Tampa General Hospital Remains Safe and Open Through Hurricane Idalia

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Aug 30, 2023, 20:03 ET

As the Region's Only Level I Trauma Center, the Academic Health System Stands Ready to Treat and Support Patients in the Communities Hardest Hit by Hurricane Idalia

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane Idalia brought heavy rains, strong winds and storm surge to the Tampa Bay region, resulting in flooding in low lying areas. However, the patients, physicians and team members at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) remain safe, with power on, ongoing patient care and plenty of supplies to support continued operations.

Hurricane Idalia brought heavy rains, strong winds and storm surge to the Tampa Bay region, resulting in flooding in low lying areas. However, the patients, physicians and team members at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) remain safe, with power on, ongoing patient care and plenty of supplies. Shown here, the AquaFence, a water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level, prevented the storm surge from flooding the TGH main campus.

"The state depends on Tampa General to deliver world-class care, and we are committed to deliver on that expectation while keeping our patients, physicians and team members safe from harm," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "That's why we have strengthened our infrastructure to withstand severe weather, prepared and practiced emergency management, and brought in additional supplies to support our teams and patients through severe weather conditions. I am grateful to all the physicians and team members who remained on site through the hurricane, and for the exceptional care they continued to provide here while their families sheltered safely at home or away. Because of these efforts, patients at Tampa General are safe, and we are preparing to care for Floridians in the hardest hit communities."

At this time, current conditions at Tampa General are:

The AquaFence worked effectively to prevent the storm surge from flooding the TGH main campus on Davis Island. The AquaFence is a water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level.
TGH's power remained on throughout the storm. In the event the power to TGH's main campus goes out, Tampa General will rely on power from the Central Energy Plant. Located 33 feet above sea level, this 16,000 square foot energy plant provides a reliable, protected power supply in the event of power disruption. The energy plant is built to withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane. It houses generators as well as boilers that have the ability to create steam and hot water.
Care for patients continues. Tampa General health care providers and staff who are trained in emergency management remained on site through the hurricane to care for patients.
Tampa General is accepting new patients. Anyone in need of care who can safely travel to Tampa General Hospital will be treated. For emergencies, call 9-1-1. Ambulances and Aeromed helicopters are operating.
Tampa General Freestanding Emergency Centers open at 7:00 p.m. today. The TGH Brandon Emergency Center at 10740 Palm River Road and the TGH Kennedy Emergency Center at 1301 West Kennedy Boulevard will be available to treat patients.
Tampa General resumes normal operations Thursday. It will be business as usual at Tampa General on Thursday, with plans to resume business, patient appointments, procedures and elective surgeries.

As the region's only Level I Trauma Center, the academic health system stands ready to treat and support patients in the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Idalia.

The clinical and non-clinical teams at Tampa General engage in emergency management training with partners in government and across the community several times throughout the year to plan for and practice response to severe weather events. On Monday, TGH opened its incident command center and activated the emergency response plan to enable and support continued operations, while keeping patients, physicians and team members safe. At this time, the incident command is closed, and TGH has resumed normal operations.

For the latest information on policies, facilities and updates from Hurricane Idalia visit: https://www.tgh.org/emergency-preparedness.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-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 and World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six 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 two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 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 six 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 Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 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.