Ten Tampa General Hospital Specialties Rank Among Top in Florida

These specialties also rank among the best programs in the U.S, providing Florida patients with a clear choice and resource to receive world-class care.

Tampa, FL (Oct. 28, 2020) – Ten specialties at Tampa General Hospital are ranked as among the top in Florida by U.S. News & World Report for 2020-2021.

U.S. News has already ranked five of these specialties as among the top 50 programs in the U.S. and five more as “high performing,” or among the top 10 percent in the U.S.

“We’re grateful to the dedication of our physicians and team members, who provide world-class care for our patients,” said TGH President and CEO John Couris. “The U.S. News rankings are a valuable guidepost for Florida residents, who can see that Tampa General is the clear choice to receive the very best care.”

The breadth of the rankings also reflects the superior  outcomes from some of the area’s top physicians, including those in private practice, physicians who are part of Tampa General Medical Group and faculty physicians at USF Health.

“The fact that we’re at the top with ten different specialties is proof that TGH, as a leading academic medical center, has the resources and the expertise to provide excellent care across a comprehensive spectrum, as well as to train the next generation of top physician experts,” Couris said. “In many of these specialties, we are also leaders in the number of surgeries we perform. That means our surgical teams get more experience, which leads to higher proficiency, which leads to better patient outcomes.”

The five specialties in which Tampa General is ranked among the 50 best hospitals in the nation, as well as among the best in Florida, are:

• Orthopedics – Highest ranked in Florida and #19 in the U.S. Tampa General’s Orthopedics program also was named as “high performing” for both hip and knee replacement by U.S. News. Tampa General surgeons performed more than 5,000 orthopedic surgeries in 2019. The hospital is a leader in treating orthopedic trauma and complex orthopedic cases, including revisions of previous orthopedic procedures and reverse shoulder surgeries. TGH performs more ankle replacements than any other hospital in Florida.  
• Gastroenterology and GI Surgery – Highest ranked in Florida and #24 in the U.S. Tampa General also was named “high performing” for colon cancer surgery. At Tampa General’s state-of-the-art Endoscopy Center, clinicians use the most advanced technology available to diagnose and treat a variety of GI conditions, including those affecting the esophagus, stomach, liver, and pancreas, as well as intestinal and colorectal conditions. Tampa General surgeons perform a wide array of laparoscopic and robotic GI surgeries as well as complex open GI surgeries.  TGH pancreatic, hepatic, and biliary cancer programs and the esophageal disorders program also have received disease-specific certification from The Joint Commission.
• Cardiology and Heart Surgery – Highest ranked in Florida and Top 50 in the U.S. Tampa General’s Heart and Vascular program also was named “high performing” for treating heart failure and for performing aortic valve surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR). The program is now expanding to become the Heart and Vascular Institute, adding new programs as it creates Centers of Excellence in vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery and advanced coronary intervention and electrophysiology. Tampa General, which performed the first successful heart transplant in Florida in 1985, also has one of the busiest heart transplant centers in the country.
• Nephrology – One of the top 2 programs in Florida and #44 in the U.S. TGH nephrology experts diagnose and treat a variety of kidney diseases and disorders, including chronic and acute kidney disease, hypertension, glomerulonephritis and nephropathy, kidney stones, congenital polycystic kidney disease and others. TGH also is home to one of the top 5 busiest kidney transplant center in the nation with survival rates that exceed national benchmarks.
• Diabetes and Endocrinology – One of the top 3 programs in Florida and #36 in the U.S. Tampa General’s endocrinology specialists can diagnose and treat common disorders, such as diabetes and thyroid disorders as well as less common disorders, such as adrenal dysfunction and hypothalamic and pituitary disorders. Tampa General also performs hundreds of procedures to treat complex benign and malignant thyroid disease each year.

These five TGH programs were designated as “high performing” by U.S. News, meaning they are ranked among the top 10 percent of U.S. hospitals in addition to being among Florida’s best:

• Cancer – One of the top eight programs in Florida. TGH’s oncology program also is ranked as “high performing” for colon cancer surgeries. Tampa General is also the leading provider of cancer surgeries in Hillsborough County and the market leader for highly complex cancer surgeries in the 12-county region.  Earlier this year, TGH created a new alliance with Cancer Center of South Florida at two locations in Palm Beach County, marking  the first time TGH has opened a new location on the East Coast of Florida. The hospital also has expanded its surgical oncology programs by adding new sub-specialized surgeons and new patient services, such as genetic counseling and a palliative care outpatient program, to better meet the needs of our patients.
• Geriatrics – One of the top 10 in Florida. Tampa General maintains a specialized Acute Care for the Elderly unit where staff receive additional training in geriatric care. The hospital has been recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and as a Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) site by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. Tampa General offers a palliative care program with a multidisciplinary team who works to improve the quality of life for TGH inpatients and their families facing serious illness. TGH also offers hospice services in partnership with Chapters Health.  
• Neurology and Neurosurgery – One of the top 10 programs in Florida. In 2019, Tampa General performed more than 2,200 neurosurgery procedures, more than any other hospital in the region. Tampa General also has a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and the  hospital recently recruited additional complex spine physicians, stroke interventional proceduralists and critical care intensivists to continue the hospital’s commitment to providing the highest level of expert care.
• Pulmonology and Lung Surgery – One of the top 10 in Florida. U.S. News also recognized Tampa General as “high performing” for its treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Tampa General’s multidisciplinary pulmonology team diagnoses and treats a broad variety of lung and respiratory disorders, ranging from lung cancer to interstitial lung disease, and continues to innovate in areas such as interventional pulmonology. Tampa General has performed more highly complex thoracic surgeries over the past three years than any hospital in the state, according to state data. Tampa General also has one of the busiest lung transplant programs in the nation and in 2017 performed its 500^th lung transplant, a milestone that few US hospitals have achieved.
• Urology – One of the top seven in Florida. TGH also is the only hospital in Tampa Bay to make Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2019 list for urology. Tampa General treats conditions ranging from urinary tract infections to complex cancers of the bladder, kidney, and urinary tract. Tampa General offers a wide array of services, including robotic surgery and prostate artery embolization. Last year, it was the first hospital in Florida to successfully perform surgery with the da Vinci SP System, new robotic technology that allows surgeons to cut just one tiny incision, or “single port,” allowing a faster and less painful recovery.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1006-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 2020-21 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States.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.