Tampa General Hospital Transforms Operating Room Safety and Efficiency with Artificial Intelligence-Powered Insights

Tampa, FL (August 8, 2024) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) today announced the launch of Apella, a technology platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to provide data and insights that enhance safety, increase efficiency and elevate the patient experience in the operating room.

“We have some of the most talented surgeons and clinical teams in the world right here at Tampa General. The question is — how do you make the best better?” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “Through innovation and technology such as Apella, we’re giving our teams the tools and information to enhance quality, strengthen safety and improve patient outcomes. We’re also increasing access for more patients to benefit from the exceptional, academic-based care we offer at TGH.”

Apella offers perioperative teams a 360-degree view of operating rooms in real time so they can make more informed decisions, respond to immediate needs, anticipate next steps and plan future operations. The technology utilizes AI, computer vision and cutting-edge communications to offer predictive case durations, turnover durations and staffing suggestions. It also captures highlights to identify patterns, determine opportunities for improvement and support continuous learning and training efforts. With improved scheduling workflows, teams can better meet patients’ needs in a timely manner.

“Apella is a well-respected partner, and our opportunities to deepen this exciting partnership are extensive. The technology’s ability to look deeper into process efficiencies, predict workflow improvements and find opportunities for quality improvement in our cases are just a few ways we can use this technology to work toward better patient outcomes and improved efficiencies,” said Dr. Murray Shames, medical chief of staff at Tampa General and the Richard G. Connar Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The data and insights from this technology bring the promise of better patient outcomes. Increased efficiencies mean that patients will spend less time in an operating room, which lowers risk and accelerates recovery. Improved turnover of rooms and equipment also helps to increase the efficiency of each operating room, which enables Tampa General to strengthen access to high-quality surgical care for more patients.

This collaboration with Tampa General follows news of Apella’s recent expansion with Houston Methodist.