Tampa General Hospital‘s (TGH) was recognized this week as one of nation’s top employers in Florida.

In the 2021 America’s Best Employers by State list announced Aug. 24 by Forbes magazine, the academic medical center ranked third out of 100 Florida companies and first in the state in healthcare and social organizations. TGH was also rose to 13th nationally in America’s Best Employers for Women ranking. In 2020, Tampa General was 14th out of 100 top employers in Florida and third in the health care and social industry category. For the Best Employers for Women designation, released July 27, Tampa General moved from 24th in 2020 to 13th in 2021 out of 300 employers nationally.

“In the past 17 months of the pandemic, our team members proved that they are warriors and heroes. They have been dedicated, flexible and compassionate and they truly deserve these honors,” said John Couris, CEO and president of TGH. “Our vision is to be the safest and most innovative academic health system in America and our team is the driving force.”

TGH, one of the largest hospitals in America, employs nearly 8,500 team members at more than 80 owned or affiliated locations in the Tampa Bay region. In a press release, TGH noted that a core part of the hospital’s approach to building its culture is encouraging team members to be authentic and transparent. TGH also encouraged team members to give ideas, saying they provide the hospital with multiple channels for employees to offer feedback, ask questions, give ideas and challenge the status quo. These include a team member engagement survey, an idea submittal program that links directly to hospital administration via the team member portal, team member rounding where questions are welcomed, and town halls.

The hospital also maintained a strong voice during the pandemic.

While businesses across the state were forced to layoff workers during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, TGH took a different approach to minimize the impact on its team. The hospital made significant investments in several areas, including increasing benefits, providing generous accumulated time off, offering flexible work schedules, and providing a robust training and career development program for advancement.

As of May 31, Tampa General invested $13.5 million in team member pandemic response initiatives, which included:

• Supplemental Work: A supplemental staffing pool to help team members continue earning if their regularly scheduled shifts were affected by cancellations of elective surgeries.
• Premium Contributions Suspended: The hospital covered the team member portion of the medical plan premium and short-term disability premium for all hourly team members during the period elective surgeries were paused. Team members were not required to repay these premiums.
• Pandemic Pay: Tampa General created a 20 percent pay differential for all team members providing direct care to COVID patients for the entirety of their shifts.
• Team Member Emergency Fund: Tampa General’s Team Member Emergency Fund was enhanced to help team members suffering financial hardships during this time. A special grant program provided up to $600 for eligible team members to purchase back-to-school supplies, including laptops for their children. This initiative stemmed from a team member idea.
• Team Member Wellness Support: In addition to our on-site wellness program, and generous benefits, numerous virtual resilience and emotional support group programs have been developed and implemented to support team members during this time.

“When I joined Tampa General in April 2021, what immediately stood out is that the hospital puts people first and works every day to foster a people-oriented culture,” said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer, TGH. “Despite the challenges of COVID, we continue to look for ways to support our team.”

The hospital also gave Floridians a peak of what it’s like for healthcare workers on the frontline when it released COVID Chronicles 2.0 video diary earlier this month. The raw, unfiltered footage chronicles the sacrifice of workers at the hospital, and showcases the reality of what’s currently happening behind closed doors at Tampa General.

TGH first produced a series of these video diaries last year during the height of the pandemic. The hospital stated that more editions of the COVID Chronicles will be forthcoming.

To view the first volume of the series, click here.