Tampa General Hospital’s next president and chief executive officer, John Couris, officially started his new job earlier this week (Aug. 28).  Couris joins TGH from Jupiter Medical Center, a 327-bed not-for-profit hospital where he served as president and CEO since June 2010.

The TGH Board organized a CEO search committee in January 2017 and hired a consultant to conduct a nationwide search. Through an exhaustive and in-depth process, the committee interviewed numerous candidates from various backgrounds and finally decided to offer the position to John Couris because of his experience and passion in academic medicine, his knowledge of the Florida market, his executive experience and his high level of energy and enthusiasm.

John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital

“Tampa General is at a critical juncture in its continuing evolution to become a world class medical center. As the teaching hospital for USF Health, the only Level I Trauma Center on the west coast of Florida and a leading safety net hospital in the state, it is critically important that we have the best possible leadership. I am confident we will have that in John Couris,” said John Brabson, chairman of the TGH governing board. “He’s a dynamic leader with a passion for quality, innovation and excellence.”

Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, was a member of the search committee and praised the selection.

“I am very much looking forward to working with Mr. Couris,” Dr. Lockwood said. “John has shown a deep understanding of TGH and its unique role as one of the top teaching hospitals in Florida.”

Couris launched his professional hospital career in 1990 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, one of the premier academic medical centers in the country. During his nearly 10 years at Mass General, he served in various leadership positions.

He joined the BayCare system in August 2000 as a vice president at Morton Plant Mease Health Care in Clearwater. In September 2006, he was named Morton Plant Mease North Bay Hospital’s chief operating officer.

In 2010 he became the CEO and president of Jupiter Medical Center, where he forged partnerships with such notable providers as Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Couris was involved in the formation of a clinically-integrated network with more than 300 physicians to provide high-quality, low-cost care to the community and regional businesses. He also led a $50 million expansion plan that included a $30 million investment in medical technology, a new pediatric unit, and a comprehensive cancer institute.

Couris also established a $300 million fundraising campaign for critically needed medical services, including advanced cardiac care, expanded pediatric services and comprehensive stroke care.

During his tenure at Jupiter Medical Center, the hospital earned an “A” rating from LeapFrog Group and a four star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Those performance rankings helped place Jupiter in the state’s top 10 percent of hospitals.

“It is a true honor to be selected as the next leader of TGH,” said Couris. “It is a great institution with a long history of excellence. Working together as a team, I know in my heart that TGH’s best days lie ahead, and together with USF and all the members of our medical staff, we will achieve its full potential as a world class destination for healthcare excellence.”

-Photo by Daniel Wallace, Tampa General Hospital

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3koSh0-puOA

They may no longer be considered “endangered,” but Florida’s growing manatee population continues to face various challenges out in the wild. However, the USF College of Public Health is coming to the rescue of these beloved sea creatures, still listed as a “threatened” species.

The USF Health college is training veterinary physicians through innovative research and biostatistical data to help improve the health of manatees and other wildlife.

This is made possible through a Veterinary Public Health Postdoctoral Fellowship created in partnership between USF College of Public Health and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.

“Public health is about preventing disease in human populations, but it’s extremely exciting to add the animal population to our work,” said Kathleen O’Rourke, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the USF College of Public Health. “In this program, the college works with the zoo to train veterinarians in evidenced-based research and epidemiology to help improve the overall health of animals.”

During the two-year program, students study epidemiology, biostatistics and conduct research for publication, as well as learn health care skills, clinical techniques and hands-on rescue and rehabilitation. They also receive training in indoor air-quality, animal nutrition and other subspecialties.

Melissa Nau, DVM, postdoctoral fellow at USF and full-time veterinarian at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, works together with the Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo veterinarian team to take blood samples from an injured manatee – submitted into the zoo’s manatee critical care center –David A. Straz Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center. The sea mammal has been injured by a boat strike and has a hard time diving.

Melissa Nau, DVM, postdoctoral fellow at USF and full-time veterinarian at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, is one of the first fellows to train through this collaborative program.

“As part of the veterinary team, I help provide rehabilitation and critical care to injured manatees and conduct hands-on research,” said Dr. Nau, who started the program in August 2016. “By working closely with these wild animals and conducting research about them, we help advance the level of medical care that we can provide as well as improve our understanding of wild populations.”

The fellowship, which is funded through Joy McCann Foundation, also provides fellows with a full-time veterinarian position at the Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo – bringing a wealth of knowledge to the zoo veterinarian team. Since this partnership began, the zoo, which cares for more than 1,300 hundred animals, has released more than 70 percent of its patient manatees back into the wild.

(L to R). Ray Ball, DVM, director of medical services at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, Dr. Nau and Kathleen O’Rourke, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the USF College of Public Health, at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.

Ray Ball, DVM, director of medical services at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, said the zoo is optimistic about the partnership with USF.  He said he hopes this collaboration will lead to a better understanding of manatees and other animals to help improve their overall health.

“Through this partnership, we’ve conducted a 25-year retrospective epidemiological survey of every manatee that’s come through the hospital,” said Dr. Ball. “From this data, we know why they were admitted, where they were admitted, the age they were admitted, how long they were here, did they survive and where there were released. Looking retrospectively, we can also study the manatees’ obstacles and challenges – looking at blood values, prognostic indications, pregnancy and reproduction rates, as well as help evaluate and predict survivability and discover ways to help them live healthier lives.”

In the last 20 years, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, one of the most popular zoos in the southeastern United States, has received more than 400 manatees for treatment. Dr. Ball said that they now have a strong database they can analyze and from which some solid conclusions can be drawn.

According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are significant improvements among the manatee populations and its habitat, however; they still face many challenges in the wild.

“Manatees continue to deal with natural and man-made challenges,” Dr. Ball said. “Some of the injuries that we see include boat strikes, canal blocks, cold stress, red tide and others. But, we hope that through our efforts and discoveries, we can help make their lives better and safer.”

Dr. Nau, who is receiving two different post-graduate certifications through this program, said she is living her dream through this fellowship.

“I wanted to be a zoo vet since I was a child, so I have my dream job — caring for animals that I love and educating people about them,” Dr. Nau said. “This opportunity is very unique as it allows me to further my education in epidemiology and research. This background is going to be a huge benefit to my career as a zoo veterinarian.”

Story by Vjollca Hysenlika, USF Health Communications and Marketing
Video and Photos by Ryan Noone, USF Communications and Marketing

Pensacola, Fla. (April 29, 2014) – The University of West Florida hosts a reception today to welcome the first class of seven students who were recently admitted into the University of South Florida/UWF Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Partnership Program.

 The USF/UWF DPT Program expands access to UWF students interested in pursuing a DPT degree, while meeting a state-identified need for more physical therapists in Northwest Florida, a largely rural region of the state.  The Florida Board of Governors approved the formation of the partnership program in January 2013, following the Florida Legislature’s appropriation of $1 million in 2012 to help fund it.

L to R: Dr. George Stewart, director of the UWF School of Allied Health and Life Sciences; Renea Porsch, Brittany Crocker and Megan Coleman, some of the students admitted to the inaugural USF/UWF Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Partnership Program; UWF President Judy Bense; and Dr. William S. Quillen, director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The partnership allowed the USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences to expand enrollment in its nationally ranked, three-year DPT degree program by as many as 12 additional students a year. The newly created slots are competitively available to UWF graduates who meet USF’s DPT admissions requirements.

UWF students admitted for the Fall 2014 semester include:

• Kelsey Brown, ’14, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Hanna St. Denis, ’12, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Megan Coleman, ’14, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Brittany Crocker, ’13, B.S. Exercise      Science
• Rebecca Graves, ’13, B.S.      Exercise Science
• Renea Porsch, ’14, B.S.      Athletic Training
• Danielle Sims, ’13, B.S.      Exercise Science

The students will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship for each of the three years they are enrolled in the program. They will spend their first year of studies at USF, followed by two years of studies and clinical internships at UWF.

“We are so proud of the UWF graduates who were admitted into the inaugural class of the USF/UWF Partnership Doctor in Physical Therapy program,” said Dr. George Stewart, director of Allied Health and Life Sciences. “They chose UWF twice, once for their undergraduate degree and now a second time for the first health professional doctoral degree established at the University through the tireless efforts and dedication of our friends and colleagues at USF.  This is a seminal event that opens a new dimension of educational currency provided by UWF to our regional partners in healthcare, and there is more to come.”

“We welcome these inaugural students to our innovative USF-UWF partnership program that will help meet the state’s rapidly growing demand for physical therapy services,” said Dr. William S. Quillen, director of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences and associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Kelsey Brown, a native of Tampa, said her undergraduate experience at UWF, coupled with the knowledge and skills she will learn through the USF/UWF DPT Program, have given her the confidence that she will excel in her future career.

“UWF’s small classroom settings, paired with unrivaled relationships with professors who allow us to experience our education through a hands on approach, have truly pushed me to succeed,” Brown said. “With the USF/UWF DPT program being immersed in this environment, success will definitely be the only outcome. Through the experiences and outstanding education offered at UWF along with the new DPT program, I know I will be substantially prepared for my future successes.”

For additional information on the program, visit www.uwf.edu/dpt/

 About the University of West Florida: Founded in 1963, the University of West Florida is a vibrant, distinctive institution of higher learning with undergraduate, graduate and targeted research programs. With multiple locations in Northwest Florida, the University serves a student population of more than 12,000. Dedicated to helping students realize their full potential, UWF favors small class sizes with quality teacher-scholars who deliver personalized, innovative, hands-on learning and leadership opportunities.

About USF Health: USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a Top 50 research university in total research expenditures among both public and private institutions nationwide, according to the National Science Foundation. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media contacts:
Megan Gonzalez, University of West Florida Public Relations
MeganG@uwf.edu or 850-797-0922

Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
abaier@health.usf.edu or (813) 974-3303

USF Health and Tampa General Hospital are moving forward together to improve health for Tampa Bay with the approval of a new affiliation agreement.

Tampa General Hospital and Florida Hospital’s Tampa Bay Network also announced Tuesday that they have agreed to jointly develop new clinical programs and services throughout the Tampa Bay region.

Read a memo from Dr. Harry van Loveren, interim dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, on Tuesday’s events here:

Dear Colleagues,

Today marks an important day for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, for Tampa General Hospital, and for the future of health care in Tampa Bay.

This morning, the Tampa General Hospital Board of Directors agreed to a new long-term affiliation agreement with the College of Medicine. TGH also announced a new affiliation agreement with Florida Hospital’s Tampa Bay Network.

Today is the day we reaffirm our commitment to Tampa General Hospital, our primary hospital partner and the heart of our teaching program. We are confident that this framework offers us both the flexibility and the strength to carry our partnership forward.

The new agreement is evergreen. It automatically renews each year, so that we never again have to walk “to the edge of the cliff” and face a deadline negotiation. We can now put some of the recent uncertainties behind us and focus on what both our institutions do best: provide incredible care for our patients and teaching and training opportunities for our residents and students.

With these agreements, Tampa General is creating a healthier future – not just for itself, but for all of Tampa Bay. Tampa General is Tampa Bay’s only adult safety net hospital. It is Tampa Bay’s only Level 1 Trauma Center. It is Tampa Bay’s only quaternary hospital. In short, Tampa Bay cannot live without Tampa General. For many of our patients, that is literally true.

Given the dizzying pace of healthcare change, and the recent spurt of hospital mergers and acquisitions, we all recognize that Tampa General needs to grow beyond Davis Islands. We are ready to expand with them. Where they go, we will go. Our mission – to train the best doctors and health professionals for tomorrow – is vital to Tampa General’s future. After all, half of Tampa General’s staff and half of its patients come from USF Health. Together, we can both become stronger.

In choosing Florida Hospital’s Tampa Bay Network as their new partner, Tampa General has chosen an excellent hospital system whose mission aligns with its own. We are fortunate to already count Florida Hospital as a partner, and appreciate both their commitment to nonprofit care and their recognition that academic medicine elevates health care.

We are already working with Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Network in key areas, notably including neurosurgery and cardiovascular care. We look forward to the continued growth and development of this valued partnership.

Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts about how we can help support Tampa General, and join me in congratulating them.

Harry van Loveren, M.D.

The collaboration will help meet a state-identified need for more physical therapists

Tampa, FL  (Jan. 23, 2013)  – The University of South Florida (USF) and the University of West Florida (UWF) will be able to move forward to create a pilot program offering a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree in Pensacola.  The partnership program was approved last week by the Florida Board of Governors, which serves as a key step in advancing its implementation.

The Board’s approval follows the Florida Legislature’s appropriation last year of $1 million to help fund the USF-UWF Doctor of Physical Therapy education partnership program.

The collaborative program will expand access to UWF students interested in pursuing a DPT and help meet a state-identified need for more physical therapists in a largely rural region of the state.

“This is an exciting educational partnership for health care in Florida,” said Stephen K. Klasko, MD, CEO of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.  “We are grateful that state lawmakers, the Florida Board of Governors, UWF President Judy Bense, and USF President Judy Genshaft have all recognized the critical need for more physical therapists to meet the future healthcare needs of Floridians.”

If other requirements by accreditation organizations are met as expected, students will begin applying for the program in July 2013 and start their studies in summer 2014.

The partnership will allow the USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences to expand enrollment in its nationally-ranked, three-year DPT degree program by as many as 12 additional students a year.  The newly created slots will be competitively available to UWF graduates who meet USF’s DPT admissions requirements.  When fully implemented, up to 36 qualified UWF graduates could be enrolled in the program.

Students would spend their first year of physical therapy studies at the USF Health campus in Tampa. The final two years of the three-year program would be spent in classrooms at UWF’s Pensacola campus and clinical internships conducted at hospitals and outpatient sites across the state’s Panhandle.

William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, leads the nationally-ranked USF Health School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

“Together USF, with our cutting-edge physical therapy education program emphasizing inter-professional collaboration, and UWF, which provides impressive pre-professional health sciences education, will help meet this rapidly growing demand for physical therapy services.” said William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, director of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences and associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“This partnership will provide a valuable opportunity for UWF students to participate in USF’s nationally recognized Doctor of Physical Therapy program,” said Martha Saunders, PhD, UWF Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Partnerships like this are important because they maximize the state’s resources, build on successful programming and provide needed support to our community. We appreciate the support of both institutions’ Board of Trustees as well as the Florida Board of Governors, and I am looking forward to more collaborations in the future.”

The University of West Florida in Pensacola serves a largely rural region of the state in need of more physical therapists.

The Board of Governors conducted a statewide analysis regarding the physical therapist workforce demand. Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) data and online tools indicate that the Pensacola area is a remote pocket of high-demand in the state for physical therapists, with more than 160 openings advertised in Fall 2012.

Florida public and independent universities awarded an estimated 392 professional DPT degrees during 2011-2012. The FDEO projected workforce demand for physical therapists is 492 annually to the year 2020.

“Northwest Florida is home to healthcare organizations, such as Andrews Institute, that are known throughout the United States for their quality physical therapy programs,” said George Stewart, PhD, Director of the UWF School of Allied Health and Life Sciences. “This program will produce qualified professionals who are prepared to enter this competitive workforce. The regional healthcare community has been extremely supportive of this endeavor, and we will use their expertise and facilities for internships, clinical rounds and more. We look forward to meeting their need for trained physical therapists.”

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

                    – University of West Florida-

With campuses in Pensacola and along the Emerald Coast, the University of West Florida serves a student population of more than 12,500. UWF’s mission is to provide students with access to high-quality, relevant and affordable undergraduate and graduate learning experiences; to transmit, apply and discover knowledge through teaching, scholarship, research and public service; and to engage in community partnerships that respond to mutual concerns and opportunities and that advance the economy and quality of life in the region. It was named one of “America’s Top Colleges” by Forbes Magazine in 2011 and 2012. Small class sizes and personalized attention from dedicated faculty are what make UWF “different by design.” 

Media Contacts:
Megan Prawdzik, University of West Florida
(850) 474-2658, or mprawdzik@uwf.edu

Anne DeLotto Baier, University of South Florida (USF Health)
(813) 974-3303, or abaier@health.usf.edu

TAMPA, FL  (Sept.  5, 2012) — USF Health is partnering with Bisk Education to offer a new online master’s degree  in Health Informatics, responding to the growing need for technology experts as the healthcare industry adopts electronic records.

“USF is proud to partner with Bisk to help drive innovation in healthcare,” said USF President Judy Genshaft, PhD. “There is a real need in today’s marketplace for employees who understand both healthcare and information science.”

The new program will fuse USF Health’s academic powers with Bisk’s online expertise. USF Health faculty members will teach the health informatics courses. Bisk will help adapt the USF Health’s traditional curriculum to an online environment with faculty-led video lectures and webcasts, online simulations, and real-time chat, group study, and discussion board tools.

Clockwise from top left: Andrew Titen, president and COO of Bisk Education; Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean, Morsani College of Medicine; Judy Genshaft, USF president; and Nathan Bisk, chairman and CEO of Bisk Education.

Nathan Bisk, chairman and CEO of Bisk Education, founded the company, which is now one of the nation’s leading developers and marketers of alternative and distance education programs. He said he is looking forward to working with USF Health on the project.

“Health informatics is something that is sweeping the health industry – and it’s pioneering for a medical school to offer such a degree online,” he said. “There’s going to be a big demand for this program. The challenges the healthcare industry faces in converting to paperless operations will require a new breed of health professionals trained in the latest laws and technologies.”

USF Health already is a leader in moving the healthcare industry toward using electronic health records with PaperFree Florida, a $6 million federal grant program to help doctors learn how to use the technology, said Dr. Stephen Klasko, dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and CEO of USF Health.

“We’ve built USF Health around what’s going to be really obvious ten years from now and doing it today,” Dr. Klasko said. “What really brought us together is that Bisk has the same innovative values.”

Bisk Education CEO Nathan Bisk and USF President Judy Genshaft sign the partnership agreement to provide a new online master’s degree in health informatics.

According to Indeed.com, health information analysts earned an average of $81,000 in 2008, with a salary range of $34,000 to over $110,000.

Bisk designs high-quality educational courses by helping universities realize the potential for reaching students in an online environment, said Andrew B. Titen, president and chief operating officer of Bisk Education.

“We are all very excited about the new relationship with USF and look forward to launching this groundbreaking degree for a top tier research institution,” Titen said. “This is a partnership that will do many great things together.”

Students in the program could be Tampa Bay residents with career and family commitments that make it difficult for them to come to campus. But Bisk Education also will market the program worldwide, bringing students from far beyond Tampa Bay to learn from USF.

“We’re hoping this will lead to other degrees, which will extend USF’s reach worldwide,” Bisk said.

Courses for the 32-credit hour degree will start by May 2013. For more information visit www.usfhealthonline.com

L to R: Ronnie Banks, former USF Bulls quarterback employed by Bisk Education; Nathan Bisk, CEO of Bisk Education; and Judy Genshaft, USF president.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

-Bisk Education, Inc. –

Founded in 1971 by Nathan Bisk, Bisk Education is the world’s leading provider of professional education online. The University Alliance (UA), a division of Bisk, facilitates the promotion and online delivery of associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as professional certificate programs from the nation’s leading traditional universities and institutions. Powered by UA’s technology and support services, our university partners have surpassed 450,000 online enrollments – making UA the largest facilitator of e-learning in the country. University partners include Villanova University, the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, Florida Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, University of Florida, New England College, University of St. Thomas – Minnesota, University of San Francisco, Jacksonville University, University of Vermont, The University of Scranton, Dominican University, and Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business. U.S. News University Directory, part of the Bisk network, provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 2,000 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983.

Media contacts:
Lisa Greene, USF Health Communications,  (813) 974-4312 or lgreene@health.usf.edu
Sandy Levine,  Bisk Education/University Alliance Online, 813-621-6200, ext. 328