Tampa General Hospital Honored as a Top Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review

The region’s only university-affiliated academic health system is recognized nationally as a top health care workplace that invests in team member well-being, development and job satisfaction.

 

Tampa, FL (June 12, 2024) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) — the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine — is among the top places in the U.S. to work in health care according to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2024 “150+ Top Places to Work in Healthcare” list, which highlights hospitals, health systems and health care companies that invest in their team members’ well-being, satisfaction and development. Tampa General’s inclusion on this list underscores the academic health system’s commitment to putting team members first by providing a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their unique needs, offering opportunities for personal and professional development and cultivating a culture of belonging and inclusivity, all of which contribute to the organization’s ability to drive innovation and deliver world-class care.

 

“We are committed to providing support and meeting the needs of our team members every day and this recognition is a celebration of our leaders who work tirelessly to create a supportive environment where all team members feel a sense of belonging and can thrive, contribute and excel in their roles,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “We know that exemplary patient care starts and ends with our team members. Creating a culture that ensures that team members feel cared for, supported and empowered is our top priority. When team members feel valued, supported, seen and psychologically safe to be innovative and voice their opinions, everyone thrives.”

 

This year marks Tampa General’s second consecutive year on Becker’s “Top Places to Work in Healthcare” list and the latest addition to the academic health system’s growing list of accolades for team member satisfaction, workplace culture and environment. In 2023, Tampa General was recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023" and was recognized as a top 100 company on "Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards" — in which the academic health system was the only Florida-based health care company recognized. Last year, Tampa General was also named for the third consecutive year, as one of Florida’s leading workplaces in Forbes’ America’s Best-in-State Employers rankings and as one of America's Best Employers for Women by Forbes for the fourth year in a row, ranking in the top 100 of organizations nationally and as the Best Employer for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category.

 

A critical component of Becker’s list of criteria is the holistic well-being of team members, which includes comprehensive benefits packages, professional development, work environment, and work-life balance.

 

By valuing the team members' voices in making improvements, Tampa General has continuously improved vacancy and turnover rates, which are currently maintained at 12% percent and 15% percent, respectively, both below the national industry averages.

 

Tampa General was recognized for making significant investments in benefits programs over the last two years by deploying a benefits survey and team member focus groups to understand their unique needs. This informed a benefits program redesign to align resources with the benefits team members identified as most important and expand access to free mental health services, family programs, educational support, and several personal and professional development programs. Year over year, Tampa General has delivered more value through its comprehensive benefits programs at no additional cost to team members while also keeping pricing stable for its medical benefits plan.

 

“We are at our best when all team members feel their personal and professional needs are being met, which is why we seek feedback directly from team members and directly apply their feedback when making organizational decisions,” said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer at Tampa General. “We’re proud to be recognized for the culture we’ve worked hard to create and continually improve upon at Tampa General, which is built on the investments we make in our team members to foster their personal and professional development. We see this not only in our ability to retain team members but also in our ability to hire, with up to 10 percent of our hires being returning team members.”

 

Tampa General invests in its team members in many ways, ensuring that their voices are heard, that they feel supported in their own professional growth, and that they are involved in the continued process improvement in building the safest and most innovative academic health system in America. 

 

Tampa General does that by providing pathways for team members to accelerate their own personal and professional development and offers several voluntary learning and development programs, including LEAD (Leadership, Enrichment and Development), Modern Advances of Leadership in partnership with the University of Tampa, and the TGH-USF People Development Institute. Additionally, team members also have opportunities to participate in or pursue continued education opportunities through scholarships as well as skills and tuition reimbursement programs. As a result of the academic health system prioritizing supporting the development of team members and creating pathways for all team members to advance their careers, nearly 35 percent of open positions are filled by internal applicants.          

 

Tampa General understands that choosing where you work is one of the most important decisions one can make because so much time and talent is spent at work. As a result, Tampa General also invests time and resources in working to create a sense of belonging.

For example, the first day of orientation is spent learning about the Tampa General culture. Every two weeks, Couris spends an hour welcoming the new team members, which is followed by two panels with the executive team. It is a two-way exchange with the new team members, including leaders and physicians, and the system and entity executive teams. The day ends with training on the culture of Tampa General that was created by Couris during his doctorate program. Fostering a culture of psychological safety and a sense of belonging for team members and considering their unique lived experiences and identities in and out of the workplace is a non-negotiable for Tampa General.

To ensure a connection to the organization after orientation, Couris and the executive team keep the lines of communication open through regular in-person feedback sessions and “What Fills Your Cup?” sessions with team members to proactively identify potential obstacles, help leaders prioritize initiatives, and remove barriers to success. Couris also communicates openly and directly with all team members in the system through his “Ask John” portal, where he responds personally to each question he receives.

 

This commitment to transparent leadership extends beyond the C-suite, with leaders regularly rounding and holding one-on-one conversations with team members, as well as participating in leader training with physicians to ensure they are equipped to create a psychologically safe environment systemwide. 

 

Team members also participate in interdisciplinary collaboration, such as shared governance councils for cross-functional teams and nursing councils, which coordinate the nursing education program, track nursing acuity and trends, and develop best practices for nursing management.

 

Based on some of that feedback, feedback from the engagement survey and a quantitative data-driven approach, Tampa General created InterHealth Medical Staffing Solutions. This internal staffing agency is a stand-alone company that enabled the academic health system to transition away from agency staffing on inpatient units by  blending Tampa General’s culture with the desires of those working for external agencies. Continuous work is also being done to create even greater flexibility by identifying actionable opportunities to create more shift options in departments such as Environmental Services (EVS) using artificial intelligence capabilities from Tampa General’s partnership with Palantir.

 

Becker’s Hospital Review is a leading source of hospital business news and analysis for the health care industry. The list highlights exceptional employers, many of which invest in team members' professional development, wellness benefits and continued education, honoring establishments committed to advocating for diversity in the workplace, promoting work-life balance and boosting employee engagement. Tampa General and the rest of this year’s “150+ Top Places to Work in Healthcare” honorees are profiled online here.