait times

Tampa General first implemented Palantir’s Foundry software in the Care Coordination Center in 2021 to optimize operational efficiency and enhance patient outcomes. Today, the hospital system has proven metrics on how Palantir’s software has contributed to meaningful, measurable improvements in patient care, which include:

• The amount of time required to place patients was reduced by 83 percent.

• Post-Anesthesia Care Unit holds were reduced by 28 percent.

• The mean length of stay for sepsis patients was reduced by 30 percent.

Tampa General has recently implemented Palantir’s AI Platform in

conjunction with Foundry software to provide new insights for clinicians and team members. A concept using these tools called “Omni Sync” will be securely encoded with Tampa General’s clinical expertise to assist in making eligibility and prioritization decisions regarding bed placement, patient itineraries, and staffing allocation.

Tampa General will also use the new platform to automate other system workflows, such as billing and payment collection to increase efficiency. “Less time waiting for placement and a reduced length of stay does not just enhance the patient experience—it gives us an opportunity to treat more patients that need care,” Arnold said.

IN THE OPERATING ROOM

AI Observations Enhance Efficiencies

To boost efficiencies in surgery, Tampa General began using the Apella AI platform to provide data and insights for the operating rooms. With improved scheduling workflows, teams can better meet patients’ needs in a timely manner, lowering risks, and accelerating recovery.

Apella provides a 360-degree view of operating rooms in real time so surgical teams can make better-informed decisions, respond to immediate needs, anticipate next steps, and plan future operations. Apella estimates operating room prep time and surgery duration and provides staffing suggestions and identifies patterns to pinpoint areas in need of improvement.

Improved turnover of rooms and equipment increases the efficiency

of each operating room, which enables Tampa General to provide high-quality surgical care for more patients. “Through innovation and technology such as Apella, we’re giving our teams the tools and information to enhance quality, strengthen safety, and improve patient outcomes,” said Arnold.

IN OUTPATIENT FACILITIES

TGH Imaging Boosts Precision

Cutting-edge technology is also helping to provide faster scans and more precise diagnoses for patients at TGH Imaging’s outpatient facilities, including:

• First in Florida to install GE HealthCare’s Omni Legend digital PET/ CT system at TGH Imaging’s North Habana Avenue location in Tampa. The all-digital technology produces high-resolution images and faster exam times, beneficial for precise cancer monitoring.

• TGH Imaging’s more than 65 board-certified radiologists can provide faster, more accurate diagnoses and improved treatment planning using GE HealthCare’s imaging and ultrasound solutions. “This partnership helps the hospital ensure that every patient is poised for the best possible outcome, no matter how simple or complex their condition,” said Sherri Lewman, senior vice president of Enterprise Imaging at Tampa General. This offering is available in all TGH Imaging locations in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Palm Beach counties.

IN DOCTORS’ OFFICES

Ambient Listening Cuts Down on Paperwork

A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that for every hour spent with patients, doctors spend two additional hours on paperwork—a task that decreases productivity, limits collaboration, and increases burnout.

That is why Tampa General partnered with technology company Nuance to provide more than 400 of its affiliated physicians with access to the Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Copilot. The AI tool uses ambient listening to eliminate hours of clinical documentation during patient exams.

According to Nuance, 70 percent of physicians who use DAX Copilot have experienced a reduction in feelings of burnout and fatigue and 85 percent of patients said their physician is more personable and conversational.

“With the power of emerging technologies like AI and ambient listening, we can relieve our physicians and providers from this administrative burden and allow them to focus on what they do best at Tampa General: deliver world-class, patient-centered care,” said Dr. Nishit Patel, Tampa General vice president and chief medical informatics officer.

Patel notes that Tampa General physicians currently care for more than 2,100 patients a week utilizing DAX Copilot. In the coming months, the technology will expand to Tampa General’s emergency department and in-patient units. “Over the next few years, patients will immensely benefit from doctors and nurses using this technology throughout our health system,” he added. “It’s an exciting time.”

IN THE SKY

Light years beyond voice-to-text transcription technology, DAX Copilot uses the power of AI to automatically convert multi-party conversations into specialty-specific, clinical summaries in seconds. It identifies voices, captures patient history and symptom details, detects key observations and experiences, summarizes takeaways, and works seamlessly with the system’s electronic medical record platform to reduce documentation time by half.

Another First: Drone Delivery of Lifesaving Supplies

In an emergency, a few minutes’ delay can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why the academic health system has collaborated with Manatee County and Archer First Response Systems to provide eligible 911 callers in the coverage area with rapid access to lifesaving equipment via drones, free of charge.

The program, which supports emergency response efforts, delivers one automated external defibrillator (AED) for sudden cardiac arrest; one Narcan nasal spray to prevent death from opioid overdose; and one tourniquet to stop blood loss.

Drones are expected to reach 911 callers between 1 minute 45

seconds and 2 minutes 10 seconds. Dispatch explains how to use the equipment while first responders are enroute.

“Our team has diligently worked with the FAA to ensure strict adherence to safety standards for the deployment of lifesaving equipment via drones within the Manatee County community,” said Jason Swoboda, Tampa General director of innovation.

IN THE FUTURE

TGH Ventures: Redefining the Care Experience

TGH Ventures has partnered with nonprofit Synapse Florida to seek out health care entrepreneurs who are redefining the care experience for clinicians and patients.

As the hospital system’s corporate venture capital arm and innovation team, TGH Ventures invests in and supports early-stage companies focused on streamlining access to comprehensive care, lowering costs, optimizing care delivery methods, and enhancing the overall patient experience.

The first TGH Innovation Challenge in 2024 called for new solutions for providing lifesaving care and reducing cancer mortality in rural areas. More than 75 applications were submitted from around the world from established companies, startups, academia, the medical community, and individuals impacted by cancer.

The winner was Aayu + Box, a monthly subscription service that provides diagnostic tools, multilingual information pamphlets, and QR code referrals for early cancer screening detection and education. The company received a prize valued at $50,000 from Tampa General to support a potential partnership or pilot project in collaboration with TGH Ventures and the TGH Cancer Institute.

Glenda Wright

Sherri Lewman

Scott Arnold

Jason Swoboda Dr. Nishit Patel

The first TGH Innovation Challenge called for new solutions for providing lifesaving care and reducing cancer mortality in rural areas.

TOP 5 IN THE NATION TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE

Tampa General’s Transplant Institute has performed over 14,000 lifesaving transplants.

For over 50 years, we’ve been a national pioneer in advanced organ disease treatment and transplant surgery. We handle all five solid organ transplants for adults and we’re a premier destination for multi-organ transplants and complex cases. And we’re Florida’s leader for pediatric kidney transplants. More procedures mean more expertise — and better outcomes for patients and families.

Region’s Only Academic Health System*

Program

Source: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)

ACOAST TO

Advanced Care From

DRIVEN BY THE BELIEF THAT ALL FLORIDIANS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ACADEMIC MEDICAL CARE WHEN NEEDED, TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL HAS BEEN STEADILY EXPANDING ITS FOOTPRINT ACROSS THE STATE

BY PHIL BORCHMANN

Tampa General Hospital’s consistent ranking among the best in Florida— and in the nation—is built upon its history of progressive excellence, service, and academic collaboration dating back nearly a century.

Over the past four years, the academic health system has significantly broadened its service area by acquiring a hospital network and physician practices. Powered by leading-edge technologies, groundbreaking clinical research, and new physicians from the nation’s best hospitals, Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has continued to expand into several regions of the Sunshine State and is poised to become Florida’s academic health system.

“We have a bold vision to offer leadingedge health care, research, and innovation to communities throughout Florida, and a key step toward realizing this vision is embracing partnerships that allow us to expand services where they are needed most,” said Tampa General President and CEO John Couris.

Tampa General’s service area covers a broad swath of Florida: from the West Coast beaches to rapidly growing suburban neighborhoods to ranching and farming communities. As the only university-based academic health system and Level I Trauma Center in its region, Tampa General is ideally positioned to extend its reach into these areas and beyond.

TGH NORTH

COAST

Tampa General’s largest expansion to date is the acquisition of the Bravera Health network. Comprised of three hospitals in Citrus and Hernando counties on Florida’s Nature Coast, the system is now a division of the larger Tampa General system known as TGH North. As part of a leading academic health system, TGH North can efficiently connect area patients in

John Couris

Steve Short

Tampa General President and CEO John Couris addresses members of the TGH North leadership team at the TGH Leadership Forum at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2024.

need of complex care to advanced clinical research, treatment options, and highly skilled physicians.

With this addition, Tampa General’s academic health system encompasses six hospitals, more than 150 care locations, and nearly 15,000 team members and providers serving residents in 23 counties across Florida.

“With the creation of TGH North, we’re investing in this growing, vibrant region,” said Steve Short, executive vice president

and market president of TGH North. “The communities in Citrus and Hernando counties can continue to depend on their local hospitals, while benefiting from the cuttingedge research conducted at Tampa General and USF Health and access to a broader network of providers that offer rare and complex specialized care.”

In the aquisition’s first year, benefits to the community can be seen in the following initiatives:

• TGH Spring Hill Hospital opened a new

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, supported by the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, bringing specialty care to infants and their families closer to home so parents don’t have to travel for care and can also have their support system close by.

• The Spring Hill Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab) reopened for inpatient diagnostic procedures, providing important testing for heart and vascular diseases.

• TGH Brooksville Hospital will launch its new Cardiothoracic Surgery Program in 2025.

• TGH Crystal River Hospital began its new

Thoracic Oncology Program, directed by renowned thoracic surgeon Dr. Mary Carolyn Vinson.

• The TGH Crystal River Athletic Trainer Program with the Citrus County School District provides dedicated high school athletic trainers to oversee the athletes’ health and safety through onsite medical care, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and educational support.

TGH NORTH DETAILS

The TGH North division includes these renamed facilities and services:

• Tampa General Hospital Brooksville

• Tampa General Hospital Spring Hill

• Tampa General Hospital Crystal River

• TGH Crystal River Emergency Center

• Florida Endoscopy & Surgery Center

• Hernando Endoscopy & Surgery Center

• Ten primary care and specialty care clinics

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EXPANSIONS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND THE TREASURE COAST

Since 2020, Tampa General’s strategic vision for Florida’s Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast has introduced a framework of highly advanced services for patients in the area, combined with the expertise of a preeminent academic health system.

Patients in these practices who need advanced treatment can be connected directly to the groundbreaking research innovations, broader clinical trials and options for advanced procedures, and a smoother pathway to obtain complex surgeries. Patients who require more complex procedures or treatment at Tampa General will be able to follow up with their provider in the Palm Beaches upon returning home.

“Through our physicians and services, residents of the Palm Beaches can receive national-level care right in their own community and if needed, our experienced team can help connect patients to higher levels of care as needed,” said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, a Palm Beach oncologist and 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. “This gives patients the convenience they want and the advanced care they need.”

Two recent partnerships bring even more established and specialized care providers to Tampa General’s network of care in the Palm Beaches.

TGH UROLOGY GROUP OF FLORIDA

Tampa General’s affiliation with the long-established Urology Group of Florida “enables us to enhance the urologic care we offer, helping our patients by leveraging the exceptional resources that only Tampa General provides,” said urologist Dr. Lawrence M. Yore, president of TGH Urology Group of Florida.

In addition to common issues such as incontinence, urinary tract infections, and kidney stones, the practice treats several diseases and disorders including cancer of the bladder, kidneys, and prostate, and more.

Wellington is now known as the TGH Pulmonary Care & Sleep Institute.

“Tampa General is a distinguished institution that, like us, is devoted to delivering top-tier medical care to our patients and the partnership enhances that,” said Dr. Jay Maizes, a pulmonologist and managing partner of the TGH Pulmonary Care & Sleep Institute.

The institute’s physicians take a multidisciplinary approach to diagnose and treat all aspects of pulmonary-related conditions, with the goal of preserving a patient’s overall health. The medical experts treat asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and other conditions. The team includes Tampa General researchers, publishers of medical literature, and the first board-certified interventional pulmonologist in Florida.

TGH PULMONARY CARE & SLEEP INSTITUTE

The Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Disorders Institute of South Florida in Atlantis and

TAMPA GENERAL IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

The academic health system has partnered with Kitson & Partners to construct a 6,500-square-foot TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track facility at Babcock Ranch, the nation’s first solar-powered town, located in portions of Charlotte and Lee counties.

An additional 6,000 square feet will center on community health care needs. The first step in the project was a community forum for residents of Babcock Ranch that invited their input on health offerings important to them.

“In addition to bringing best-in-class care to Babcock Ranch, we are building a destination for health and wellness designed to meet community needs,” said Adam Smith, executive vice president and chief ambulatory officer of Tampa General. “This project is perfect for Babcock Ranch as health and wellness is integral to the residents’ lifestyle.”

Slated for completion in 2025, the urgent care clinic will be open seven days a week to treat common illnesses and injuries, and provide diagnostic tests, checkups, school and sports physicals, occupational screenings, care for workers’ compensation injuries, vaccinations, and X-rays.

Access to the best possible care is more than a vision for Tampa General. It is quickly becoming a reality as the academic health system strives to bring innovation and the highest level of health care to more and more Floridians.

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Dr. Lawrence M. Yore

Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg

Dr. Jay Maizes

Adam Smith

With the expansion of TGH North, we’re delivering more access to comprehensive, specialized care for rare and complex conditions — while elevating everyday care in your neighborhood. All with a seamless patient experience. That’s how we ensure that you have the highest level of care in the comfort of your community.

First of Its Kind in Treating

MENTAL HEALTH

In partnership with USF Health and Lifepoint Behavioral Health, TGH Behavioral Health Hospital— named one of the first such teaching hospitals in Florida—is expected to open this year

BY PHIL BORCHMANN

According to 2024 statistics from Mental Health America, a leading national nonprofit dedicated to the subject, nearly 60 million Americans experienced a mental illness in the past year. In Florida, the number was more than 3.5 million.

In early 2025 a new facility joins the quest for improved mental health—the preeminent TGH Behavioral Health Hospital located in Tampa’s burgeoning Medical and Research District.

The new behavioral health hospital became one of the first of four academic medical behavioral health hospitals in Florida when Senate Bill 330 was signed into law in 2024. The designation also creates the Florida Center

for Behavioral Health Workforce within the University of South Florida’s Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute. The state also provided $10 million in funding to help make it a reality. State Sen. Jim Boyd (R) championed Sen. Bill 330 with legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Darryl Rouson (D) and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R).

The new law advances the Sunshine State’s behavioral health systems of care by creating a new, integrated care and education model.

As a behavioral health academic hospital, the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will emphasize research, provide inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care, address system-wide

behavioral health needs, and offer treatment and care for those who need long-term voluntary or involuntary civil commitment. In collaboration with the state, universities, and private organizations, these hospitals will also deliver education and recruitment, training, and retention efforts to strengthen Florida’s behavioral health workforce.

“As the community continues its trajectory of unprecedented growth, the demand for mental and behavioral health services is higher than ever before,” said Doug Leonardo, CEO of the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital. “The TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will significantly expand Floridians’ access to mental health services.”

TOP: USF President Rhea Law and Tampa General President John Couris sign a beam for the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital during a celebration of the state law designating the hospital as a behavioral health teaching facility.

BOTTOM: Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida (USF) celebrate a state law that names the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital one of the first four behavioral health teaching hospitals in Florida and creates the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce within USF’s Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.

The TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will offer highly specialized and personalized care for many behavioral and mental health conditions. The secure 83,000-square-foot hospital is a joint venture between Tampa General and Lifepoint Behavioral Health, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, which specializes in providing compassionate care across the behavioral health care continuum. With 96 inpatient beds, the hospital will feature dedicated space for treating patients with behavioral health issues, some with multiple medical conditions.

TGH Behavioral Health Hospital is set to initially provide the Tampa Bay region with treatment programs that include partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient care, and electroconvulsive therapy. Lifepoint Behavioral Health will handle daily operations. Physicians within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, led by Dr. Ryan Wagoner, professor and chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, will deliver a full complement of inpatient and outpatient care in dedicated units for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.

Psychiatrists on the faculty with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida will also teach its medical students and resident physicians at the hospital. The facility will link directly to Tampa General’s nationally recognized Neuroscience Institute, which delivers a continuum of care to patients of all ages with neurological disorders, provided by top physicians. A supportive environment is intended to foster healing with activity rooms, dining spaces, outdoor courtyards for adults and a separate outdoor space for children.

As the community continues its trajectory of unprecedented growth, the demand for mental and behavioral health services is higher than ever before,” said Doug Leonardo, CEO of the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital. The new hospital “will significantly expand Floridians’ access to mental health services.”

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“By increasing much-needed access to highly specialized and personalized behavioral health care, we are filling a great need in the West-Central Florida community, said Russ Bailey, president of Lifepoint Rehabilitation and Lifepoint Behavioral Health. “This facility will be designed in every way to create a calm and healing environment for patients and will enable caregivers to treat a comprehensive range of behavioral and mental health conditions.”

As the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital integrates itself within the health care landscape, it is expected to have a positive impact on the state of mental health in the region.

Dr. Ryan Wagoner

Russ Bailey

Doug Leonardo

ABeware FOREIGN OBJECTS

BY HEATHER GRAULICH

Larry King Jr. shares his cautionary tale of an errant earbud and his deep appreciation for TGH’s responsive emergency care

In 1987, legendary CNN talk show host Larry King interviewed a guest who probably saved his life—Dr. C. Everett Koop—then the U.S. Surgeon General. Koop knew King was a chain smoker, and he was actually smoking while doing the interview. During a commercial break, Koop urged King to seek immediate medical attention, telling him, “You don’t look good.” Later that night, at George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C., King learned he was having a heart attack and would require bypass surgery. He never smoked again.

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More than 35 years later, his son, Larry King Jr., followed similar advice to seek emergency care for severe abdominal pain at Tampa General Hospital at the urging of his wife, Natalie Baird-King. “She didn’t know what was going on with me,” King said. “She just knew Tampa General is the best for trauma.”

What the hospital’s staff discovered came as a surprise. King had accidentally swallowed an Apple AirPod, the wireless audio earbuds used with iPhones. And, like his late father, this hospital visit would go on to have a profound effect on his lifestyle.

On May 19, 2022, the Kings went out to dinner with friends for a convivial meal and cocktails. Back home, eager to watch an NBA playoff between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, King prepared a glass of wine and bowl of popcorn. He recalled being excited during the game—“I’m going crazy and I’m yelling”—before inserting his AirPods to listen to post-game interviews.

The next morning, he couldn’t find one of the AirPods. His stomach hurt, so he tried napping and walking the dog but by 3 p.m., he was doubled over with pain. When he felt he could hardly breathe as the pain grew more severe, he headed to Tampa General.

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There, nurses drew blood for testing and King underwent a CT scan, which revealed the uniquely shaped earbud. King retrieved his iPhone to use the “Find My AirPods” feature, which showed “one’s at home and one’s in the ‘hot seat.’ It was on the screen clear as day,” he recalled.

While the AirPod’s distinct outline elicited bemused surprise in the exam room, King’s medical situation was serious, said his surgeon, Dr. Jose Diaz, director of the TGH Regional Trauma Program and chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida.

Diaz could see the rounded AirPod and its inch-long cylindrical stem wedged in a precarious position—where the intestines narrow between large and small. The stem also appeared to have perforated the intestinal wall, causing gastric fluid leakage.

An untreated intestinal perforation can be fatal, Diaz said. “He was young and otherwise healthy, so he was able to respond well to the localized infection. If the contained abscess were to become severe, he could have gone into shock, and a patient may not recover from that.”

Surgery was needed right away. According to a recent study by medical researchers in Greece, even though gastrointestinal perforation is a relatively common medical emergency, it has a mortality rate of 30 to 50 percent. Diaz performed a laparotomy, making an incision in the middle of King’s abdomen and removing a mass of inflammation and a section of intestine. Within the mass, Diaz found the AirPod. The operation was successful, with no complications.

In a career filled with cases of accidental and purposeful ingestion of foreign objects—screws inhaled by distracted DIY weekend warriors, coins discovered by curious children, even spoons swallowed by a patient with psychiatric

illness—King’s situation was a first for Diaz.

But this mishap wasn’t the first—or last— accidental ingestion of an AirPod. In 2019, a 7-year-old Atlanta boy swallowed one. In September 2023, a 52-year-old Utah woman posted on TikTok she had done the same, mistaking it for a vitamin. Apple’s website warns AirPods may pose a choking hazard “or other injury” for small children and should be kept away from them.

Foreign objects often simply pass through the gastrointestinal tract, Diaz said, but a CT scan is recommended to rule out dangerous complications, especially for items such as AirPods, which contain lithium batteries.

During his post-operative recuperation, King decided to quit drinking alcohol, echoing his father’s choice to stop smoking decades earlier. “I reflected on what happened and it wasn’t the excitement of the game. It wasn’t because I was tired. The fact that I can’t answer how I did it, well, maybe alcohol had something to do with that?” he said. “I feel good. My family sees a difference.”

Although this was King’s first operation, medical staff ensured their nervous patient was comfortable and informed step-by-step throughout his hospital stay. He is grateful that he went to the ER after Diaz explained that King would have likely developed deadly septic shock—when infectious fluids poison the bloodstream—if he had waited another 18 hours. King praised the caring and professional treatment he received from Diaz and the trauma center staff. “I had people coming in the room at all hours and every single one would ask, ‘What can I do for you?’” King said. “They were never too busy. So that helps you get through it—the confidence they have.”

Dr. Jose Diaz

RIGHT: Dr. Jose Diaz performed emergency surgery on Larry King Jr., pictured at his Tampa home. BELOW: King, at right, with his father, legendary talk show host Larry King Sr. LEFT: King and his wife Natalie Baird-King.

TEAMING UP FOR AAA

GOOD HEALTH

Tampa General Hospital and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have built a strong longstanding partnership, working together to support premier health care in the Tampa Bay region, engage the community through health education, and inspire local youth.

The Lightning Foundation donated $50,000 to Tampa General in recognition of dedicated patient care during the pandemic. In 2020, they joined forces to name the Lightning’s official training facility the TGH Ice Plex, a facility where community members, including children, can learn to skate. The organizations’ #WhateverItTakes campaign spotlights several Lightning players. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy received care at Tampa General that allowed him to continue his championship career on the ice.

Through #WhateverItTakes, Vasilevskiy, and fellow Bolts Nick Paul, Brandon Hagel, and Mikey Eyssimont share personal stories about how they or their loved ones have been impacted by health conditions—ranging from vascular and neurological issues to gastrointestinal complications and mental health crises—to empower residents to seek the care they need at Tampa General to live their fullest lives. TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL AND THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING UNITE FOR

BY HEATHER GRAULICH

LEFT: Tampa General Hospital and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have built a strong, longstanding partnership to support premier health care, engage the community through health education, and inspire local youth.

AAA

A WINNING ASSIST: VASILEVSKIY’S STORY

Vasilevskiy felt great in the summer 2015 offseason. He’d just finished his first season in the NHL as a Lightning goaltender and, more than that, he’d made history in doing so at just 21 years old.

In Game 2 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks, while backing up an injured starter, Vasilevskiy’s action in the big game marked the first career playoff win for a relief goalie in the finals in nearly a century.

Deep into conditioning exercises to prep for the 2015-2016 season, he noticed something odd. After a workout, his left arm was swollen and bluish in color, so team doctors immediately sent him to Tampa General. Doctors instantly recognized that it was cause for surgery.

Vasilevskiy was diagnosed with a blood clot caused by a type of thoracic outlet syndrome, which can occur when blood vessels and nerves are compressed near the thoracic outlet, a space located between the collarbone and first rib. Symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome can include the swelling and bluish color Vasilevskiy experienced, as well as pain, numbness, and weakness in the arm and hand on the affected side.

Vasilevskiy needed urgent thoracic outlet decompression surgery at Tampa General’s world-class Heart & Vascular Institute to prevent longterm complications and get him back defending the net. U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 Best Hospitals ranking has recognized Tampa General as one of the Top 50 hospitals for heart and vascular care in the nation and the second highest in Florida.

“Common causes of thoracic outlet syndrome include trauma from a car accident or repetitive injuries from a job or sport, particularly those involving overhead and repetitive movements,” said Dr. Murray L. Shames, Richard G. Connar endowed professor and chair, Department of Surgery, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida and co-chief, TGH Heart & Vascular Institute, and surgeon in chief, Tampa General Hospital. While Shames did not treat Vasilevskiy, he has performed thoracic outlet syndrome surgery numerous times. “We find that we can have positive outcomes for patients who are high-performing or professional athletes.”

At first, these statistics concerned Vasilevskiy. “I was afraid a little

bit, obviously,” he recalled. “I remember the doctor told me that, you’ll be fine, 95 percent you’ll be playing hockey again. There’s still that 5 percent … but he was super positive. So just his positivity was enough for me to feel comfortable. After, the doctor came to me and he told me, everything was perfect.”

Vasilevskiy’s successful surgery involved removing the blood clot with a catheter and administering an anti-clotting drug, as well as the removal of his first rib on the left side. This is done to eliminate further pinching of any blood vessels or nerves between the rib and the collarbone. Vasilevskiy then spent nearly two months on blood-thinning medication and was prohibited from the ice.

Vasilevskiy credits the quick action and expertise of the Tampa General team with the treatment that allowed him to continue playing at his sport’s highest level. “The doctor and the whole medical staff at Tampa General did such a great job,” Vasilevskiy said. “They kept me confident and comfortable the whole way.”

Despite his harrowing experience, Vasilevskiy went on to become a seasoned, championship-winning player. He has built an outstanding career with the Lightning that includes back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021. He signed a $76 million contract extension in 2019 that will keep him in the Lightning’s net through the 2027-2028 season. He has also played in NHL All-Star Games in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023.

For more Bolts stories, scan the QR code:

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Dr. Murray Shames

The TGH Cancer Institute fuels innovation with a menu of advanced treatment options and nationally recognized cancer specialists

BY KAREN FELDMAN

Radiation Oncology EXPERTISE EXPANDS W

hile no one hopes to need radiation oncology treatment, it’s reassuring to know that the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Radiation Oncology Center, part of the TGH Cancer Institute, is ready to provide a wide array of leading-edge radiation therapies for cancer patients.

Recognized by the U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals 2024-2025” as one of the top 50 cancer centers in the nation and by Newsweek as one of “America’s Best Cancer Hospitals,” the TGH Cancer Institute continues to grow. Its expanded services include a radiation oncology program in two locations with the most advanced technology; new facilities; a growing roster of clinical research trials; and a cadre of radiation oncologists from premier academic medical institutions.

“Establishing a world-class cancer institute at one of the country’s leading academic medical centers comes down

to its people and innovative technologies and science. Over the past three years, we have cultivated the TGH Cancer Institute into one of the preeminent institutes in the country,” said Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, vice president and executive director of the TGH Cancer Institute.

“One of the ways we have accomplished this is to develop a preeminent radiation oncology department that brings some of the latest radiotherapy options to Tampa Bay and across Florida. This experienced team, along with our investment in stateof-the-art technologies and in clinical trials, is well-poised to transform the radiation oncology field in our region and beyond.”

Radiation has long featured prominently in the detection and treatment of cancer, but its role expands as researchers develop new ways to harness its powers. It is used to treat many forms of cancer, including breast, lung, gynecological, brain, liver, pancreatic, pediatric, colorectal, and blood.

Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor

Dr. Brian Collins

The CyberKnife at the TGH Cancer Institute.

ADVANCED RADIATION TREATMENT OPTIONS

With its strategic expansion, the TGH Cancer Institute is equipped to provide a full complement of radiation oncology services. Here are some examples of the cutting-edge technology the academic health system is utilizing to provide advanced treatment options.

CyberKnife S7: A fully robotic radiotherapy device, the CyberKnife can deliver precise doses of radiation to cancerous and noncancerous tumors without damaging adjacent healthy tissue. It tracks even the slightest patient movements and adjusts to ensure it is focused on the tumor target.

“This is a highly advanced and accurate oncology tool. Ten years ago, no one would have thought this kind of technology was possible,” said Dr. Brian Collins, a board-certified radiation oncologist and director of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, at the TGH Cancer Institute,

and a professor of radiation oncology and director of Central Nervous System Oncology & Radiosurgery, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida.

The CyberKnife, which uses real-time, AI-driven motion detection, treats tumors throughout the body—as well as neurological disorders—in as little as 15 minutes. The system reduces the number of treatments a patient needs. For example, prostate cancer patients need receive only four to five sessions over one to two weeks, while conventional radiation requires 30-40 sessions over eight to 10 weeks.

The tracking increases accuracy, said Collins, who joined the TGH Cancer Institute in 2023, coming from the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

The CyberKnife’s robotic design permits the delivery of radiation from thousands of angles, significantly expanding the positions from which radiation beams can be delivered. This results in delivering a highly targeted dose to the tumor

while protecting the healthy tissue around it.

TrueBeam: This advanced medical linear accelerator system is capable of fast and precise image-guided radiation therapy, which enables doctors to treat hard-to-reach tumors with greater precision and minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues. The linear accelerator machine dramatically decreases treatment time from 30 to 2 minutes while maintaining accuracy, precision and safety through enhanced low-dose imaging and motion compensation.

High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy: This treatment involves the careful, temporary placement of radioactive material inside the body in direct contact with tumors. The procedure allows higher doses of radiation to be delivered more precisely than external radiation, lowering exposure to the surrounding normal tissues and organs. This minimally invasive treatment often can be delivered in one to three treatments, far fewer than traditional radiation therapy.

GammaTile: Used to slow the progression

The TrueBeam advanced medical linear accelerator system is capable of fast and precise image-guided radiation therapy that enables doctors to treat hard-to-reach tumors.

of brain tumors, a postage stamp-sized collagen tile is placed against the site from which a tumor has just been removed. The tile slowly dissolves while targeting remaining cancer calls with precise doses of gamma rays. GammaTile allows for potentially lifesaving radiation treatments to begin as soon as a patient’s surgery is complete. And most don’t require additional trips to the clinic.

Molecular breast imaging (MBI): This advanced system detects cancer in women with dense breast tissue in which it is difficult to find tumors with routine mammography. MBI uses a small amount of radioactive tracer administered intravenously. It is absorbed by rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, which will appear highlighted on the image.

Radiation Oncology at TGH Cancer

Institute’s Satellite Location

To better serve cancer patients in the rapidly growing South Hillsborough County area, the TGH Cancer Institute expanded with the TGH Infusion Center and TGH Radiation Oncology Center in Brandon. Radiation Oncology services include evidence-based, multimodal radiation therapies, including high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, radiopharmaceuticals (radioisotopes to target specific organs, tissues, or cells) and the TrueBeam system (an advanced medical linear accelerator capable of fast and precise image-guided radiation therapy). The center is located in a suburban community at 10740 Palm River Road in Tampa, near the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway and Interstate 75.

This postage stamp-sized collagen tile is placed where a tumor has been removed. It then dissolves while targeting remaining cancer cells with precise doses of gamma rays.

A FULL COMPLEMENT OF RADIATION THERAPY SOLUTIONS

TGH Radiation Oncology brings stateof-the-art radiation therapy solutions to patients:

• Electron Therapy Targets and treats cancerous cells

• Intraoperative Radiation Therapy Directs targeted radiation to difficult cancers while minimally affecting the surrounding tissue

• Surface-Guided Radiation Therapy Uses stereovision technology to track a patient’s surface in 3D to set up treatment and manage a patient’s motion during radiotherapy

WHAT IT DOES

Radiation is used in many cancer treatment applications:

• Targets and treats cancer

• Palliative treatment eases symptoms and pain

METHODS

A Radiation

• Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Medical imaging to provide precise, accurate radiation treatment

• Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Allows radiation intensity to be changed during treatment for more precision while sparing surrounding normal tissue

• Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Single or multiple radiation beams move in arcs around the patient rather than remaining stationary to deliver targeted, high-powered doses with minimal impact to surrounding normal tissue and anatomy

For more information on TGH Radiation Oncology, click on this QR code:

• Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy): A radioactive object (seeds, ribbon, wire, capsule) containing a radiation source is placed inside the body, in or near the tumor.

• External beam radiation therapy: Comes from a machine aimed at the cancer X X X

• Systemic radiation: Liquid (via mouth, IV, or injection) placed internally travels through the bloodstream

AREAS OF USE

• Head and neck

• Breast

• Cervix

• Prostate

(Source: National Cancer Institute)

NEIGHBORHOOD

CONVENIENCE 24/7 EMERGENCY CARE

Tampa Bay’s only Level I Trauma Center — powered by the region’s only academic health system*.

As Tampa Bay’s first and only Level I Trauma Center, Tampa General cares for adults and children alike — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our emergency teams include the region’s leading trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons and specialized medical professionals, all dedicated to delivering the highest level of care when seconds count.

TGH EMERGENCY LOCATIONS:

DAVIS ISLANDS

BRANDON 10740 Palm River Road in Brandon

SOUTH TAMPA 1301 West Kennedy Boulevard

Tampa General Hospital *University-based program

A 50 YEARS OF SAVING LIVES Transplant Institute:

TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL IS HOME TO ONE OF THE NATION’S LEADING TRANSPLANT CENTERS

BY DENISE SCOTT

Dr. Anthony Watkins launched a program to improve access for Black patients to lifesaving transplant surgeries.

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In 2024, Tampa General Hospital (TGH) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its organ transplant program, having performed 889 transplants, surpassing the previous annual record of transplants performed by a single center in the nation.

provide world-class health care to patients before, during, and after transplant surgery.

MORE TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE MILESTONES

BY KAREN FELDMAN

The TGH Transplant Institute has been restoring good health to patients and their families since 1974, when it performed its first kidney transplant—one of a number of subsequent milestones. In 1985, Tampa General was the first hospital in Florida to successfully perform a heart transplant. Tampa General is the only hospital in West-Central Florida to offer all five organ transplant procedures to adult patients: heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas.

Over the Transplant Institute’s first five decades, the hospital’s surgeons have completed more than 14,000 transplants. As a national leader in advanced organ disease treatment and transplant surgery, Tampa General is among a few dozen hospitals in the United States to reach that milestone, driving innovation to

“As a national leader in organ transplants, we possess the proficiency and capability to manage patients with the most complex health conditions—and that has led to exceptional patient outcomes,” said Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute and surgical director of the Comprehensive Liver Disease and Transplant Center. “Our program was founded by innovators—and we continue our focus on innovation today,” Dhanireddy said.

Other accolades for the TGH Transplant Institute:

• TOP 10

IN THE U.S. FOR KIDNEY AND LIVER TRANSPLANTS

The academic health system has consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country for both kidney and liver transplants.

Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy

Dr. Anthony Watkins

The TGH Transplant Institute began in 1974.

Afor

Tampa General historically displays some of the most efficient transplants in the country and in Florida, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

A liver is prepared

transplant using the OrganOx metra liver perfusion machine.

A• SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FIVE LIVING-DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTS

Tampa General started its Living-Donor Liver Transplant program in 2023, and successfully completed five transplants in year one.

• TAMPA GENERAL’S FIRST HEART-LUNG TRANSPLANT

Tampa General completed its first successful heart-lung transplant in 2024.

“These milestones verify our commitment to combining clinical expertise with the latest innovations to provide greater access to life-changing transplants for our community,” Dhanireddy said.

ADDRESSING EQUITY

The TGH Transplant Institute is addressing equity for all patients in need of all lifesaving organ transplants. The programs are geared to overcome barriers for both Black and Hispanic patients such as patient distrust of health care institutions; cultural competency; health literacy; and the need for psychosocial support.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT ACCESS PROGRAM PROVIDES OUTREACH TO BLACK PATIENTS

Improving access includes examining disparities in transplant data among underserved populations. Tampa General launched a clinical trial and outreach program for kidney patients in the Black community in September 2024. The African American Transplant Access Program was developed by Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and is supported by a National Institutes of Health grant to expand the program in Florida.

“The Black population unfortunately has about a three times higher rate of developing end-stage renal disease than other patients,” said Dr. Anthony Watkins, surgical director of the TGH Center for Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program and lead for the program.

Less access to needed health care, combined with much higher rates of high blood pressure,

diabetes, obesity, and heart disease all increase Black patients’ risk for kidney disease. White patients receive transplants at a much higher rate, Watkins explained.

The National Institutes of Health reports that white and Asian patients experience the highest rates of kidney transplants, followed by Hispanic patients. Black, Native American, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients show the lowest rates. The launch of Tampa General’s African American Transplant Access Program is particularly timely, as Watkins noted that 14,000 Black patients across the U.S. were moved up on the transplant waiting list this year after a race-biased kidney function lab test was found to be faulty in determining their previously lower priority.

Ablood flow to supply oxygen and nutrients to a donor organ, Tampa General can retrieve all of its solid organs from a wider geographical area and ensure they remain in optimum condition before transplant procedures are undertaken. This increases access to donor organs and shortens patient wait times.

Specifically, Tampa General began using the OrganOx Metra device, performing more than 400 liver perfusions to date. As a result, the liver transplant program has seen a 70 percent increase in transplants from calendar year 2023 to 2024.

The program’s goal is to improve access to resources that enable Black patients to navigate the transplant process and achieve better health through transplantation. “We will also be tracking the rate at which these patients receive transplants and their outcomes,” Watkins said.

The African American Transplant Access Program will provide additional funding for patient resources as well as resources to evaluate. For more information, contact (813) 660-6707.

TECHNOLOGY BROADENS SCOPE OF VIABLE ORGAN DONATIONS

Just as important as ensuring patients receive proper care is the swift transport of life-saving organ donations to increase the likelihood of a successful transplant.

According to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Tampa General historically displays some of the most efficient transplant timelines in the country and in Florida. That doesn’t mean, however, that the TGH Transplant Institute is resting in its pursuit of further innovation.

Through the adoption of organ perfusion technology in 2022, the process of maintaining

“This technology allows us to bring lifesaving liver transplants to patients who otherwise would suffer from their disease while waiting for an available organ,” said Dhanireddy. “It’s also enabled us to innovate throughout all of our solid organ programs. We’re now recognized as international thought leaders in liver normothermic machine perfusion.

“It has really opened the door for a lot of people who might have been disadvantaged in receiving an organ and provides them with the opportunity to live a long and healthy life,” Dhanireddy said.

TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE EXPANSION

In 2027, the TGH Transplant Institute will move to the system’s new, highly advanced Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower, located on the main Tampa General campus, where patients will have access to best-in-class providers, the latest research therapies, and modern technologies.

Dhanireddy said Tampa General plans to remain at the forefront of advanced organ disease treatment and transplant surgery over the next 50 years and beyond. “Our most recent milestone is a direct result of the dedicated team of experts at the TGH Transplant Institute, as well as the generous organ donors and families who make these transplant procedures possible,” he concluded.

DAUGHTER’S MEMORY Honoring a

LES AND PAM MUMA TRANSFORM A PREMIER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL WITH A LANDMARK GIFT

BY DAVE SCHEIBER

It is the fulfillment of a dream born of deep loss and a new chapter in children’s health care in the Tampa Bay region and beyond from a couple whose name is synonymous with transformative giving.

Welcome to the new Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH—the embodiment of an enduring vision shared by area philanthropists

Pam and Les Muma. The result is a state-of-theart, comprehensive pediatric center equipped to handle virtually any health need—powered by the vast resources and expertise of the nationally renowned Tampa General Hospital. When the Mumas suffered the heartbreaking death of their newborn daughter in 1973 only days after her birth at a local Tampa hospital,

grief gave way to action. It eventually evolved into a passionate commitment to help Tampa General build the best newborn intensive care unit in the nation. With a major gift in 2006, the Mumas created the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in honor of the baby girl they lost—a center known for providing the highest quality of care and

Phase 1 of the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH features patient rooms, a rehabilitation gym, and a family lounge in a coastal design.

There are no limits to the generosity of Pam and Les Muma. Their contribution to Tampa General in support of the children’s hospital will have a meaningful and lasting impact across the state, most especially on the families and children of our community.”

John Couris

leading to the academic health system being named one of the top 10 hospitals in the country and the most highly ranked in Florida for Obstetrics and Gynecology by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2024-2025.”

“If it weren’t for what happened, we wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing,” Pam said. “Our daughter’s legacy is what led us to become involved in this way.”

Les recalls their newborn baby girl being transported from the other hospital and placed into the Tampa General NICU, a

cramped and noisy space, adding to already enormous stress. “There are all these beds side by side, and when one baby cried, another would start crying,” he recalled.

“There was so much equipment noise. We were very careful with the NICU design we named for our daughter so the babies would be in separate rooms with their mothers. We felt that was vital.”

Now the couple, also recognized for their significant support of the University of South Florida, highlighted by the Muma College of

ABOVE: The TGH Foundation celebrates the announcement of the Muma’s generous gift and the naming of the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH. Left to right: Dr. Patricia J. Emmanuel, chief of the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH and Lewis A. Barness professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine; Les and Pam Muma; and Melissa Golombek, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Tampa General.

Business among other major gifts, has built upon their initial cornerstone NICU donation with an even larger gesture. A substantial contribution in late 2023 has paved the way for the renaming of Tampa General’s existing children’s hospital, Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH.

Tampa General President and CEO John Couris hailed the Mumas’ landmark financial gift. “There are no limits to the generosity of Pam and Les Muma. Their contribution to Tampa General in support of the children’s hospital will have a meaningful and lasting impact across the state, most especially on the families and children of our community.”

Despite their enormous stature in the area, and the clout and credibility their name engenders, Pam and Les Muma are fueled simply by a desire to enrich others’ lives.

“One of my favorite things about the work we do is building friendships with remarkable people and the Mumas are a shining example of this,” said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the

TGH Foundation. “They are as genuine a couple as you can possibly meet. What you see is what you get with them. And they are truly believers in making the community a better place through philanthropy.”

That sentiment is echoed by Melissa Golombek, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Tampa General: “Pam and Les are this huge powerhouse couple who have dedicated their lives to philanthropy and are truly passionate about health care. If you’ve only read about them and never met them, it is the most humbling experience. They just blow you away by how kind, thoughtful, and downto-earth they are.”

She added: “Once or twice in a lifetime, you meet people like Pam and Les, who not only deliver funds to support you financially, but they support your vision. And they want to be part of that process.”

USF ALUMNI & COMMUNITY LEADERS

The Mumas’ journey began when they grew up together in Winter Haven, then started dating while both attended USF. Initially, their

hopes and dreams were simple, revolving around marriage and raising a family. They barely could have imagined being able to give back to the university, the community, and Tampa General on the monumental scale for which they have become so well known.

Les began a career in data processing while still at USF, majoring in theoretical mathematics, graduating in 1966, and starting off in the field of information technology. In time, he co-founded Fiserv Inc., growing it with partners from a small company with a single location and modest staff into a Fortune 500 company that provides technology products and services to thousands of institutions around the world.

Meanwhile, Pam established herself as a community leader in the Tampa Bay area— including roles as a founding member of USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, past chairperson of Junior Achievement Tampa Bay and member of the TGH Foundation Board of Trustees (on which she and Les remain active). They originally hadn’t planned on making a gift to greatly enhance and name Tampa General’s children’s hospital, but gradually their minds were changed.

“I recall a lunch I had with Pam and Les about five years ago when they told me they didn’t plan to make another major philanthropic gift,” Leppla recalled. “They felt they’d done all they wanted to do. But when their passion for children’s health care fully aligned with the direction of the Tampa General leadership and the award-winning care provided by the pediatric clinical teams, it was something they were compelled to get behind.”

The reason, Pam explained, was simple: “We had the right people and the right place. For one thing, I was on the search committee when we hired Melissa Golombek, and she really took the bull by the horns and drove this over the past few years. And, of course, John Couris came to Tampa General in 2017 with his great passion and desire to take the hospital to another level in children’s care.”

FULL RANGE OF CARE

The result is a hospital where patients can receive a full spectrum of cutting-edge care: from simple injuries to major trauma; from basic illnesses to complex chronic conditions; and from neonatal infants to adolescents. A

This renovated nurses station in the children’s hospital is cheerful and calming.

gifted team of professionals supports the entire range of needs of each child—including pediatric specialists and surgeons, pediatric-certified nurses, psychologists, certified child-life specialists, and pediatric therapists.“We provide an incredibly wide range of toptier services,” said Dr. Patricia J. Emmanuel, chief of the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH and Lewis A. Barness professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “We care for the tiniest babies in our Fetal Care Center, from the point of conception, where we provide counseling for pregnant women who might have issues with a premature baby or an infant facing a complex problem, all the way to transitioning a 21-year-old to our adult system. We’re here for the lifespan of your child and the full range of their care.”

When patients “age out” of Muma Children’s Hospital, they can continue to receive care right

here in your backyard,’” said Nikki Hurley, interim vice president of the Muma Children’s Hospital and the TGH Women’s Institute. Golombek underscored a distinct advantage of the Muma Children’s Hospital: It is housed within the main Tampa General Hospital facility. “Rather than invest in brick and mortar,” she said, “we’re able to invest funds in the people and in highquality programs, and to advance pediatric health care in Tampa Bay and Florida.”

Renovation Highlights

The children’s hospital multimilliondollar renovation includes:

• Renovating a nurses station and lounge

• Updating all patient rooms

• Refreshing the children’s playroom to provide patients with the space to take a respite from treatment

• Remodeling physical and occupational therapy gyms to help patients regain skills and strength

• Revitalizing the waiting room

• Enhancing technological infrastructure to support current and future pediatric health care advances

• Creating a teen lounge for older patients to have a space specific to their interests and activities

(See page 18 for the Muma Children’s Hospital’s collaboration with The Florida Aquarium.)

Melissa Golombek

Dr. Patricia Emmanuel

Melissa Golombek, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Tampa General; Pam and Les Muma; and Kelly Charpentier, child life specialist, with Millie, chief snuggle officer, part of the Muma Children’s Hospital pediatric facility dog team.

TANEJA TOWER

FROM HUMBLE ROOTS TO MAJOR GIVING, THE TANEJAS CHANNELED FAMILY GRIEF INTO PAYING FORWARD THEIR GOOD FORTUNES

By Dave Scheiber

THIS TOWER WILL NOT ONLY ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO TREAT PATIENTS BUT ALSO FOSTER A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR LEADING RESEARCHERS AND SPECIALISTS TO WORK TOGETHER.”

Jugal TaneJa

When Jugal Taneja arrived in the United States from his native India in 1972, he brought with him a pocketful of hope and dreams. He also carried with him words of guidance from his father to always give back and pay it forward.

“From a young age, I witnessed the challenges faced by those in need and the importance of community support,” he said. “My father instilled in me the values of generosity, compassion and the belief that every individual can make a difference in lives of others.”

Indeed, it was a lesson well learned. In 2027, the man who came to America with meager resources will see the fruits of his industrious pursuits gracing a transformative addition to Tampa General Hospital: the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower. This gamechanging extension of Tampa General’s leading-edge care is elevated

by philanthropy, with the Taneja family leading the way. The $25 million gift is the largest the Taneja Family Foundation has ever made.

“Patients come to Tampa General for world-class care, and the addition of this new tower on our campus, thanks in part to the generosity of the Taneja family, enhances our ability to deliver the highest level of academic-based medicine,” said John Couris, Tampa General president and CEO. “The Taneja family shares our vision that through innovation, we can transform health care and improve patient outcomes. The new Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower will be an intersection of academics, research, and clinical care that will elevate how we are able to treat patients with complex conditions.”

The medical pavilion will serve as the home for Tampa General’s

The Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower is planned to open in 2027.

IF YOU PUT A GROUP OF NEUROSURGEONS IN A BEAUTIFUL SPACE WITH GREAT TECHNOLOGY, THEIR PERFORMANCE INCREASES.”

DR. HARRY VAN LOVEREN

surgery, neuroscience, and transplant service lines. It will afford patients access to best-in-class providers, as well as the latest research therapies and technologies.

The tower will consist of a plaza level and 12 floors, with 144 patient beds, 32 operating suites, and expanded intensive care unit capacity. In addition, there will be space for education and training, emergency response, and sterile processing. Two floors will be reserved for future growth.

The building will hold something of lasting meaning: the memory of the Tanejas’ oldest son, Mandeep, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015 and died three years later, leaving behind a wife, three children, and his parents. His passing fueled a powerful desire in his parents to create a lasting tribute in his name to help others in need of critically important care, including their devotion to providing stateof-the-art neurological treatment.

“The loss of my son Mandeep was a profound tragedy that deeply affected me and my family,” Jugal said. “In the wake of this heartbreaking event, I felt a strong urge to honor his memory by making a positive mark in the world and leaving a legacy for his kids.

“We decided to channel our grief into something meaningful, focusing on causes that reflect Mandeep’s values and passions,” Jugal added. “By contributing to initiatives that improve health care access and support communities in need, we hope to create lasting change and ensure that his legacy lives on. This gift is both a tribute to Mandeep and a way to help others, serving as a reminder that even in the face of loss, we can find purpose and hope through acts of kindness and generosity.”

FAMILY STRENGTH

Jugal Taneja’s journey from India with only a check for $400 and eight dollars cash in his pocket to wealth and philanthropy in the United States is a story worth knowing. After establishing roots in a new land of opportunity, he saved enough money to bring his young wife, Manju, to America. His career began in engineering, then shifted to banking and venture capital. All the while, first in New York and later in a move to Florida, he and his wife discovered

ways to support people and communities in need.

“We have a tradition in India,” he adds. “If you give one penny to charity, God gives you 10 pennies. So, I believe in that.”

In 2010, he and Manju founded Belcher Pharmaceuticals, which achieved enormous success innovating the development of complex generic medications and antibiotics. The scale of their giving increased, with a particular focus on health care after the passing of their son. First came a $10 million gift to Advent Health to create a Center for Surgery, then $10 million to the University of South Florida to name the Taneja College of Pharmacy in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida building in downtown Tampa.

But nothing has approached their latest act of generosity, which will provide unrivaled care to patients in need. And it will do so at a hospital that is one of the nation’s leading academic health systems.

“Jugal and Manju are such caring, remarkable people,” said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the TGH Foundation. “Losing Mandeep was unimaginably difficult; he was a young man with a young family. Yet on the heels of this devastating loss, they choose to pay it forward. I’ve grown very close to the family throughout the years and still find myself in awe of their unwavering commitment to bettering our community. There are simply no bounds to the generosity of this incredible family.”

That family includes their daughter-in-law, Supriya Taneja, Mandeep’s widow. A mother of three young children, she worked as a corporate contract attorney in Tampa, but after the loss of her husband, she joined the family business, Belcher Pharmaceuticals, and continued her career as general counsel and vice president. She sits on the TGH Foundation Board of Trustees as a member of the Executive and Campaign Committees. She can’t express enough gratitude for her parents-in-law.

“By relationship, they are my in-laws,” said Supriya. “But ever since my late husband passed away, they have shown so much love and generosity to me and my kids. I call them Mom and Dad; they’re my second set of parents. And I work

Jugal and Manju Taneja are surrounded by family, including their daughter-inlaw Supriya Taneja (fourth from the left), TGH President and CEO John Couris, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, and TGH Executive Vice President and TGH Foundation Chief Philanthropy Officer Frann Leppla at the groundbreaking for the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower.

John Couris

Dr. Harry van Loveren

Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy Frann Leppla

with Dad all the time now. I’m with him every day. And I can tell you that I see his giving nature in every aspect of his life, whether it is work, family, or in the community. Both are the most loving and caring people.”

One example: After Mandeep passed away, Jugal knew his daughter-in-law needed to grieve, just as he and his wife did, but he wanted to help her heal as well. So he offered her a job with the company. “He told me I had one week to do nothing—be home with the kids, sit, and cry—but after that I needed to come to work, even just for 15 minutes,” Supriya recalled. “Now, six years later, I’m running the company with him.”

Mandeep was treated for his illness at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, necessitating that the family travel each week to see him; his mother even relocated to Baltimore for several months. Central

to their motivation in funding the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower is to offer top-tier care at home in Tampa to benefit patients in the community, region, and beyond.

A WATERFRONT ICON

Dr. Harry van Loveren, David W. Cahill Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the TGH Neuroscience Institute, Neurosurgery, sees two substantial benefits to the new surgical and patient tower.

“One is just physical capacity. For neuroscience, it’s going to dramatically increase the work we do, because we are constrained by the number of available operating rooms as we keep growing,” he said. “The building itself will facilitate the work we do in several

The Taneja family gathers with TGH board members, executives, and physicians from the academic health system and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine to break ground for the new tower.

Frann Leppla, executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the TGH Foundation, with Jugal and Manju Taneja.

ways. One is a tremendous expansion of technical capability, but also it’s been well-documented in research that your physical structure affects performance. If you put a group of neurosurgeons in a beautiful space with great technology, their performance increases, too.

“But the other aspect of the building is that it will be phenomenally iconic,” van Loveren added, “so it’s definitely going to enhance our reputation and perception in the community. It will be facing Bayshore Drive on the water across from downtown. I think it will be a defining building just like the Morsani College of Medicine building, which had a great deal to do with a rapid rise in applicants

and quality of applicants. So, buildings matter.”

Jugal Taneja believes as well that it will matter in a profound way.

“I’m thrilled at the prospect of elevating Tampa General Hospital’s capabilities and reputation in the medical community,” he said. “This tower will not only enhance our ability to treat patients but also foster a collaborative environment for leading researchers and specialists to work together. Knowing that my gift contributes to such transformative advancements in health care is incredibly fulfilling. And it motivates me to continue supporting initiatives that prioritize patient care and innovation.”

The $25 million gift is the largest the Taneja Family Foundation has ever made.

WELL-BEING

A SWEETS FEEL-GOOD

DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY DESSERTS

Satisfy your sweet tooth with desserts that are good for you and your taste buds. Preparing desserts with natural sugars, fibrous fruits, nuts, or protein-rich dairy will help you develop a healthy relationship with sweets without overindulging on sugars, carbohydrates, and calories. From baked goods to chilled mousses, these decadent and nutritious recipes will be a hit with friends and family.

Chef Jenniffer Woo, executive pastry chef for Lessing’s Hospitality Group Florida, shares recipes packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants to satisfy sweet cravings. Known for her beautifully decorated desserts, Woo inspires home cooks to garnish their dishes

with fresh fruits, herbs, or sauces to make them true showstoppers. Chef Woo has become a household name in the pastry industry, cooking at top restaurants from Miami to Jupiter, and competing on the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship

TWO-STEP CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cups pumpkin, banana, or apple puree

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CAKE

Grease the interior of a 7-inch springform baking pan. Line the bottom and inner sides with parchment paper. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips. Microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring in between with a spatula until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. (I needed 2 minutes total cooking time in the microwave.) Alternatively, you can

melt the chocolate on the stove using the double boiling method. Stir in the pumpkin puree until fully combined. Use your spatula to scrape chocolate from the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that it is fully incorporated with the pumpkin. You don’t want any batter that is just chocolate or just pumpkin. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Use your spatula to smooth the surface. If you have an icing smoother, you can use that on the surface of the cake to make it even more smooth. Bang the bottom of the pan a few times against your counter to level the cake and to remove any air bubbles. Place in the refrigerator until the cake is

set. This can take 30 to 60 minutes. Once the cake is set, you can decorate it (or not) as you desire. Slice cake with a sharp knife. Store uneaten cake in the refrigerator.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MIXED BERRY COULIS

MIXED BERRY COULIS INGREDIENTS

6 ounces raspberries

6 ounces blackberries

6 ounces blueberries

3 ounces honey

3 ounces cornstarch  Water

Place berries and honey in a pot and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry, adding only enough water to dissolve the cornstarch. Once berries come to a boil, add the slurry.  Cook until thickened to the desired consistency.

ALEMON POWER MOUSSE

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces white chocolate

1 ¾ cups full-fat Greek yogurt at room temperature Lemon zest to taste

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MOUSSE Melt white chocolate using the double boiling method. Cool slightly. Mix the chocolate with the room-temperature Greek yogurt. Place the dessert in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours until it thickens. Transfer desired amount into a martini glass or bowl. Store the dessert in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

COCONUT CRUMBLE INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups gluten-free flour  ½ cup coconut flakes  3⁄8 cup rolled oats

1 cup sweetener of your choice  ½ teaspoon salt  ¾ cup coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COCONUT CRUMBLE

Combine all ingredients in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Spread crumble on a baking tray. Bake at 320 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooled, store in an airtight container until needed.

RASPBERRY COULIS INGREDIENTS

6 ounces raspberries

1 ounce honey

1 ounce cornstarch  Water

INSTRUCTIONS FOR RASPBERRY COULIS

Place raspberries and honey in a pot and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry, adding only enough water to dissolve the cornstarch. Once the raspberries come to a boil, add the slurry. Cook until thickened to the desired consistency.

APPLE-A-DAY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (9 ounces) pitted Medjool dates

1 ¼ cups hot milk

Cooking spray

2 large eggs

2⁄3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup small, diced apples

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CAKE

Place the pitted dates in a bowl and cover with hot milk. Soak for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch loaf pan by lining the bottom with a rectangular piece of parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides with cooking spray. After the dates have softened, transfer them and the milk to a blender or food processor and blend for 15 seconds. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract, then blend again until just combined (about 5 to 8 seconds). In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the date and egg mixture into the dry ingredients and fold in until combined. In a small bowl, toss the cinnamon and apples together and fold into the cake batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.

DATE CARAMEL SAUCE INGREDIENTS

15 dates, pitted  ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk (use the solid part on top), plus more as needed 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DATE CARAMEL SAUCE

Add the dates to a small bowl and cover with boiling water for 15 minutes to soften. Using tongs or a spoon, transfer the waterlogged dates to a blender, along with the coconut milk. The dates don’t need to be totally drained, but too much water will result in a thinner consistency than you want. Blend until smooth, adding more coconut milk if needed, then pour into a jar. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate.

ASSEMBLE AND SERVE

Flip the cake out of the loaf pan, peel off the parchment paper, and transfer it to a wire rack. Once the cake is completely cooled, cut into slices and place on a plate. Spoon the date caramel sauce onto the side of the plate next to the cake slices. Garnish with whipped cream, freshly sliced apples, and fresh dates.

TIMELESS COLLECTOR ESTATES

On fourteen acres of the most pristine stretch of Intracoastal waterfront, e Ritz-Carlton Residences, Palm Beach Gardens blossom with a once-in-a-lifetime collection of expansive estates, born to frame the breathtaking views of the waterway with a private marina and blooming grounds. e singular maritime lifestyle is augmented by over 20,000 square feet of masterfully-crafted resort amenities— imbued with legendary hospitality by e Ritz-Carlton.

Sun Protection Standouts

Combat the harsh Florida sun with the help of these FLORIDA-BORN superheroes

Seal Of Approval

Perfect for strolling in the sun, Coolibar’s super soft and lightweight Bodrum Sun Shawl ($45) is guaranteed to block 98 percent of UVA/UVB rays and provide UPF 50+ sun protection. The company’s 20-plus years of research, experience, and dedication to the science of sun protection clothing allowed it to become the first clothing company to receive The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. (coolibar.com)

Throwing Shade

BY LIZA GRANT SMITH

Designed with a wide brim to keep the sun out of the eyes and significantly reduce UV exposure to the face, neck, and shoulders, lifeguard hats are an advantageous outdoor accessory, even if you aren’t working a “Baywatch” tower. This straw selection from Sunshine State Goods ($34) offers the added bonus of supporting a company that donates part of all proceeds to the FloridaWildlifeCorridor.org. (sunshinestategoods.com)

Tee Time

A family-owned company dedicated to donating a portion of proceeds to worthwhile causes (Reef Relief and Wounded Warrior Project), Sarasotabased Saltwater Born offers sea lifeinspired SPF shirts ($30) made from an anti-microbial and moisturewicking material that offers 50+ UPF protection. (saltwaterborn.com)

Pole Position

Create a resort-evocative shaded sanctuary with a beach umbrella from Sunrise Chair Co. (from $375). Choose from 11 fabric colors and add embroidered text, if desired, to make this sun-stopper your own. (sunrisechairco.com)

Kick Start

Thanks to innovative Bag-on-Valve technology, Florida Glow’s coconut oilenriched sunscreen sprays deliver broad spectrum sunscreen protection without any harmful chemical propellants. Opt for the beach bag-apropos starter kit ($39), which includes a SPF 30 spray, along with face shield SPF 55 and Aloe Vera After Sun Cooling Gel with vitamin B5. (floridaglow.com)

Material Goods

Constructed with eco-friendly “coco blend” fabric made from a mixture of coconut husks and recycled plastics, Mavrans transforms post-consumer materials into comfortable (and stylish) UPF 50 gear. These wanderlust Havana swim shorts ($99) are quick-dry, naturally anti-odor thanks to the coconut fibers, and offer side and back pockets. (mavrans.com)