Plans Unveiled For State-Of-Art Pavilion At Tampa General Hospital

TAMPA, FL — With the approval of the City of Tampa, the Tampa General Hospital Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion is poised to add a major feature to the burgeoning Tampa Medical & Research District.

Tampa General Hospital unveiled plans Thursday for the new TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion at the Tampa City Council meeting and received unanimous approval to rezone land, paving the way for construction of the pavilion at the hospital on Davis Islands.

“The new building will not just transform Tampa General’s campus, it will be pivotal in our efforts to transform the health care landscape. The TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion will be an intersection of technology and human ingenuity, where patients can access best-in-class providers, modern equipment and state-of-the-art facilities," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital.

"This is one example of how we’re continuing to invest in Tampa General’s high-acuity service lines and strengthening one of the nation’s top 10 transplant programs," said Couris. "We are grateful to Mayor Jane Castor and the members of the city council for their unwavering support for this initiative and our ongoing efforts to expand access to world-class care.”

The new pavilion will be home to Tampa General’s surgical, neuroscience and transplant services. The 13-story, 565,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art medical building will provide 144 patient beds, 32 operating suites and increased intensive care unit capacity.

In addition, there will be space for education and training, emergency response and sterile processing, along with two floors reserved for future growth. This building is the flagship of Tampa General’s $550 million Master Facility Plan, which was designed to meet the growing needs for care in the region and across the state of Florida.

The TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion will be a pillar in the burgeoning Tampa Medical and Research District in downtown Tampa, anchored by Tampa General and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, where world-class clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology intersect in the heart of Tampa, Couris said.

It will be a symbol of the growing health care ecosystem that is attracting talent, creating jobs and transforming our state’s health care landscape, he said.

“The new TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion will be more than a building; it will provide a seamless coordination of care, education and research,” said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “This environment will enhance the abilities of our physicians to provide patients with the highest quality care while also educating the next generation of health providers and pursuing research discoveries to both benefit our patients and improve health care.”

The TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion will be located adjacent to the hospital’s main building on Davis Islands. Public access around the building will be preserved so that residents and visitors can walk the perimeter of the Tampa General campus on the island and enjoy the beauty of the new structure and space.

Construction on the new TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion will begin in 2024 and is expected to be completed within three years.

“We’re grateful for the support of the community, and we’re ready to get a jump-start on construction of the new TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion,” said Drew Graham, chairman of the board of directors at Tampa General Hospital. “This building marks an important milestone in our efforts to expand access to world-class care and grow the Tampa Medical & Research District as one of the nation’s leading destinations for innovation in health care.”

The reveal of the TGH Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Pavilion comes on the heels of other major announcements by Tampa General in recent weeks.

2 More Urgent Care Centers Open

TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track opened two new state-of-the-art urgent care clinics this week, adding to its 16 previous locations throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Tampa Bay area residents can receive health care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics.

The North Dale Mabry clinic at 13856 N Dale Mabry Highway and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tampa clinic at 2810 W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. provide urgent care for patients ages 3 months and older from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

“These new clinics represent our commitment to providing convenient local access to medical care across the Tampa Bay region,” said Adam Smith, Tampa General Hospital executive vice president and chief ambulatory care officer. “When a patient needs to be seen, and it’s not a life-threatening emergency, our urgent care clinics are a great option for comprehensive, accessible care."

Each clinic is staffed by board-certified providers offering efficient, high-quality urgent care in a patient-friendly environment. Common illnesses and injuries treated at the new MLK Tampa and North Dale Mabry TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track clinics include:

• Coughs
• Sore throats
• Ear infections
• Eye problems
• Colds and fevers
• Skin rashes
• Simple fractures
• Nausea and other stomach issues
• Urinary tract infections
• School and sports physicals
• Lab testing and diagnostic procedures

“The new clinic locations allow us to meet the increasing demand for walk-in and urgent care services in the Tampa Bay area, enabling us to focus on our goal of providing an exceptional care experience in the urgent care space,” said Dr. Daron Diecidue, CEO of TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track and chief of TGH Ambulatory Services.

Occupational health services are also available and include pre-employment screenings, employment physicals and assessments for workers' compensation injuries.

TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track is the first system of urgent care centers in the Tampa Bay area to achieve accreditation through the Urgent Care Association. This is the highest level of distinction for urgent care centers and means that the locations have met all of the UCA’s established standards and criteria for quality of patient care, safety and scope of services.

TGH Acquires Bravera Health

Also, on Dec. 1, Tampa General announced the completion of its acquisition of the Bravera Health network. The hospitals, clinical operations, services, providers and team members that were previously owned and operated by certain subsidiaries of Community Health Systems Inc. in Citrus and Hernando counties are now TGH North.

“We have a bold vision to offer world-class 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 Couris. “By bringing the Bravera Health network into our system and coming together as one organization, we will be stronger in our united mission to transform health care for all Floridians.”

With this expansion of Tampa General’s academic health system, residents in Citrus and Hernando counties will benefit from the local care they’ve grown to depend on, while gaining access to a broader network of providers, experts and specialists.

The creation of TGH North through TGH’s acquisition of the Bravera Health network, includes:

• TGH Spring Hill (formerly Bravera Health Spring Hill)
• TGH Brooksville (formerly Bravera Health Brooksville)
• TGH Crystal River (formerly Bravera Health Seven Rivers)
• One freestanding emergency room
• Two ambulatory surgery centers
• Ten primary care and specialty care clinics

TGH Coming To Babcock Ranch

Additionally, last month, TGH and Kitson & Partners announced an agreement to bring Tampa General’s world-class care to Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar-powered town located in Charlotte and Lee counties.

A new 6,500-square-foot facility is planned that will serve approximately 8,000 residents who currently live in Babcock Ranch, as well as the residents in the surrounding communities. This partnership extends TGH’s geographic footprint to Southwest Florida.

Why It Matters

Tampa General’s academic health system now encompasses six hospitals, more than 150 care locations and nearly 14,000 team members and providers. The system provides high-level complex care to treat the most severe illnesses and conditions for patients from 23 counties across Florida.

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care.

The system is recognized as one of the nation’s best hospitals, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States.

Tampa General Hospital has also been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is further recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings: in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America’s Best Employers by State.

Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay. In fiscal year 2021, TGH provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay.

It is also one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need.

Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center.

Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes TGH North which is comprised of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties.

To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital.