peterschorsch
Two leading academic health systems have been working collaboratively in recent years to exchange expertise and best practices between the two organizations to benefit their patients.
This week, Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and Mass General Brigham (MGB) announced plans to deepen their affiliation and launch new programs and services, expanding access to world-class care across Florida.
“This collaboration formalizes the long-standing relationship between Tampa General and Mass General Brigham. For years, our leadership, providers, researchers, and teams have worked closely to share knowledge, information, findings, and outcomes to elevate the level of care we offer,” said TGH and CEO President John Couris. “As we look ahead, we’re aiming to build a greater presence in the state of Florida, where patients cannot only benefit from the exchange of knowledge but also the best-in-class providers of both networks.”
In an exclusive interview with the Palm Beach Post, the two hospitals’ CEOs revealed plans to build a new oncology center in Palm Beach Gardens. Patients will have access to TGH and MGB providers for radiation oncology, medical imaging, and clinical oncology there.
This is an expansion of TGH’s presence in Palm Beach County, which already includes 18 offices, roughly 70 physicians and 400 medical professionals.
“As an integrated health care system with patients at its center, it’s important to align with institutions who share our core values to improve the communities we serve, promote equity and strive to advance the field of medicine to not only improve patient outcomes, but the lives of those we care for,” said Anne Klibanski, M.D., president and CEO, Mass General Brigham. “Our affiliation creates a high-quality system of care leveraging the strengths of a national academic system and a statewide academic system to meaningfully impact patient care across all of Florida.”
Over their three years working together, TGH and MGB developed a bone marrow transplant program and cell therapies unit as part of the TGH Cancer Institute. The program serves patients with aggressive blood cancers, such as leukemias, lymphomas, multiple myeloma and other types of cancer. The program is housed in a brand-new, state-of-the-art unit and managed by best-in-class cancer specialists. Through the program, patients also have access to CAR T-cell therapy, a cancer immunotherapy that uses a patient’s T-cells to fight cancer.
One of the first joint programs between TGH and MGB was the 2021 establishment of Home Base Florida on TGH’s main campus, serving American veterans and service members. Begun at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), one of MGB’s academic medical centers, in 2009 as a partnership with the Red Sox Foundation, Home Base is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war for veterans, service members and their families through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research.
Home Base Florida at TGH currently serves more than 375 veterans and service members annually at no cost to the patient. In the future, TGH and MGB plan to expand from health and wellness to offering mental health services.
The increased collaboration between the two health systems reflects their mutual goals: to enhance, innovate, and be at the forefront of medicine to offer Floridians the absolute best care options while simultaneously responding to each person’s very complex needs throughout their lives.
TGH’s work with MGB builds on its ties with academic and research organizations, including USF Health. Collaborating with leading health systems and academic and research organizations is part of TGH’s overall strategy to transform health care through innovation, leading to better quality care and the best possible patient outcomes.
