Tampa General Hospital Named as a Best Maternity Hospital 2022 by Newsweek

The list recognizes the academic medical center’s world-class care for newborns and mothers and marks the second time in two years that Tampa General made Newsweek’s list.

Tampa, FL (June 3, 2022) – As part of its vision to be the safest and most innovative academic health system in America, Tampa General Hospital continues to garner awards for excellence, and was just named as a Best Maternity Hospital 2022 by Newsweek magazine.

“Recognitions such as Best Maternity Hospital by Newsweek exemplify the work being done by our team members and physicians. Through their ongoing innovations, clinical research, and excellence in patient care for all newborns and mothers, TGH has once again been named to this list.” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General.

With staff that includes faculty from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the Women’s Institute at Tampa General provides state-of-the-art, individualized care for women before, during and after childbirth. “Together, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital work extremely hard at making sure mothers and babies receive the highest possible quality of care,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “We are thrilled to see our commitment to world-class maternal and fetal care recognized nationally for sustained excellence in patient safety, satisfaction, and maternal health.”

Newsweek’s list recognizes the hospital’s world-class care for newborns and mothers and marks the second time in two years that Tampa General made the list. Teaming with the data marketing firm Statista, Newsweek reviewed 350 facilities in the U.S. for outstanding maternity care, issuing Tampa General a four-ribbon rating. Newsweek based its 2022 evaluation on three data sources:

• A nationwide online survey in which hospital managers and maternity health care professionals (such as neonatal care providers and OB/GYNs) were asked to recommend leading maternity hospitals

• Medical key performance indicator data relevant to maternity care (such as a hospital's rate of cesarean births)

• Patient satisfaction data (such as how patients rated a hospital's medical staff for responsiveness and communication)

“This distinction is another indication of our commitment to providing safe and innovative care for our patients. We achieve this through a diverse array of services we offer to expectant mothers and their babies,’’ said Dr. Judette Louis, James M. Ingram Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and medical director, TGH Women’s Institute. “This distinction underscores our efforts to provide safe and high-quality care for mothers and their babies across Tampa Bay. It reaffirms our message that where you deliver your baby matters.’’ The comprehensive Obstetrics team within the Women’s Institute works on the premise that every childbearing experience is unique and must be treated as such. With 21 rooms and four operating suites, the Labor and Delivery Unit is designed with the patient and family experience in mind and to create an environment of comfort and privacy.

For complex or high-risk pregnancies where the baby may have a life-threatening health concern prior to birth, the USF Health and TGH Fetal Care Center of Tampa Bay is nationally recognized for fetal diagnosis, fetal surgery and fetal care before and after birth. Multiple highly trained subspecialists care for the highest-acuity patients with state-of-the-art procedures, including fetal surgery and twin-to-twin transfusions, fetal tumors and congenital heart disease, to name a few. The Fetal Care Center is a member of the North American Fetal Therapy Network which provides additional access to collaboration and research. Featuring 82 beds, along with a 12-bed nursery, the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is one of just 12 Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers designated by the State of Florida and allows Tampa General and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine health providers to deliver a high level of medical care 24 hours a day to premature and sick infants.

Other recognitions presented to Tampa General include:

• In 2020, Tampa General Hospital became the first in the nation to be named as a Maternal Center of Excellence by the Maternal Safety Foundation for both vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and placenta accreta, a serious complication of pregnancy that occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the wall of the uterus. A woman’s risk for developing this condition increases with the number of previous cesarean births.

• Tampa General was recognized in 2020 for its achievement in maternal care during a Florida Hospital Association webinar titled Reducing Unnecessary C-Sections: Successful Florida Strategies.

• In 2021, The Agency for Health Care Administration(AHCA) and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) named Tampa General Hospital as one of only 15 delivery hospitals in Florida to promote vaginal deliveries and reduce cesarean section deliveries for first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies.    

“It’s certainly an honor for everyone here who works so hard to ensure the safest-possible care for our mothers - from pre-natal care to delivery to discharge home,” said Melissa Golombek, senior administrator, TGH Children’s Hospital and Women’s Institute. “This award recognizes the incredible work being done by our physicians and team members every day.”

In addition, Tampa General and USF Health faculty are extending access to premier obstetrics and gynecological care at the Genesis Women’s Center at TGH-Healthpark in East Tampa. Physicians and health care professionals specializing in obstetrics and gynecology offer a full range of care for all phases of a woman’s life. Support services include diet and nutrition counseling, health education, social workers, help with securing financial assistance for medical services, certified lactation (breastfeeding) specialists, doula services (professional labor coach), and Healthy Start services.

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 13^th 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 USF HEALTH
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians’ group. 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 & World Report’s national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.