Tampa General, USF Announce People Development Institute

TAMPA, FL — Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida Muma College of Business announced a partnership to enhance career development and foster continuous growth for health care professionals.

The People Development Institute will offer a broad range of non-clinical courses to all team members at Tampa General Hospital, from security officers to surgeons. To offer a world-class learning experience, Tampa General is leveraging the expertise of the USF Muma College of Business and many courses will be led by facilitators from USF.

“Tampa General Hospital’s vision is to be the safest, most innovative academic health system in America and that demands the best training and development for our health care professionals,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “This unique collaboration between TGH and the USF Muma College of Business will meet those needs and directly impact the professional growth of every one of our team members.”

In addition to clinical expertise, successful health care professionals require further skills for continued professional development and job satisfaction. The People Development Institute offers diverse course selections that support TGH team members regardless of their job title or career trajectory at no cost to participants. Course goals include:

• Advancing safety
• Patient outcomes
• Quality
• Engagement
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Personal and team development

“It is often said you are judged by the company you keep,” said Moez Limayem, the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the USF Muma College of Business, “and we could not have picked a better partner with whom to collaborate on this project than Tampa General Hospital, a top-rated health care provider in the nation. The level of commitment both TGH and the USF Muma College of Business have devoted to this endeavor will only up the level of service for both our organizations,” Limayem added.

“USF continues to prove time and time again that it is a valuable resource for our outside partners and that mutual engagement benefits everyone in this community. We plan to maintain and strengthen this partnership for years to come," Limayem said.

The PDI will initially offer curriculum through TGH and USF with the goal of expanding across Florida and then nationally. As PDI participants complete their courses, they will earn badges recognizing their expertise in each competency.

Courses will be selected and prioritized by a Curriculum Advisory Committee (CAC) led by the PDI’s Academic Director, Joann Farrell Quinn, Ph.D., MBA, and associate professor at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Quinn will work with CAC members from various divisions and departments at TGH to craft curriculum that will attract world-class faculty to deliver the best subject matter in its class. Courses will include but not be limited to:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Analytics
• Financial Management
• Networking
• Emotional Intelligence
• Conflict Management

“The Institute is an investment in our most important asset – our team members,” said Rico Ruiz, director of Organizational Development and co-director of the People Development Institute.

“If we are going to ask our team members to behave and act differently, then we must teach them how to behave and act differently," Ruiz said. "This unique, comprehensive People Development Institute will allow us to leverage the expertise of our partners in the USF Muma College of Business to set the industry standard for how we develop all team members’ skill sets. The Institute will support their career aspirations and equip them with the behaviors, knowledge and skills to drive their holistic development so as an organization we can achieve TGH’s vision to be the safest, most innovative academic health system in America.”

By leveraging the expertise of the USF Muma College of Business, the PDI will offer a world-class learning experience like no other. “Every aspect of the People Development Institute has been co-designed and co-created by the TGH and USF teams to serve the needs of every health care professional, from a valet to a vascular surgeon,” said Matthew Mullarkey, Ph.D., director of the Doctor of Business Administration program for the USF Muma College of Business and executive sponsor of the People Development Institute.

“Our investment in people is the only way to sustain world-class levels of patient care. Our partnership with TGH is the best way for USF to develop the training and programs that meet those needs for the health care professional of today and tomorrow," Mullarkey said.

People Development Institute courses will be offered virtually with plans to expand in a variety of formats, including hybrid and face-to-face instruction. Classes are free to all TGH team members. Tampa General will cover the cost of all training materials required for courses and the TGH Foundation has committed to fully funding the PDI for its first five years.

“The Tampa General Hospital Foundation is proud to support a program that establishes a standard for professional development across the health care industry. Previously, the Foundation has focused on providing funding for equipment, materials and programs required by TGH. Now, we are able to provide support for the most important component of Tampa General – our health care professionals,” said Greg Celestan, past chairman of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation.

Registered nurse and clinician Andrea “Cookie” Robinson is taking courses and already seeing the benefits. “I get actionable information from the courses offered through the PDI,” she said. “I’m new to leadership and managing people who are older or have more experience than I do. I am learning to approach each interaction with intent and how to work with my team members on process improvements. If I want my unit to be great, I need to lead the way and these courses are helping me do that.”