John Couris of Tampa General Hospital Named One of 60 ‘Health System CEO Influencers’ by Becker’s Hospital Review

Tampa General’s president and CEO receives national recognition for advancing the health care industry through innovative and transformative efforts to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.

Tampa, FL (Nov. 1, 2023) – John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center, which comprises an array of organizations, including Tampa General Hospital (TGH), is among Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2023 class of “60 Health System CEO Influencers.” Through this award and recognition program, Becker’s recognizes chief executive officers who are shaping the future of the health care industry and transforming care delivery, leading to better patient outcomes.

At the helm of one the nation’s leading academic health systems and the only one in West Central Florida, Couris oversees approximately 14,000 team members and providers who annually provide care for nearly 7 million people at Tampa General Hospital and more than 150 locations across the state of Florida. Couris has put an emphasis on team engagement, pushing the boundaries of a traditional academic health system to shape and transform the future of health care. In the six years since Couris took on this role, the academic health system has dramatically improved its quality of care and patient outcomes. Tampa General is now the provider of choice for world-class care in the region. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in the Tampa Bay region, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023-2024 Best Hospitals and is the fourth highest-ranked hospital in Florida. 

In his current role, Couris often collaborates with local, state and national officials to help shape health care policy and improve the lives of community members across Florida.

“John is a truly visionary leader who raises the bar for academic health systems across the nation,” said Drew Graham, chair of the Board of Directors at Tampa General. “He has established unique and strategic public-private partnerships that foster innovation, expand access to care and improve patient outcomes. His emphasis on collaboration has enabled Tampa General to transform the health care landscape statewide while extending our reach and enhancing financial performance.”

One example of Couris’ visionary leadership is the Tampa Medical and Research District. Inspired by renowned medical districts in some of the nation’s greatest cities, Couris worked closely with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine to formally establish the ever-growing hub of world-class clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology. Anchored by TGH and USF Health, the Tampa Medical and Research District attracts renowned clinicians and researchers to Florida, resulting in increased access to experts, cutting-edge research, education and technology for patients and students. Through a partnership with the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, the district is becoming a powerful economic engine, which is expected to ultimately generate more than $8.3 billion in annual economic impact and support more than 58,000 jobs in the state.

“I am honored to be recognized alongside several of our industry’s extraordinary leaders who are shaping the future of health care,” Couris said. “One of our greatest strengths at Tampa General is our shared belief that each of us has an important role to play in setting the standard of care for our industry. I’m proud that with the support of our Board of Directors and our world-class team, we’ve created an environment where all team members are empowered to live that philosophy and make a positive impact on our patients and community.”

Under Couris’ leadership, Tampa General launched the CareComm command center in 2019. Using 20 artificial intelligence applications, CareComm optimizes minute-to-minute patient care activities with actionable information throughout the hospital. Since initiating the CareComm command center, TGH reported a more than $50 million reduction in system-wide inefficiencies, decreased the average length of stay by 0.5 days and reduced emergency room diversion by 25% for the Level I Trauma Center. Within the past year, Tampa General further scaled this technology to develop an early warning and management system for sepsis, saving hundreds of lives since its launch.

Leveraging the principles of enterprise leadership as his guide, Couris has reimagined personal and professional development support and continued education for Tampa General’s team members.

In collaboration with leaders, team members and academic partners, TGH established the People Development Institute (PDI). The institute is a partnership with the USF Muma College of Business and the University of Tampa and offers a broad range of university-caliber courses to all team members — at no cost — to instill the skills they need to advance their careers. In this work, the PDI employs Couris’ research- and evidence-based AKTiVe (authenticity, kindness, transparency, and vulnerability) leadership model. 

Couris was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame in May 2023, and he was recently named a “Great Leader in Healthcare” by Becker’s Hospital Review for 2023. In January, he was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2023 “Power 100” list — his third consecutive recognition on that list. This year, Couris accepted an offer from the Tampa General Board of Directors to extend the terms of his employment agreement and will continue leading the health system into the next decade.

Couris and the remainder of this year’s honorees are profiled online here.