Tampa General Hospital and University of South Florida Expand Pipeline of Nurses in Florida with LINE Funding Awarded by the Florida Legislature

The Funding Will Support Student Success, Breaking Down Financial Barriers to Education, Licensing and Certifications

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital and University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing announced $1,000,000 in funding to expand opportunities for student nurses in Florida. $500,000 was awarded to USF through the Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) Fund. Additionally, Tampa General matched the state funds with an additional $500,000 invested in nursing education for students at the USF College of Nursing through a 2023 gift to the simulation center.

"We're on a mission to ensure every Floridian has access to world-class health care, but we cannot fulfill it without highly educated, trained and qualified nurses," said Tampa General president and CEO John Couris. "So, we're investing in USF Health to create more classrooms, laboratories and training facilities where nurses can gain the best education and participate in learning experiences to fulfill the growing demand in the Sunshine State. We're grateful to our state leaders for their investment in the LINE program. Together, we have doubled the investment in this region to expand Florida's nursing workforce and elevate the quality of care across our state."

The LINE Fund is a state grant available to Florida education institutions to expand nursing education opportunities. The grant can be used to support scholarships for students who meet residency requirements, recruit additional faculty, purchase equipment and support simulation centers to advance high-quality nursing education programs.

On October 30, the Florida Board of Governors voted to award $500,000 to USF College of Nursing.

"Our partnership with Tampa General Hospital through LINE funding represents a significant investment in the future of nursing, further enhancing our collaboration to address critical workforce needs and support the development of highly skilled, practice-ready nurses," said Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN, FSBM, senior associate vice president at USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. "We are deeply grateful for the Legislature's commitment to nursing education and advancing health care excellence for our community."

Support will be offered to students via various avenues, including scholarships to satisfy unmet financial needs, pay for application costs for early licensure and certifications, provide additional clinical opportunities, student success coaching and support for the world-class Simulation Center. The nursing simulation center will include the equipment needed to ensure students have access to tools like virtual reality, which will fall in line with the best practices expected from health care employers throughout the state.

"LINE funding not only supports existing students but also creates pathways for new students to enter the high-demand field of nursing," said Wendi Goodson-Celerin, executive vice president and chief nursing executive at Tampa General. "Financial concerns are a major barrier to entry for students across the nation. Florida's LINE funding takes a great weight off students' shoulders, inviting talented students to the field, allowing them to focus on their studies and train to become the best health care professionals they can be with access to the world-class tools available through our strategic partnership."

With the help of LINE funding, by 2028, the USF College of Nursing will graduate more than 450 undergraduate nurses and 260 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) each year. Through extensive partnerships with local and regional hospitals and health care systems, the college can provide clinical training experiences and confidently route new graduates to employment, fulfilling the critical need for nurses in Florida.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 Best Hospitals, with two medical specialties ranking among the top 20 in the nation and eight medical specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2024 America's Best Large Employers, the top 50 in Florida in the 2024 America's Best Employer's by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women, Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2022, provided a net community benefit of approximately $240.3 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes TGH North which is comprised of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

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 Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group. The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital