Tampa General Hospital Showcases Innovations in Patient Care at Florida Senate Committee Hearing

Alternatives to in-hospital care and education initiatives on choosing care settings were the focus of the presentations.

Tallahassee, FL (Jan. 18, 2023) – Dr. Peter Chang, vice president of Healthcare Design at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and Dr. Jason Wilson, director of the Division of Emergency Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and medical director of Transitions of Care for Emergency Medicine at Tampa General Hospital, briefed members of the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy Tuesday at the invitation of Chair Colleen Burton. Their presentations featured innovative programs launched at Tampa General Hospital that aim to strengthen the quality of patient care and increase access to care while reducing the overall costs to patients.

Chang provided an update on TGH at Home, a program created in July 2022 to provide world-class clinical hospital-level care to lower-acuity patients in the comfort of their own homes. The approach combines twice-daily visits at the patient’s home with advanced technology to monitor vital signs and conduct telehealth visits. Based on the same standards used at the hospital, the model has proven to reduce exposure to infection or infectious disease and reduce the risk of readmission as well as improve the patient experience.

“TGH at Home is the intersection of high technology and personalized care,” Chang said. “We’re able to treat patients in the comfort of their own homes, while creating efficiencies, lowering costs and improving patient outcomes.”

The presentation by Chang was part of an update to the committee on efforts in Florida to provide acute and post-acute hospital care in a home setting. Chang implements innovations and new technologies to transform patient care at Tampa General.

Wilson briefed committee members about Tampa General’s efforts to direct patients to the most effective and efficient care options available, which can be a better choice for the patient than the Emergency Department (ED). Using alternatives, such as urgent care or telehealth, patients benefit from receiving the right service at the right time. Some of the pathways that Wilson discussed better connect the ED to the community so health care delivery flows more smoothly across each care area and ensures that the ED has the capacity and space to always treat patients in emergency situations.

“The ED serves as the hub of modern health care and unscheduled care,” Wilson said. “It is critical that emergency medicine participates in coordinated approaches to improving health care in Florida by helping patients get to the right place for their care.”

Wilson was part of a panel discussion on efforts to ensure patients receive care in the best place possible, whether virtually or physically, in the ED, an office, a mobile unit or via telemedicine.

I greatly appreciated the unique perspective and insight offered by Dr. Peter Chang and the entire Tampa General team,” said Chair Burton. “Innovation in the health care industry is vital to ensure top-class patient care, and I’m proud to say that Florida leads the way in innovative health care solutions through strategic partnerships with providers like Tampa General Hospital.”

The hearing Tuesday marked the first meeting of the Senate Committee on Health Policy this year.  Tampa General has become a valuable resource to the Florida Legislature on health care policy issues.

In 2021, the Florida Senate turned to Tampa General Hospital to develop and implement health guidelines and infectious disease protocols for the safety of members of the Senate, staff, media and visitors. Also in 2021, then-Senate President Wilton Simpson participated in a celebration of Florida’s health care heroes at the Capitol, hosted by Tampa General Hospital.

In addition, several Tampa General team members have been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve on state boards. Dr. Seema Weinstein, manager of Psychology and Neuropsychology Services at Tampa General Hospital, serves on the Board of Psychology. Annmarie Chavarria, chief nursing officer at Tampa General, serves on the Florida Center for Nursing Board. Maja Gift, director of Pharmacy Services at Tampa General, was recently reappointed to the Board of Pharmacy. Nicole Justice, senior director of Patient Safety at Tampa General, serves on the Board of Medicine.

 

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL 

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-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 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America’s Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 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 six 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 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 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area 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 the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.