Tampa General passes $120M in contributions to transform health care through innovation

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) this week marked yet another milestone in its journey to transform health care through innovation and technology. TGH leadership and local community leaders were joined by members of the Taneja family to break ground on a brand new Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower.

Expected to open in 2027, the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower will provide patients with access to best-in-class providers, the latest research therapies and state-of-the-art technologies.

The tower bears the Taneja name in honor of the Taneja Family Foundation’s $25 million contribution to the TGH Foundation. This generous donation helped TGH surpass $120 million in contributions over the past two years toward Tampa General’s mission to transform health care.

“Patients come to Tampa General for world-class care, and the addition of this new tower on our campus, thanks in part to the generosity of the Taneja family, enhances our ability to deliver the highest level of academic-based medicine,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “The Taneja family shares our vision that through innovation, we can transform health care and improve patient outcomes. The new Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower will be an intersection of academics, research and clinical care that will elevate how we are able to treat patients with complex conditions.”

The Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower will house Tampa General’s surgery, neuroscience, and transplant service lines. The 565,000-square-foot tower, adjacent to Tampa General’s main campus on Davis Islands, will provide 144 patient beds, 32 operating suites, and room for an expansive intensive care unit (ICU). This pavilion will be a pillar of the Tampa Medical & Research District, where health care intersects with research and biotechnology, leading to better patient outcomes.

“We have lived the American Dream, and now we want others to have that same chance at life,” said Jugal Taneja on behalf of himself, Manju and the family. “What better way to pay it forward than to give greater access to world-class care for those who need it most?”

Giving back to the community was instilled in Jugal Taneja, president and treasurer of the Taneja Family Foundation, from a young age. His father emphasized the importance of generosity and encouraged his growing family to pay it forward. When Taneja moved to the United States more than five decades ago, he had little to give others with just $8 in his own pocket and a family back home in India to support.

Inspired to give back following a harrowing diagnosis of a brain tumor in their son Mandeep, Jugal and Manju Taneja made the choice to invest their resources into others in need of specialized care. While Mandeep’s life could not be saved, the family chose to pay it forward, supporting healthcare initiatives throughout the state.

“There are no bounds to the generosity of the Taneja family,” said Frann Leppla, vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the TGH Foundation. “By naming the new tower in their honor, we’re celebrating their passion for innovation, their impact on our community and the exceptional care we offer at Tampa General. I know the Tanejas will serve as a source of hope and inspiration for many who walk through the future doors of the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower.”