USF Health has a new neighbor: Florida Hospital Tampa.

That’s because on Tuesday, the hospital across the street changed its name – a change that also will signal a greater partnership with USF Health.

Formerly called University Community Hospital, Florida Hospital Tampa adopted the branding identity of the other Adventist Health System hospitals in Florida. Other University Community hospitals in Tampa Bay also were renamed as part of the Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Division.

“This is a new beginning for us,” said John Harding, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay division. “It’s more than just a name change.”

With the addition of the Tampa Bay division, a change that was announced last year, Adventist will have 22 hospitals across Florida.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Mike Schultz, president and CEO of the Florida Region of Adventist Health System, said he’s excited about the opportunity to work with USF Health.

“We imagine this: Partnering with one of the nation’s leading universities and medical schools, giving the community access to USF’s world-class physicians at various locations throughout this new Florida Hospital region, and, finally, connecting USF’s cutting-edge medical research with a network of hospital and healthcare providers that will bring breakthrough medical treatments to the residents” of the region, he said.

Specific details of that partnership are yet to be announced. But Dr. Stephen Klasko, dean of the USF College of Medicine and CEO of USF Health, told Tuesday’s audience that he has long been impressed with Adventist’s record for quality, safety and patient-centered care.

Both organizations share common bonds, Dr. Klasko said. Both are driven by values and care deeply about improving the health of their communities.

“We feel we really have a natural core values match,” he said.

Meanwhile, he added, the two have differing, yet complementary strengths in their core missions.

“We’ll be able to combine those education and research and clinical services together into something very exciting for the whole north Tampa region,” Dr. Klasko said.

-- Story by Lisa Greene, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications