Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida Announce Launch of People Development Institute

Published: Oct 13, 2021

Tampa, FL (Oct. 13, 2021) – Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida (USF) Muma College of Business today announced a partnership to enhance career development and foster continuous growth for health care professionals. The People Development Institute (PDI) will offer a broad range of non-clinical courses to all team members at Tampa General Hospital, from security officers to surgeons. To offer a world-class learning experience, Tampa General is leveraging the expertise of the USF Muma College of Business and many courses will be led by facilitators from USF.

                      

“Tampa General Hospital’s vision is to be the safest, most innovative academic health system in America and that demands the best training and development for our health care professionals,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “This unique collaboration between TGH and the USF Muma College of Business will meet those needs and directly impact the professional growth of every one of our team members.”                     

In addition to clinical expertise, successful health care professionals require further skills for continued professional development and job satisfaction. The People Development Institute offers diverse course selections that support TGH team members regardless of their job title or career trajectory at no cost to participants.

Course goals include:

  • Advancing safety

  • Patient outcomes

  • Quality

  • Engagement

  • Leadership

  • Teamwork

  • Personal and team development

“It is often said you are judged by the company you keep,” said Moez Limayem, the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the USF Muma College of Business, “and we could not have picked a better partner with whom to collaborate on this project than Tampa General Hospital, a top-rated health care provider in the nation. The level of commitment both TGH and the USF Muma College of Business have devoted to this endeavor will only up the level of service for both our organizations,” Limayem added. “USF continues to prove time and time again that it is a valuable resource for our outside partners and that mutual engagement benefits everyone in this community. We plan to maintain and strengthen this partnership for years to come.”

The PDI will initially offer curriculum through TGH and USF with the goal of expanding across Florida and then nationally. As PDI participants complete their courses, they will earn badges recognizing their expertise in each competency. Courses will be selected and prioritized by a Curriculum Advisory Committee (CAC) led by the PDI’s Academic Director, Joann Farrell Quinn, Ph.D., MBA, and associate professor at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Quinn will work with CAC members from various divisions and departments at TGH to craft curriculum that will attract world-class faculty to deliver the best subject matter in its class.

Courses will include but not be limited to:

  • Leadership

  • Communication

  • Analytics

  • Financial Management

  • Networking

  • Emotional Intelligence

  • Conflict Management

“The Institute is an investment in our most important asset – our team members,” said Rico Ruiz, director of Organizational Development and co-director of the People Development Institute. “If we are going to ask our team members to behave and act differently, then we must teach them how to behave and act differently. This unique, comprehensive People Development Institute will allow us to leverage the expertise of our partners in the USF Muma College of Business to set the industry standard for how we develop all team members’ skill sets. The Institute will support their career aspirations and equip them with the behaviors, knowledge and skills to drive their holistic development so as an organization we can achieve TGH’s vision to be the safest, most innovative academic health system in America!”

By leveraging the expertise of the USF Muma College of Business, the PDI will offer a world-class learning experience like no other. “Every aspect of the People Development Institute has been co-designed and co-created by the TGH and USF teams to serve the needs of every health care professional, from a valet to a vascular surgeon,” said Matthew Mullarkey, Ph.D., director of the Doctor of Business Administration program for the USF Muma College of Business and executive sponsor of the People Development Institute. “Our investment in people is the only way to sustain world-class levels of patient care. Our partnership with TGH is the best way for USF to develop the training and programs that meet those needs for the health care professional of today and tomorrow.”

People Development Institute courses will be offered virtually with plans to expand in a variety of formats, including hybrid and face-to-face instruction. Classes are free to all TGH team members. Tampa General will cover the cost of all training materials required for courses and the TGH Foundation has committed to fully funding the PDI for its first five years.

“The Tampa General Hospital Foundation is proud to support a program that establishes a standard for professional development across the health care industry. Previously, the Foundation has focused on providing funding for equipment, materials and programs required by TGH. Now, we are able to provide support for the most important component of Tampa General – our health care professionals,” said Greg Celestan, past chairman of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation.

Registered nurse and clinician Andrea “Cookie” Robinson is taking courses and already seeing the benefits. “I get actionable information from the courses offered through the PDI,” she said. “I’m new to leadership and managing people who are older or have more experience than I do. I am learning to approach each interaction with intent and how to work with my team members on process improvements. If I want my unit to be great, I need to lead the way and these courses are helping me do that.”

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more atwww.usf.edu.