Peter Schorsch
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) announced on Monday that Steve Harris has been elevated to senior vice president of payor and government affairs.
“With the expansion of Tampa General’s geographic footprint to deliver world-class care to more families throughout the state of Florida, our advocacy efforts are more important than ever,” said TGH CEO and President John Couris. “Steve plays a key role in advocating for TGH and the patients we serve by working closely with our community leaders, elected officials and regulatory agencies to advance policies that promote quality and expand access to health care.”
Harris joined Tampa General in 2011; however, he has more than 25 years of experience in health care policy. In his new role as senior vice president, Harris will continue advocating for policies that enable TGH to deliver high-quality, accessible and affordable care among policymakers on the federal and state level, including members of Congress, federal administration officials, members of the Florida Legislature and key stakeholders in Florida’s health care agencies.
In addition, Harris will oversee government relations for new facilities, such as the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital, recent acquisitions from Bravera Health expected to close at the end of this year and the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital anticipated to open in 2024.
As senior vice president, Harris also serves as the key liaison for health plans and government payors, including Medicare, Florida Medicaid and Tricare, and oversees regulatory compliance efforts with federal law, state legislation and regulatory rules.
“Tampa General is consistently breaking records, achieving milestones and saving lives. It’s a privilege for me to advocate on behalf of one of the nation’s leading academic health systems to our partners in health care and our key stakeholders in government,” said Harris. “By effectively communicating the value of TGH, we’re able to strengthen the quality of world-class care we deliver to the people and communities we serve.”
Before joining TGH, Harris served as a Senior Manager in the KPMG Healthcare Advisory practice. While at KPMG, he collaborated with the firm’s hospital clients in the review of Medicare and state Medicaid cost reports, performing audit support as a third-party reimbursement specialist and special reimbursement projects including, graduate medical education, organ acquisition reimbursement, wage index submissions and provider reimbursement appeals.
Harris received a master’s degree in health administration and a master’s in business administration from the University of Florida.
