USF Health, Tampa General Again Expand Medical Training Opportunities to Strengthen Pipeline of Health Care Workforce

New anesthesiology residency program will train future physicians in crucial specialty

TAMPA, Fla (Oct. 25, 2023) – USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Tampa General Hospital today announced the launch of a new medical residency training program in anesthesiology.

The new anesthesiology residency program is based in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM) at the University of South Florida and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Residents in the four-year program will work at Tampa General Hospital and other TGH locations throughout the Tampa Bay region and be trained by USF Health faculty. Recruitment for applicants to the inaugural class has already begun.

The anesthesiology residents will add to the training positions already in place in MCOM’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program. As the new anesthesiology residency positions fill to 48 physicians – with 12 residents in each of the four years of training – USF Health’s GME program will expand to support more than 780 residents and fellows in nearly 70 specialty programs.

“Our new anesthesiology residency program will help us address a national shortage of both anesthesiologists and residency positions to train future physicians in this crucial specialty,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “We are delighted that Tampa General Hospital is collaborating with us to further expand our GME programs across a wide variety of specialties to ensure the most advanced care to the next generation of Floridians.”

Dr. Lockwood is also executive vice president and chief academic officer of Tampa General Hospital.

“This new anesthesiology residency program at Tampa General is an incredible opportunity for residents to train under the supervision of some of the nation’s leading physicians,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “In partnership with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, we’re continuing to expand training opportunities, strengthening the pipeline of talent to our region, and contributing to the exceptional care offered at Tampa General now and for years to come. At the same time, we are fortifying a foundational element of academic medicine – educating the next generation of medical professionals.”

The new anesthesiology residency program is being led by Dr. John Hodgson, an anesthesiologist with TEAMHealth, a physician-owned practice plan that supports select clinical services for the hospital.

“We are thrilled to establish a residency with 48 individuals that will complement the complexity and size of TGH/USF,” Dr. Hodgson said. “Recruiting is underway, and we are seeking top-notch medical school graduates who are poised to become leaders in our specialty through the pursuit of excellence in patient care, research, and quality improvement.”

“The anesthesiology residency program was developed to complement Tampa General Hospital's goal of being the nation's safest and most innovative academic medical center,” said Dr. Jeffrey Weiss, chief of Anesthesiology at Tampa General and assistant professor in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “Its presence will positively impact the needs of our community, training the next generation of anesthesiologists in the setting of a national shortage that has impacted our region. As a tertiary care regional referral medical center, we have both the breadth of facilities and acuity of cases to provide our residents with the highest caliber of both academic and clinical experience. We are very excited to get started training future national leaders in the field of anesthesiology.”

Tampa General, the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, also supports the certified nurse anesthetist program based in the USF Health College of Nursing. TGH and USF Health’s current facilities and patient volume provide ample opportunities for training students and residents across many health-focused programs. TGH’s future growth, including its recent acquisition of Bravera Health and its planned construction of the Surgical, Neurosciences and Transplant Pavilion, a 13-floor building adjacent to the main hospital on Davis Islands, will provide additional opportunities to support both anesthesia educational programs, among others.