Tampa General Hospital Reveals the "Muma Children's Hospital at TGH," Celebrating a Historic Charitable Contribution to Support Tampa General's Pediatric Health Services

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Dec 16, 2023, 07:41 ET

The New Name Reflects the Generosity of Pam and Les Muma and their Passion for Supporting Tampa General and the Broader Community.

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and the Tampa General Hospital Foundation announced today the children's hospital will be renamed "Muma Children's Hospital at TGH" in honor of the generosity of Pam and Les Muma.

Tampa General Hospital’s children’s hospital has been renamed to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH. (Left to right) Gordon Gillette, chair of the TGH Foundation Board of Trustees, Frann Leppla, senior vice president of development and chief philanthropy officer, Les Muma, Pam Muma, John Couris, president and CEO, Tampa General Hospital, Stacey Brandt, EVP and chief administrative officer, Tampa General Hospital and Melissa Golombek, vice president, Women’s & Children’s Services.

The Tampa Bay couple have been long-time supporters of the academic health system and passionate advocates for the children of the region. Last month, Pam and Les Muma made a transformational gift to Tampa General in support of the Children's Hospital. This marks the most significant contribution to TGH and the largest gift ever to any children's hospital in our region.

"There are no limits to the generosity of Pam and Les Muma. Their contribution to Tampa General in support of the Children's Hospital will have a meaningful and lasting impact across the state, most especially on the families and children of our community," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "This contribution reflects our efforts at Tampa General to transform our nation's health care landscape, increase access to world-class care across Florida and promote health and wellness in our communities. When we invest in the health and well-being of our children at an early age, we have the opportunity to establish a foundation for a long and healthy life, and by increasing access to exceptional care for the youngest patients who are battling the most complex illnesses, we can help save lives that have just begun."

The Muma Children's Hospital at TGH provides a comprehensive array of specialized children's services and high-quality medical care to children and their families. The hospital includes a Pediatric Trauma Center verified as Level I by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). From simple injuries to major trauma, and from basic illnesses to complex chronic conditions, the medical team at Muma Children's Hospital at TGH takes an integrated approach to addressing children's psychological, social and developmental needs in addition to medical treatment. Whether it is neonates or adolescents, the needs of the whole child are supported by a comprehensive team of professionals at Tampa General. Pediatric specialists and surgeons, pediatric-certified nurses, psychologists, certified child life specialists and pediatric therapists all work together to ensure children get the best care.

"We are excited to partner again with TGH and USF Health to continue their excellence in pediatric health care for the Tampa Bay area as they provide the best care for the sickest of babies and the children of this community," said Pam and Les Muma.

"The Mumas' significant investments in Tampa General are a testament to the strength of our organization and the commitment of our physicians and teams," said Drew Graham, chair of the board of directors at Tampa General Hospital. "They have seen first-hand just how meaningful Tampa General's world-class care is to the families and children of our region, and we are fortunate to have their support for our shared mission of reaching more families with greater access to academic-based health care."

Giving to TGH is not new for the Mumas. Les was a long-time member of the TGH Board of Directors, and he played a pivotal role in cementing and strengthening the partnership between TGH and USF Health. Pam is a past chair of the TGH Foundation board of trustees, and she is currently on the Elevating Excellence campaign committee, working tirelessly to advance and support the Foundation's efforts. TGH bears the Muma name throughout its locations and service lines to reflect the generous contributions from the family over the years, including the Muma Chair of Neonatology at USF Health, the Lisa Muma Weitz Cell Laboratory at USF Health and the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at TGH.

"Because of the generosity of our supporters, Tampa General has effectively become one of the nation's leading academic health systems," said Gordon Gillette, chair of the TGH Foundation Board of Trustees. "The most recent contribution from the Mumas will help us reach new heights for the benefit of our community, our state and beyond."

Pam and Les Muma are legendary philanthropists in Florida, having contributed to many causes throughout the region that are near and dear to their hearts. Both graduates of the University of South Florida, the Mumas have served their alma mater in leadership roles and generously donated to support education and athletics at USF.

"TGH would not be where it is today without the generosity and unwavering support of Pam and Les Muma," said Frann Leppla, senior vice president of development and chief philanthropy officer at the TGH Foundation. "Their selfless contributions have enabled us to invest in our hospital, adopt new technologies, meet the needs of our team members and deliver exceptional care to families across our state."

Tampa General and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine together form one of the nation's leading academic health systems. They combine clinical care, teaching and research to deliver the best possible outcomes, including cutting-edge technologies, resources and therapies, to the communities they serve.

Tampa General revealed the new branding of the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH during a holiday celebration for the Women's and Children's team.

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 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.