Tampa General Hospital continues to be the best hospital in the Tampa Bay area, as today’s release of the 2023-24 rankings by U.S. News & World Report show.

Today’s U.S. News announcement also recognized 11 Tampa General specialties for their strong national reputation and performance, including six in the nation’s top 50 and three in the top 20. Many of the 11 specialties are led or co-led by USF Health faculty physicians.

“Tampa General’s strong showing in this year’s rankings is a testament to the compassionate care and clinical expertise of our primary teaching partner,” said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“I’m so proud of our physicians and the leadership they have provided in propelling so many specialties to be among the best in the nation. These rankings translate into saving patients’ lives across Tampa Bay and beyond.”

Dr. Lockwood is also the executive vice president and chief academic officer of Tampa General Hospital.

The six specialties ranked among the top 50 in the nation are:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology – ranked #9 in the U.S. and #1 in Florida
• Gastroenterology and GI Surgery – ranked #19 in the U.S. and #1 in Florida
• Diabetes & Endocrinology – ranked #18 in the U.S. and #2 in Florida
• Ear, Nose & Throat – ranked #39 in the U.S. and #2 in Florida
• Orthopedics – ranked #30 in the U.S. and #2 in Florida
• Urology – ranked #49 in the U.S. and #2 in Florida

In addition, five more specialties were recognized as “high performing” and among the top 10% in the nation:

• Cancer
• Cardiology & Heart Surgery
• Geriatrics
• Neurology & Neurosurgery
• Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

Graduate programs at USF Health had promising gains in this year’s rankings from U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News), with some programs breaking into the top 50 of their rankings.

In the U.S. News 2024 Best Graduate Schools list released on April 25, USF Health’s physician assistant, nursing and public health programs ranked among the best in the country.

The rankings released April 25 did not include medical schools or law schools; those rankings were released by U.S. News May 11.

Among the notable advancements this year are the two graduate programs from the USF Health College of Nursing, each of which had major gains, and the Physician Assistant Program in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, which made the ranking list for the first time in its young history after receiving its inaugural full accreditation needed to qualify.

“Our nursing school is clearly garnering attention on the national stage as both its master’s and doctoral programs are making incredible gains in the rankings, and proving to be the best in Florida,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “And the first-time ranking for our physician assistant program marks a significant milestone. While this USF Health program is still young, its inaugural ranking is among the top third of PA programs across the country. We anticipate further rankings gains as our program continues to develop.”

According to U.S. News, its methodology uses data from expert opinions and statistical indicators when measuring a program’s ranking, examining qualities students and faculty bring to the educational experience and graduates’ achievements linked to their degrees, such as job placement and research impact.

The posted results for USF Health this year include:

• #46 in Medical Schools for Primary Care: The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine improved significantly for U.S. medical schools for primary care, going from #56 last year to #46 this year, and breaking into the top 50 for the first time.
• #50 in Medical Schools for Research: The Morsani College of Medicine continues to rank well among U.S. medical schools for research, ranking at #50 this year.
• #65 in Health Doctoral Programs – Physician Assistant: The Morsani College of Medicine’s Physician Assistant program ranked for the first time, ranked at #65 this year, placing it in the top third of the more than 200 PA programs in the rankings.
• #31 in Nursing for Master’s: The USF Health College of Nursing jumped 11 spots, going from #42 last year to #31 this year, making it the top-ranked public nursing master’s program in Florida.
• #33 in Nursing for DNP: The College of Nursing also continues to improve in its DNP program ranking and skyrocketed into the top 50 for doctoral programs in the country with its 34-spot jump from #67 last year to #33 this year, making it the top-ranked public or private DNP program in Florida.
• #22 in Public Health: The USF Health College of Public Health remains the top-ranked public health program in Florida, with its rank at #22 this year.

U.S. News does not provide new rankings for all graduate programs each year, so the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy maintains its rank of #68, and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences maintains its rank of #49.

More on rankings for other USF graduate programs…

This year’s USF Health Research Day set new records as more participants than ever filled the USF Tampa campus Marshall Student Center on March 3 to showcase the best of their scientific work.

The 33^rd USF Health Research Day included 457 research poster presentations by students, postdocs, residents, faculty, and staff across all health disciplines. Research Day is the largest research-oriented event of its kind at USF and remains the largest celebration of health sciences research collaboration across all four USF Health colleges (medicine, nursing, public health and pharmacy) as well as with colleagues in other USF colleges, including social work and engineering.

From left, Dr. Charles Lockwood, Dr. Kim Orth, Rhea Law, and Dr. Steve Liggett.

Research Day kicked off with the Annual Roy H. Behnke, MD, Distinguished Lectureship featuring speaker Kim Orth, PhD, professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Orth’s presentation was titled “Black Spot, Black Death, Black Pearl: Tales of Bacterial Effectors” – click here for more about Dr. Orth and her work.

Dr. Kim Orth.

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Tampa General Hospital, the primary teaching hospital for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, was the presenting sponsor for USF Health Research Day 2023.

Following Dr. Orth’s presentation was the judging of work. Judges reviewed the posters that lined the Marshall Center Ballroom, asking the students for more detail and clarifications about their research projects. Presentations ranged from pilot, preliminary, empirical and case studies to system reviews and reviews of literature or charts.

Following the 13^th Annual Joseph Krzanowski Invited Oral Presenters by select students representing medicine, nursing, public health, and pharmacy, Research Day culminated with an Awards Ceremony in the Oval Theatre announcing the winners in 29 competitive categories – including 18 monetary awards totaling $8,600.

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For the list of Research Day 2023 award winners, click here.

For the list of Research Day judges and sponsors, click here.

More photos

Photos by Freddie Coleman, video by Allison Long, USF Health Communications

Authors often compare publishing a book to birthing a baby – a metaphor that is even more apt when the book in question is THE medical textbook on high-risk pregnancy, delivery, and fetal health.

At 1,494 pages, the 9^th edition of Creasy & Resnick’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice weighs in at 9.79 pounds – a good two pounds heftier than the average newborn baby. Clad in a glossy purple cover, it is a book that demands attention on any shelf.

“I should have warned you guys to bring a wheelbarrow for your books,” joked Dr. Judette Louis, professor and chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and one of seven co-editors of the newest edition.

The department celebrated the publication of the new edition with a book-signing breakfast Wednesday for its trainees: 24 OB/GYN residents and four fellows in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM). Both Dr. Louis and Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and executive vice president of USF Health, were on hand to sign each copy. The publisher describes the book as “the definitive reference in the field for more than 35 years.”

“I am incredibly honored that Drs. Creasy and Resnik honored me as the new chief editor,” said Dr. Lockwood. He noted that the book would be 400 or so pages longer if it included all the references, which are only listed online.

“It’s definitely a great weight-bearing exercise,” joked Dr. Lockwood about the textbook’s heft.

Jokes aside, the residents said the book signing was a nice recognition that the physicians they are learning from are among the nation’s top experts.

“Knowing that we have some of the best mentors in the field as we go on to our careers – I think it’s inspiring,” said resident Dr. Rachelle Price, who will start her MFM fellowship next year.

“It’s amazing,” said Dr. Danielle Hardman. “I went to medical school here, so Dr. Lockwood’s been here during all my time here. It’s an honor” to have her textbook signed by him.

Resident Dr. Brittany Manobianco said one of her friends, who is going into MFM, was especially excited to get her copy.

“This is her Taylor Swift tour,” she proclaimed.

Perhaps fortunately, Ticketmaster did not work on the books – but the editors definitely did. Each editor was assigned a different section of the book, which includes chapters by a variety of authors who are experts on a variety of maternal and fetal high-risk conditions, such as premature labor and pregnancy-related hypertension. Editors conducted multiple levels of review and fact checks to ensure that each chapter reflects the latest science, evidence and best practices.

And then they proofed it all over again.

“I read every word in this book,” Dr. Lockwood said. “Every. Single. Word.”

Just how familiar is Dr. Lockwood with Creasy & Resnick?

Back when he was an MFM fellow himself, Dr. Lockwood studied the textbook’s first edition.

Photos by Allison Long, USF Health Communications.

Faculty and clinical staff from both USF Health and Tampa General Hospital learned the nuances and best practices of ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) at a special course held on the TGH campus last month.

The recent ECMO course provided the newest information associated with the life-saving procedure and was led by Kapil Patel, MD, associate professor and director of the USF Health Center for Advanced Lung Disease in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the TGH Lung Transplant Program, and M Raheel Qureshi, MD, assistant professor and associate medical director of the ECMO program in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and associate director of the Lung Transplant Program at Tampa General Hospital.

ECMO is used in critical care situations, when the heart and lungs need help as the patient heals. In ECMO, blood is pumped outside of the body to a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back to tissues in the body. Blood flows from the right side of the heart to the membrane oxygenator in the heart-lung machine, and then is rewarmed and sent back to the body.

This method allows the blood to “bypass” the heart and lungs, allowing these organs to rest and heal.

Many providers and hospitals around the world saw an uptick in patients needing ECMO as part of the COVID-19 care they received in intensive care units. Now, as COVID continues to subside, expanding training on ECMO better prepares health care teams and hospitals if another surge of COVID – or other related viruses – take hold.

Published studies show that hospitals and facilities with more ECMO experience have better outcomes. ECMO is complex in its execution, requiring trained staff and specialist equipment, making the USF Health/TGH training course a critical part of preparation for another COVID surge or pandemic.

Health care providers across the country learned very quickly during the pandemic that ECMO could save lives and it was used largely in patients with COVID-19 with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Published studies show importance of carefully selecting patients for a critical care treatment requiring intense staffing, specialized equipment and advanced expertise.

The USF Health/TGH training sessions mean that more providers are prepared to treat patients sooner with ECMO and improve outcomes.

Photos by Freddie Coleman and Ryan Rossy, USF Health Communications

USF Connect – Student Innovation Incubator Orientation.

Two students in the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy (TCOP) launched a company that may have the newest innovation in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, and their work opened the way for acceptance to USF Connect, the university’s premier technology and design incubator.  

TCOP pharmaceutical doctoral students Siegrid Pregartner and Laura Borgerding founded Janus AI (Artificial Intelligence), which designed a tool that aims to aid in the early detection of Alzheimer’s using AI technology.

The goal of their company is to give patients with Alzheimer’s disease the opportunity to take control of their lives and make the best healthcare decisions they can before the disease progresses too far.

“There are treatments coming out every single month for Alzheimer’s disease and the amount of money for research increases every single year but, we still do not have a way to know who does and who does not have the disease before symptom onset. Our tool will be able to diagnose patients for when more effective treatments come out to give people extra years to their lives when they are comfortable and in control,” said Pregartner.

USF Connect – The Business Incubator Program.

Recently, their health care startup company won first place and $15,000 at the Florida Blue Health Innovative Challenge, and has been accepted into USF Connects cohort.

“Winning the challenge will not only help us to develop our business but, also it made us realize that this could be a genuine business that could change lives,” Pregartner said.

Students who join a cohort through the USF Connect Incubator will be able to gain access to an abundance of resources such as business experts, legal, and investors. That will assist them in growing their business, concept, and product.

“USF Connect is going to help build a cohesive model and connect us with mentors that will help us with the implementation of our prototype and how to move forward as a business,” Borgerding said.

By utilizing their artificial intelligence tool, they could also contribute to further research and prove that certain drugs have a preventative effect on Alzheimer’s.

“Having the dean and our professors support us from the start at The USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy, has been more than them just doing their job… that is them caring about our future and I think that has been the most important factor in our success,” Borgerding said.

(Left to right): Siegrid Pregartner and Laura Borgerding

Story and photos by Ryan Rossy, USF Health Communications and Marketing 

USF Health doctors are among the best and listed as such in the Top Doctor® list by Castle Connolly.

The list, released earlier this year, includes over 400 local physicians among 55 medical specialties – 82 of them are with USF Health.

USF Health Neurologist Dr. Theresa Zesiewicz.

For more than 25 years, Castle Connolly has conducted the survey that provides the Top Doctors list.

The annual survey involves nominations from peer physicians, who are asked “Where would you go if you needed care?” The process is anonymous and confidential, and doctors cannot nominate themselves. The resulting list, based on merit and inclusion cannot be bought, provides a collection of trusted resources for quality health care.

On this year’s list, 82 physicians on the list are with USF Health. The following list is of USF Health faculty physicians currently practicing medicine within nearly three dozen clinical sites, specialty care centers and affiliated hospitals throughout the region.

Allergy & Immunulogy
Mark C Glaum, MD, PhD
Richard F Lockey, MD
Mandel R Sher, MD
Jolan E Walter, MD/PhD

Cardiac Electrophysiology
Bengt Herweg, MD

Child Neurology
Sagarika Nallu, MD

Colon & Rectal Surgery
Jorge E Marcet, MD
Jaime E Sanchez, MD

Dermatology
Basil S Cherpelis, MD
Nishit S Patel, MD

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Madeline Candelario-Cosme, MD
Yevgeniya Kushchayeva, MD

Family Medicine
Eric E Coris, MD
Eduardo C Gonzalez, MD
Kira K Zwygart, MD

Gasterenterology
Patrick G Brady, MD
John W Jacobs Jr, MD
Jay J Mamel, MD
Joel E Richter, MD
Pushpak Taunk, MD

Gynecology Oncology
Diana Peta-Gay English, MD
Thomas J Rutherford, MD, PhD

Infectious Disease
Sally Fathi Alrabaa, MD
Beata C Casanas, DO
Ambika Eranki, MD
Charurut Somboonwit, MD

Internal Medicine
Nathan A Brinn, MD
Denise K Edwards, MD
Lucy Guerra, MD
John D McCormick, MD
Hugo J Narvarte, MD
Kevin E O’Brien, MD

Interventional Cardiology
Fadi Matar, MD

Maternal & Fetal Medicine
Jan M Lanouette, MD
Charles J Lockwood, MD
Judette M Louis, MD
Stephanie Teresa Ros, MD

Neurological Surgery
Thomas B Freeman, MD
Donald A Smith, MD
Harry R Van Loveren, MD

Neurology
William Scott Burgin, MD
Rossitza I Chichkova, MD
Clifton Gooch, MD
Robert A Hauser, MD
Juan R Sanchez-Ramos, MD
Tuan H Vu, MD
Theresa A Zesiewicz, MD

Obstetrics & Gynecology
Shelly W Holmstrom, MD
Catherine M Lynch, MD
Dawn Palaszewski, MD
Odalis Sijin, MD

Ophthalmology
Ramesh S Ayyala, MD
Mitchell Drucker, MD
Lewis Groden, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery
Roy W Sanders, MD

Otolaryngology
Mark H Tabor, MD

Pediatric Endocrinology
Ellen Verena Jorgensen, MD
Henry Rodriguez, MD
Dorothy Shulman, MD

Pediatric Infectious Disease
Carina A Rodriguez, MD

Pediatric Nephrology
Valerie M Panzarino MD

Pediatrics
Sharon Dabrow, MD
Carol M Lilly, MD
Jennifer C Takagishi, MD

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Naomi A Abel, MD

Plastic Surgery
C. Wayne Cruse, MD
Michael Harrington, MD
Nicholas J Panetta, MD
David J Smith Jr, MD
Paul D Smith, MD

Psychiatry
Jean Fils, MD
Amanda G Smith, MD

Pulmonary Disease
Kapilkumar N Patel, MD
Ricardo Restrepo-Jaramillo, MD

Rheumatology
John D Carter, MD

Surgery
Michael H Albrink, MD
Christopher G DuCoin, MD
Paul C Kuo, MD

Urology
David J Hernandez, MD

Vascular Surgery
Murray L Shames, MD

Colon & Rectal Surgery
Robert D Bennett, MD

Urology
Kevin Heinsimer, MD

The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is the fastest-rising medical school in the country, climbing over the last decade from #80 to #46 in U.S. News & World Report rankings for medical schools for research.

Based on data from U.S. News & World Report Academic Insights, the Morsani College of Medicine has climbed 34 spots in rankings for 2014 to 2023. No other medical school in the data – public or private – has risen as far in rankings as fast as the Morsani College of Medicine.

In the last decade, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine has made great strides, pushing metrics upward in the college’s three mission areas — education, research and patient care – in an effort to place the college among the best medical schools in the country.

With improved metrics, the college’s placement in the national rankings soared from No. 80 in the 2014 U.S. News list to No. 46 in the recently published 2023 list – a seismic 34 spots.

No other medical school in the country has experienced that same improvement in rankings, making the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine the fastest-rising medical schools in the country.

“Our sustained rise in national rankings reflects the rapidly increasing strength of our educational, research and clinical missions at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. We are now competing with the nation’s most storied and respected programs,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “These outstanding metrics also position us to attract the highest caliber students and faculty, further advancing our program into the national spotlight for its outstanding education, exceptional research and world class clinical care.”

Tampa General Hospital is once again the #1 hospital in the Tampa Bay area and is now tied for third among Florida hospitals, as listed by U.S. News & World Report 2022-23 rankings released today.

In the listing, U.S. News recognized 12 USF Health and Tampa General specialties for their strong national reputation and performance, including seven in the top 50 – USF Health doctors lead or co-lead most of these top-ranked specialties.

The news shines a light on the many USF Health faculty who care for patients within these specialties, seeing patients at Tampa General and within USF Health clinical facilities, said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, senior vice president at USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“This national recognition is a wonderful achievement, built upon the dedication, compassion and commitment to world-class care that our physicians and providers deliver every day,” Dr. Lockwood said. “I would like to thank each of them, as well as all of our Tampa General caregivers and colleagues, for their continuing pursuit of excellence and belief in making life better for residents of Tampa Bay and beyond.”

The seven specialties ranked among the top 50 in the nation are:

• Diabetes & Endocrinology – #27
• Ear, Nose & Throat – #16
• Gastroenterology and GI Surgery – #34
• Obstetrics & Gynecology – #40
• Orthopedics – #33
• Pulmonology – #49
• Rehabilitation – #40

Five more specialties were recognized as “high performing,” and are among the top 10% in the nation:

• Cancer
• Cardiology & Heart Surgery
• Geriatrics
• Neurology & Neurosurgery
• Urology

Collaborative effort across Florida’s medical schools results in a statute expanding Medicaid coverage to include donor breastmilk

More Florida babies will have access to donor breastmilk with the recent passing of a bill in the Florida Legislature allowing Medicaid to help cover the cost. The bill, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month, will become law July 1, 2022, and will greatly expand access to donor breastmilk for babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the state. Hitherto, Florida Medicaid typically only covered infant formula for hospitalized babies who did not have access to their mothers’ milk.

The report that helped create the bill was provided by the Florida Medical Schools Quality Network (FMSQN), a cooperative of research, clinical, and educational experts from Florida’s medical schools that aims to improve quality of care in Florida’s Medicaid Program. FMSQN worked with USF Health College of Public Health alumnae Jan Gorrie, of Ballard Partners, to help navigate the bill through Florida Legislature’s bill processes. The FMSQN report was commissioned by the Agency for Health Care Administration.

“This collaboration among academic clinicians, State government policy makers, child advocates, government affairs professionals, and legislators converted data to action in supporting evidence-based access to donor breastmilk for Florida’s infants, and serves as an example of opportunities to improve health outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents in Medicaid programs.  We would like to thank Senator Lauren Book and Representative Fiona McFarland for sponsoring this legislation, and for Governor DeSantis’ timely approval during this time of a national critical formula shortage” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president of USF Health, dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and president of the FMSQN.

FMSQN member organizations include: Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine; Florida State University College of Medicine; Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine; Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine; Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine; University of Central Florida College of Medicine; University of Florida College of Medicine; University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine; and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

FMSQN was instrumental in conducting a survey of Florida’s NICUs current usage of donor human milk. The results and subsequent meetings with state legislators informed the crafting of Florida Senate Bill (SB) 1770 / House Bill (HB) 1577, which mandated Florida Medicaid coverage of pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) and derivatives by accredited donor human milk banks and regulatory agency approved private milk banks.

Data showed that, if these NICUs did not provide PDHM, there would be an estimated increase of 138 more infants per year developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potential fatal, severe gastrointestinal disease frequently requiring surgery and long-term nutritional support at an annualized cost of $5,175,000. Thus, PDHM use in Florida would avoid an estimated $4 million in health care expenditures annually, and may save more when the hospital readmissions, home health care visits, and emergency department visits are considered that were not factored into the calculations.

“The initiative was a success because of a team effort with academic health centers, State leaders, child and mother advocates, and community stakeholders,” Dr. Lockwood said. “And it’s these fragile babies in our hospitals who will benefit the most from this successful piece of legislation.”