Tampa General Hospital Innoventures Partners with Health Care Venture Capital Fund Virtue
Published: Dec 10, 2021
Tampa, FL (Dec. 10, 2021) – TGH Innoventures, Tampa General Hospital’s innovation center and new venture capital fund dedicated to driving a culture of innovation across the region’s leading academic medical center through the support of early stage startups and direct investments, has made its first investment in Virtue, a nationally experienced early stage health care venture capital fund.
Officially launched in the first quarter of 2021, TGH Innoventures provides a coordinated mechanism for Tampa General Hospital to develop innovative solutions to improve quality and access to care. It also provides Tampa General with a platform to invest resources and funds into emerging companies and the venture capital funds investing in such companies, like Virtue.
The new partnership with Virtue allows TGH Innoventures to accomplish multiple objectives by gaining access to the most innovative companies solving big challenges in health care. This will be critical in Tampa General’s ability to strengthen quality and access to health care across the Tampa Bay region, the state of Florida and nationally.
“Virtue provides TGH access to the next generation of innovative health care companies. We are committed to partnering with startups that modernize health care delivery, increase efficiency for clinicians and improve the overall patient experience,” said John Couris, president and CEO, Tampa General Hospital. “Our partnership with Virtue also deepens our commitment and fortifies our vision of becoming the safest and most innovative academic health system in the country by strategically partnering with one of the top early stage health care investors.”
Virtue was founded this year by managing partner Sean Doolan. He has led and supported more than 150 early stage health financings nationally. Virtue is backed by several health founders, investors and industry leaders and is dedicated to transforming the health care system.
“Tampa General is exactly the type of progressive academic health care system that our portfolio companies seek to partner with and that of which our broader health care system desperately needs,” Doolan said. “It is clear that Tampa General President and CEO John Couris and the Tampa General leadership are firmly dedicated to collaborating with the next generation of innovative health care companies and I am thrilled to partner together!”
This partnership with Virtue further enhances the developments of TGH Innoventures, which has already partnered with Embarc Collective, Tampa Bay’s leading innovation hub. Embarc Collective, located in downtown Tampa, is a nonprofit focused on helping Tampa Bay’s startup talent build scalable and thriving companies.
Serving as Embarc Collective’s health care partner, TGH Innoventures has taken up residence in Embarc Collective’s 32,000-square-foot facility, located at 802 E Whiting Street in Tampa.
TGH Innoventures also previously partnered with Florida-Israel Business Accelerator in June 2021 to identify innovative solutions from Israel that will further Tampa General’s mission to improve the quality and delivery of care in the Tampa Bay region and beyond.
Rachel Feinman, who manages TGH Innoventures, joined Tampa General in the newly created role of vice president of innovation in January 2021. The Tampa native and former attorney with a background in building innovative programs said investing in Virtue will allow TGH Innoventures to help solve problems and make innovative improvements in the way Tampa General delivers world-class care. “Partnering with Virtue is another exciting step forward for TGH Innoventures,” Feinman said. “We look forward to the future of this partnership and creating new ways to advance health care together.”
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings – America’s Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations and 13th nationally in America’s Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal 2020 provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five 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 Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
ABOUT VIRTUE Virtue is a new venture capital firm that exclusively serves the pre-seed and seed health care community and is currently investing out of a $31.25M Fund I. We back unstoppable founders at the earliest stage to radically improve our health care system. Virtue is led by Founder/Managing Partner, Sean Doolan.
Officially launched in the first quarter of 2021, TGH Innoventures provides a coordinated mechanism for Tampa General Hospital to develop innovative solutions to improve quality and access to care. It also provides Tampa General with a platform to invest resources and funds into emerging companies and the venture capital funds investing in such companies, like Virtue.
The new partnership with Virtue allows TGH Innoventures to accomplish multiple objectives by gaining access to the most innovative companies solving big challenges in health care. This will be critical in Tampa General’s ability to strengthen quality and access to health care across the Tampa Bay region, the state of Florida and nationally.
“Virtue provides TGH access to the next generation of innovative health care companies. We are committed to partnering with startups that modernize health care delivery, increase efficiency for clinicians and improve the overall patient experience,” said John Couris, president and CEO, Tampa General Hospital. “Our partnership with Virtue also deepens our commitment and fortifies our vision of becoming the safest and most innovative academic health system in the country by strategically partnering with one of the top early stage health care investors.”
Virtue was founded this year by managing partner Sean Doolan. He has led and supported more than 150 early stage health financings nationally. Virtue is backed by several health founders, investors and industry leaders and is dedicated to transforming the health care system.
“Tampa General is exactly the type of progressive academic health care system that our portfolio companies seek to partner with and that of which our broader health care system desperately needs,” Doolan said. “It is clear that Tampa General President and CEO John Couris and the Tampa General leadership are firmly dedicated to collaborating with the next generation of innovative health care companies and I am thrilled to partner together!”
This partnership with Virtue further enhances the developments of TGH Innoventures, which has already partnered with Embarc Collective, Tampa Bay’s leading innovation hub. Embarc Collective, located in downtown Tampa, is a nonprofit focused on helping Tampa Bay’s startup talent build scalable and thriving companies.
Serving as Embarc Collective’s health care partner, TGH Innoventures has taken up residence in Embarc Collective’s 32,000-square-foot facility, located at 802 E Whiting Street in Tampa.
TGH Innoventures also previously partnered with Florida-Israel Business Accelerator in June 2021 to identify innovative solutions from Israel that will further Tampa General’s mission to improve the quality and delivery of care in the Tampa Bay region and beyond.
Rachel Feinman, who manages TGH Innoventures, joined Tampa General in the newly created role of vice president of innovation in January 2021. The Tampa native and former attorney with a background in building innovative programs said investing in Virtue will allow TGH Innoventures to help solve problems and make innovative improvements in the way Tampa General delivers world-class care. “Partnering with Virtue is another exciting step forward for TGH Innoventures,” Feinman said. “We look forward to the future of this partnership and creating new ways to advance health care together.”
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings – America’s Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations and 13th nationally in America’s Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal 2020 provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five 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 Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital’s footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
ABOUT VIRTUE Virtue is a new venture capital firm that exclusively serves the pre-seed and seed health care community and is currently investing out of a $31.25M Fund I. We back unstoppable founders at the earliest stage to radically improve our health care system. Virtue is led by Founder/Managing Partner, Sean Doolan.