Tampa General Hospital Names Qualenta Forrest as New Executive Vice President and Chief People and Talent Officer

Forrest brings a diverse experience with a new vision for human resources to Tampa General Hospital.

Tampa, FL (Jan. 29, 2021) – Tampa General Hospital, one of the most comprehensive academic medical centers in the nation, announced today that it has named Qualenta Forrest, JD, its new Executive Vice President and Chief People and Talent Officer. Forrest will officially begin her new role on April 5, 2021. She will lead Tampa General Hospital’s Human Resources Department with a focus on the voice of team members and an evidence-based strategy to provide support and enhance engagement.

“We’re proud to welcome Qualenta to Tampa General Hospital,” said John Couris, CEO and president of Tampa General Hospital. “Qualenta will help us achieve our vision to be the safest and most innovative academic medical center in the country. We are excited to have Qualenta lead our diversity and inclusion efforts, and continue our focus on team member engagement, leadership development, talent management and comprehensive human resources initiatives.”

Forrest comes to Tampa General from CHI St. Vincent, a regional health network in Arkansas, where she served as Market Vice President, Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to her time at CHI St. Vincent, Forrest worked at Medical University South Carolina as Associate Chief People Officer. Forrest earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock-William H. Bowen School of Law, and BA degrees in Spanish and criminal justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“I’m thrilled to join the Tampa General Hospital team and look forward to caring for the people who provide the best medical care to our community, said Qualenta Forrest. “It is a privilege to join a culture that also values putting people first and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to foster a people-first culture.”

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 a lower cost.  For more information, go to www.tgh.org.