Tampa General Hospital adds TECO to name of prestigious Burn Center

Ribbon cutting at the Tampa General Hospital Burn Center: A TECO Partnership. Image via Tampa General Hopsital.

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is renaming its burn treatment center. The medical center held a ribbon cutting last week in honor of the new naming evolution which is now the TGH Burn Center: A TECO Partnership.

TECO is the acronym for Tampa Electric Co., which is an Emera Company operation. TGH officials said they changed the name of the Burn Center following a gift from TECO.

“TGH is at the forefront of innovative care for burn patients and this gift to name the TGH Burn Center: A TECO Partnership demonstrates Tampa Electric’s significant investment in the community and their health and wellbeing,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “The new name of the Center is a signal of their faith in the impressive work of our teams and will inspire patients for years to come.”

A TGH news release said TECO has been a supporter of the hospital for more than 30 years. The electric company has been part of hospital initiatives that include the Tampa Medical & Research District to contributing to the TGH Foundation from TECO employees who are in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union.

“TGH’s Burn Center offers life-saving treatments and innovative therapies that make a profound difference in the lives of those affected by severe burns,” said Archie Collins, president and CEO of Tampa Electric. “TECO is honored to help give hope and a brighter future to patients.”

TGH’s Burn Center is one of only six burn units in Florida that’s been granted verification by the American Burn Association and American College of Surgeons. Those distinctions came after meeting several guidelines for procedures for patient care and staffing. The TGH Burn Center is a specialty center for victims who’ve suffered critical burns. The Center usually handles about 500 adult patients each year along with 300 pediatric patients.

“TECO’s partnership with the burn center will make significant contributions to advancing Tampa General Hospital’s position as leaders in the rapidly evolving field of burn care, helping patients achieve better outcomes and making new strides in treatment,” said Nicholas J. Panetta, chief of Tampa General Hospital Plastic Surgery and chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

TECO’s had a long association with TGH. The electric company is a founding member of the TGH Foundation’s Corporate Philanthropy Partners program.