John Couris
President and CEO Tampa General Hospital
Stacey Brandt
Senior Vice President, Senior Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Tampa General Hospital
The team at Tampa General Hospital is trying to change the conversation around healthcare with one simple message.
“We’re in the health and wellness business, not just the sick business,” says CEO John Couris. “Our job is not just to take care of you when you’re sick or injured. Our job is to take care of you when you’re healthy through preventative care and education.”
Through the Life is Why campaign, Tampa General has worked with the American Heart Association since 2016 to educate the Tampa Bay community on the importance of heart and brain health. Senior Vice President Stacey Brandt says initiatives like this help the hospital — which is the county’s only certified comprehensive stroke center and has received the highest level of recognition for their execution of the AHA’s stroke guidelines — achieve their goal to heal, teach and innovate.
“We teach our community members how to stay heart healthy and brain healthy and active and how important that is,” she says. “If they do have an issue that comes up, we help them learn how to improve their lives afterward.”
“We try to become part of the fabric of the community to work from within to change how people live their lives,” Couris adds.
Brandt says their educational outreach extends to Tampa General’s own team members, who hospital leadership encourages to be models for the rest of the community by eating well and exercising.
“It’s important for TGH to lead by example and set that culture by practicing what we preach about living a heart-healthy lifestyle,” she says.
“We’ve had a long and deep commitment to the health and wellness of our team,” Couris adds. “You have to take care of the whole person, body, mind and soul, and that’s what we do.”
In the hospital, Couris says he sees the impact of the American Heart Association every day, from improved CPR training for the staff to guidance for patients dealing with cardiovascular issues — a sentiment Brandt echoes.
“Having them partner with the hospital and the community is a huge asset,” she says. “It’s difficult to navigate through the healthcare system if you don’t know what to do, and you’re scared, and you’re vulnerable. To have someone like the American Heart Association hold your hand through the process is a very valuable thing.”
Tampa General Hospital
1 Tampa General Circle Tampa, FL 33606
(813) 844-7000 | tgh.org
See how other local leaders are supporting the American Heart Association here.
