How Tampa Bay is rethinking healthcare for long-term growth
Writer: Andrea Teran
September 2025 — Tampa Bay continues to attract tens of thousands of new residents each year, while Florida’s senior population is on pace to double by 2050. In response, healthcare leaders across the region are being pushed to rethink how care is delivered, expanded, and made more equitable.
“This kind of growth is a blessing, but it also brings the 800-pound gorilla problems: workforce, transportation, housing — and healthcare is central to all of it,” said Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross, addressing attendees at the Invest: Tampa Bay 6th Edition Leadership Summit on Aug. 26. “We need every stakeholder — urban, suburban, public, and private — at the table.”
Ross’s remarks opened a panel titled Future-Proofing Health: What Tampa Bay’s Rise as a Global Healthcare Hub Means for Communities. The session brought together executives from Tampa General Hospital, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Empath Health, and Gulfside Healthcare Services. Over the course of the discussion, panelists explored five central themes: collaboration, access, innovation, workforce development, and the region’s evolving healthcare identity.
Despite ongoing expansion across Florida’s healthcare infrastructure, the panelists agreed that capacity alone will not address longstanding structural gaps.
“When COVID hit, we quickly assembled as health systems — TGH, HCA, AdventHealth, BayCare, All Children’s, USF Health. We transcended competition. We collaborated, innovated, and partnered to safeguard the health of our community. Very few regions did that at scale.”
That cooperative approach has since shaped TGH’s long-term strategy. In 2024, the hospital earned a spot on Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of “52 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Innovation Programs” for the third consecutive year — recognition tied to its work in tech-enabled care.
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Among its initiatives, TGH is deploying AI tools to streamline patient flow, reduce sepsis-related stays, and optimize surgical scheduling. Its expanding hospital-at-home model lowers costs while improving outcomes. Meanwhile, ambient listening tools integrated into Epic’s mobile app are helping nurses cut down documentation time and refocus on bedside care.
“At Tampa General, we view innovation as a strategic imperative,” Couris said. “We’ve doubled down on technology and partnerships to drive transformative change that benefits not just our patients, but the full healthcare landscape.”
That focus on rethinking care delivery is also guiding Empath Health’s system redesign. In early 2025, the nonprofit launched a new PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) center in Tampa, under the Empath LIFE brand. The initiative — now spanning St. Petersburg, Bradenton-Sarasota, and Tampa — helps frail seniors avoid institutionalization through home- and community-based wraparound care.
Empath also rolled out the One Hospice Model, integrating several of Florida’s legacy hospice programs into a single platform. The structure is intended to unify best practices while preserving localized leadership and relationships.
“We’re becoming one of Florida’s first nonprofit payviders,” said Jonathan Fleece, Empath’s president and CEO. “It’s about aligning financial and clinical accountability so we’re not just adding years to life, but life to years.”
For Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, expanding pediatric care access is a top priority. “No child in Florida should have to leave the state for quality care,” said Alicia Schulhoff, president of the hospital.
With that in mind, the hospital is developing a new 56-bed pediatric facility in Wesley Chapel, expected to open in 2027. The project includes an emergency department, surgical suites, and outpatient services — bringing specialized pediatric care closer to families in a rapidly growing area where more than 90% currently seek services outside the county.
The expansion complements the hospital’s growing research presence. Its Research and Education Building houses Florida’s only accredited pediatric biorepository, contributing to national studies in pediatric oncology and rare conditions like congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
“We’re delivering some of the most complex care to the most underserved populations,” Schulhoff added. “That’s why advocacy is a critical pillar of our mission — alongside treatment, research, and education.”
Meanwhile, Gulfside Healthcare Services is extending its reach in post-acute care. Under CEO Linda Ward, the organization has evolved from a traditional hospice provider to a broader care network supporting patients at home and relieving pressure on hospitals.
Gulfside is now building a new Center for Hospice Care in New Port Richey, expected to open in September 2025. The facility will include 24 private rooms, round-the-clock care, and unrestricted visitation — all fully covered by insurance to eliminate financial barriers. It expands the organization’s continuum of care, connecting home health, palliative services, and inpatient hospice.
“Technology helps,” Ward said. “But we also have to listen to our teams and empower them to lead the future of care.”
Couris closed the discussion by connecting healthcare delivery to Tampa’s broader economic identity, pointing to the growing Tampa Medical and Research District, anchored by TGH and USF Health.
“Boston has Longwood. Houston has Texas Medical Center. Why not Tampa?” he said.
The district has already attracted firms like Medtronic and Aquafence, and TGH’s collaboration with Mass General Brigham signals ambitions beyond the state.
“It’s inclusive and collaborative,” Couris added. “This is about defining Tampa’s identity as a global healthcare hub.”
For more information, please visit:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
