With virtual and augmented reality becoming more prominent, the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) is expanding its research efforts to explore the use of virtual and augmented reality in medical simulation training. 

“Traditionally, health care simulation has been actors, task-trainers, and mannequins. Virtual reality allows us to be fully immersed in an alternate world and that world can be an operating room, an outpatient clinic, or an ambulance, and be changed quickly. You will really feel like you’re there, which is challenging to do in a simulation center.” said Yasuharu “Haru” Okuda, MD, FACEP, FSSH, executive director for USF Health CAMLS and associate vice president for USF Health Interprofessional Education and Practice.

As the research mission at CAMLS develops, the goal is to easily export its virtual medical simulation trainings to different parts of the world so other medical professionals can take advantage of the research expertise there.

“You can connect to VR training scenarios from anywhere. You will be able to bring it to your home, bring it to your classroom, and conduct a training within only a headset that is just as powerful as anything in person,” Dr. Okuda said.

Shannon Bailey, PhD, Sr. Human Factors Scientist for USF Health CAMLS and assistant professor for the Department of Medical Education at the Morsani College of Medicine.

To help expand its research efforts, CAMLS hired a PhD, tenure-track researcher, Shannon Bailey. She has over 10 years of experience designing and testing extended reality (XR) training simulations and educational games. In her research, she explores how augmented, virtual, and extended reality technology can be used to inspire effective student learning through adaptive training and natural user interfaces.

Before coming to CAMLS, Dr. Bailey worked for the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD). After gaining extensive experience in military simulation training, she transitioned to the field of medical simulation training as a researcher director for a technology company called Immertec, which develops medical simulation training to impact how medical professionals learn.

“This research is important because it is moving the field forward by systematically testing different ways to approach simulation training and finding ways to optimize the training for both the learner and the medical professionals, which could lead to better outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Shannon Bailey, assistant professor for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“VR at CAMLS will not replace real-world mannequin-based training,” Dr. Okuda said, but offering a resource to those who lack access to high-fidelity simulation centers allows them to experience the same level of training and experience in a virtual environment. 

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Shannon Bailey as our first PhD tenure-track researcher at CAMLS. What she brings to CAMLS is the ability for us to really lean into this area of extended reality and then apply it into a health care academic setting,” said Dr. Okuda. 

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

Scientific research is often a low-key exercise, with fastidious people peering into microscopes and working under the radar. Seldom are they described as rising stars, but Jiajia Yang may have broken the mold.

This month, Dr. Yang became the first person to earn a PhD from USF through a new degree program within the newly opened USF Health Heart Institute.

The 30-year-old earned her degree in medical sciences from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, with a focus on heart disease, specifically genetic arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy gene mutations within a family.

The Heart Institute is housed within the new Morsani College of Medicine + Heart Institute building in the Water Street Tampa district of downtown Tampa. The facility, which also includes the MD degree program, opened in January 2020.

“You can’t imagine how excited I am,’’ Dr. Yang said of her degree and new career. “The most exciting part for me is that our research is really translational for patients. This isn’t just bedside to bench, but bench to bedside.’’

Originally from a small village in rural China, Dr. Yang attended medical school in Shanghai, then won a scholarship in 2015 at Descartes University in Paris. While there, she earned her Masters and learned to speak French ─ adding to her verbal portfolio of Chinese and English.

Dr. Thomas McDonald with Dr. Jiajia Yang.

After a year, she accepted a position as a research assistant at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and quickly showed promise as a fast and inquisitive learner, said Thomas McDonald, MD, professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology. He would later work with Dr. Yang on a variety of heart-related research projects, including the role of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells.

“This is all technically difficult and she overcame so many obstacles,’’ Dr. McDonald said. “She really laid the ground work to help this take off.’’

During her time at USF, Dr. Yang published five research papers in peer-reviewed journals, including new findings on using patient-specific stem cells to study disease in human tissue.

“That had not been on the map at USF until now,’’ Dr. McDonald said. “Jiajia’s papers were the first.’’

Dr. Yang wasn’t shy about sharing her love for discovery.

“I don’t think I’ve ever run across anyone as enthusiastic about her work,’’ Dr. McDonald added. “She was literally jumping up and down in the hallways screaming (about the stem cells) ‘They’re beating! They’re beating!’ Her enthusiasm was contagious.’’

Armed with her degree, Dr. Yang accepted a job as resident physician in internal medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. She expects to be there at least three years, but could stay longer if needed: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New Mexico, according to the state’s Department of Health. When not working, Dr. Yang will devote time to her other passions: cooking, hiking and biking, tennis, and working out at the gym.

Dr. McDonald expects big things from his former colleague, and has no reservations about asking her to return to Tampa: “I’d like to see her career blossom and recruit her to come back to USF.’’

For more on the USF Heart Institute, visit: https://health.usf.edu/medicine/heart-institute

Written by Kurt Loft

The USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) first opened 10 years ago in March 2012, where leaders from the community, education, industry, and simulation partners from around the world met for the grand opening in downtown Tampa.

Under one roof, the 90,000 square-foot, three-story facility houses the latest simulation technology and experiences to train the full spectrum of health care professionals as one of the nation’s top medical simulation facilities.

Part of the mosaic of USF Health’s expanded presence in downtown Tampa, CAMLS, is within walking distance of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in the Water Street Tampa urban development district.

CAMLS Grand Opening

“The goal was to build almost a Disney World for clinical providers who could travel from around the world to CAMLS to train with the best technology using simulation, incredible bio skills, fully realistic labs so that they can improve their procedural and clinical skills and then go back to their work and give the best practices both from USF Health experts but also utilizing the latest and greatest technology,” said Dr. Yasuharu “Haru” Okuda, MD, FACEP, FSSH, executive director for USF Health CAMLS and associate vice president for USF Health Interprofessional Education and Practice.

Until recently, CAMLS focused solely on training biomedical businesses and health care professionals. However, that initiative has expanded over the years to offer hands-on simulation training to USF Health students and faculty dedicated to advancing their clinical skills and improving patient safety and quality of care in Tampa Bay, Florida, the U.S., and the world.

“In the beginning, this advanced medical learning simulation was really focused around businesses and training and teaching health care professionals. But over the years, we’ve really evolved into a place where we conduct research in even more advanced training and education, like in virtual reality and augmented reality. We also now impact our future health care professionals by training students from our College of Medicine and College of Nursing both separately and as part of interprofessional teams,” Dr. Okuda said.

Dr. Charles Lockwood and USF President Rhea Law.

USF President Rhea H. Law and Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM), have been active participants and contributed greatly to the success of CAMLS. President Law has been on the board of directors over the years and has continued to support the organization. Meanwhile, Dr. Lockwood has helped support the efforts of CAMLS around education, research, and innovation.

EMS instructors participated in a training class hosted by the USF Health CAMLS at the Pinellas County EMS Training Center.

Recently, CAMLS has been working on a new community outreach program called “CAMLS Without Walls.” The program was developed so the facility could go out into the community and deliver training through simulation-based education.

“The future of CAMLS is really bright,” Dr. Okuda said. “We have some incredible partnerships with startup companies in Tampa, where we’re building on our business relationships to innovate in areas such as virtual reality and augmented reality. We are also building our research teams to identify new technologies for training and education, and we’re publishing articles on that research. Now we are building a mobile training program called “CAMLS Without Walls,” so we are not bound by training only within CAMLS but can now go out into our community and deliver the training in hospitals in our rural environments and bring USF Health Expertise to places that need it the most.”

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

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2017) — The University of South Florida today unveiled preliminary renderings of the future home of its USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in downtown Tampa.

The renderings offer an early look at USF’s newest state-of-the-art facility, which will combine under one roof a medical school to teach the next generation of physicians and a cardiovascular research institute to pioneer new discoveries for heart health. The $152.6-million building features angles and facets offering unique viewpoints from within and ample windows to allow reflective light into work and learning spaces.  Skanska/HOK is the design/build team constructing the new USF facility.  

“These early renderings are another powerful sign of how significant the University of South Florida’s growing presence in downtown Tampa is today,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft. “Co-locating our medical school and heart institute in the vibrant urban area of Tampa will attract more top-tier students and cardiovascular researchers, and energize our intent to bring more biotechnology, biomedical and pharmaceutical firms to this region. We are excited about seeing the construction of this fantastic facility over the next two years, as well as its lasting impact on the Tampa Bay economy.”

The USF Health building will be a key anchor in a $3-billion real estate development by Strategic Property Partners, the joint venture between Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment, LLC. The group is developing 53 acres in downtown Tampa into a multi-use, urban waterfront district that will promote a walkable, sustainable, healthy environment for downtown Tampa residents, workers, students and visitors.

“The University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute will be an anchor for SPP’s project and for the larger downtown community. The school’s impact will extend beyond its physical presence and be felt throughout the urban core, bringing energy to the area with its students, researchers, and professors,” said Vinik.  “I am delighted that USF is one step closer to seeing this project come to fruition.”

Located at the corner of South Meridian Avenue and Channelside Drive, the new USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and the USF Health Heart Institute is expected to open in late 2019. The building will include learning and conference spaces, an auditorium, laboratories, faculty offices and a clinical research and care unit.

Among its many advantages, the new location puts the medical school closer to its primary teaching hospital Tampa General and the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, a competitive advantage for teaching tomorrow’s physicians, said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

“News of the move to downtown is already having an impact on student and faculty recruitment,” Dr. Lockwood said. “In fact, since the announcement of our move, the number of applications to our medical school has increased 170 percent, or by nearly 2,500 students per year, the caliber of students applying is increasing as well, and we’ve recruited 12 of the 31 NIH-funded cardiovascular scientists who will conduct leading interdisciplinary biomedical research at the Heart Institute.”

Construction of the USF downtown facility is expected to begin August 2017, with building completion expected by late 2019.  The medical school and heart institute will be built with a combination of state and private funding.

-USF-

The University of South Florida System is a high-impact, global research system dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three institutions: USF; USF St. Petersburg; and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions are separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missions and their own detailed strategic plans. Serving over 48,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.6 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.

Media contact:
Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
abaier@health.usf.edu, or (813) 974-3303

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfpENmTzRPw

The group visits the homeless where they live – on the streets.  They go without white coats, carrying backpacks stocked with over-the-counter medications, first aid supplies, hygiene products and socks.  They sit next to their patients on a sidewalk or curb and make eye contact.  “How are you? Anything we can do to help you tonight?” the medical students ask.

The Tampa Bay Street Medicine Project (TBSM) was founded more than two years ago by five University of South Florida medical students with the support of a grant from Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society.  The core group shared a common passion: providing much needed health care and advocacy for a homeless population often neglected.  Since July 2015, the project’s student volunteers have logged nearly 1,600 interactions with homeless individuals during their street runs on the outskirts of downtown Tampa and at clinics conducted at The Well drop-in center and First Presbyterian Church of Tampa.

They are supervised by volunteer faculty physicians and other health professionals, who step in when more severe problems arise.  But the dozen or so students – who gather in a vacant parking lot adjacent to a graffiti-covered wall every other Friday evening and disperse in small groups to offer care to the homeless – do much themselves. They take medical histories, do physical check-ups and hygiene education and address many common medical complaints, including musculoskeletal pain (common among those sitting and sleeping on sidewalks), headaches, coughs and congestion, itchy skin, wounds, and a lot of foot problems.

The USF project was modeled after the tenets set forth by the International Street Medicine Institute, which leads a global network of more than 80 groups practicing street medicine.

“Their motto is we go to the people,” said Eric Monaco, one of the founding members of Tampa Bay Street Medicine who last year served as a co-president for the student-run organization. “It levels the playing field and helps build trust when you meet with people where they are — whether that’s under the bridge at I-275 or at a bus station near the Salvation Army.”

Breaking down barriers

Monaco graduated in April 2016 from the Morsani College of Medicine and plans to continue street medicine in some capacity following completion of his family medicine residency at Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura, CA.  On street runs earlier this year, Monaco did not hesitate to approach a woman lying on the sidewalk to check on her or gently lean in to touch the shoulder of a man sitting beneath a street lamp with his head buried in his knees.  He often stopped to chat with those he cared for and knows by name; and, in turn, they often greeted him with a smile and occasional handshake.

The stereotypes of homelessness break down once you begin listening without judgment to stories about how people end up on the street, the students say.

Many struggle with mental illness and addiction, without family support or other safety nets to catch them when they fall, said Shawna Foley, a fourth-year medical student and president of Tampa Bay Street Medicine.

“I think there’s often an assumption that the homeless are lazy or don’t want to work, but that’s not the case for many of the people I’ve met out here,” Foley said.  “We’ve provided care to a professor and other people who were in high-powered jobs and made good money.  Something just happens — a death in the family, an illness, an injury from a car accident — which leads to a chain of events that brings them here.”

Perhaps even more valuable than the basic medical and preventive care provided, the students say, is their willingness to listen to those they meet.  To begin to see the individuals, rather than nameless and faceless people on the streets.

“I really don’t believe people choose to live on the street, but I think many choose to make the best of it,” Monaco said.  “They have really valuable perspectives, and I’ve learned a lot from the conversations we’ve shared about their experiences.”

Dr. Waldo Guerrero, an assistant professor of neurology and a street medicine faculty advisor, says every time he accompanies students on a street run it reinforces his passion for helping those who are underserved, often with the least access to care.

“I definitely think this project breaks down barriers,” Dr. Guerrero said. “I’d love more faculty to come out and be part of it. Every time I do it reminds me of why I went into medicine and just how fortunate we are, in general, as physicians.”

“We’re limited in the extent of care we can provide with the resources we have,” he added.  “But just being able to take time to have a conversation with someone, to hear them out, is something we don’t necessarily do on a daily basis when we’re seeing multiple patients in a hospital or clinic.”

First Backpack, First Encounter

The contents of the backpacks carried have evolved since the first five students embarked on their initial street run with one borrowed backpack.

“The first time… we just threw together a bag with stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and some basic meds,” Monaco said.  “We were in a completely different environment than the hospital and clinics and so maybe that backpack was a little symbol of safety to us.”

As they returned with more and bigger backpacks, the students began asking people they saw regularly what they needed.  They sought donated items and stocked the packs with toenail clippers, feminine hygiene products, blanket and beanies, and more socks, which seemed to always run in short supply.

Foley recalls feeling a little anxious and awkward the first time she went out on a street run. She was unsure how to introduce herself or ease into the community of homeless.  But, she says, the encounters got easier the more times she went out.

“You just have to sit down in the dirt and have real conversations with people,” Foley said. “I emphasize that with a lot of the first-and second year-students who come out on the street for the first time.  Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty; you’re not wearing white coats.”

The street medicine project became her favorite part of medical school the first year, Foley added.  “I always left the street runs feeling so good about everything we were doing and so much gratitude for everything I had. And that really helped, because it was hard my first semester in medical school.” 

Expanding the Reach

In 2014, TBSM partnered with The Well, a community drop-in center on Florida Avenue offering a variety of services for the homeless, so that students could provide follow-up care for their patients from the streets in a sheltered location.

Tom Logan was among the homeless patients helped by USF medical students at The Well.  Before he ended up on the streets in downtown Tampa, Logan said he lived with his family in a two-story home he owned and was making $50,000 to $60,000 a year as a courier and a building inspector in St. Louis, Mo.  Now he falls asleep to the “sound of sirens.”

“It’s not a joke when people say you’re one paycheck away from being homeless,” Logan said. “What the students are doing is very important. They’ve helped me watch my diet, watch my weight and kept a check on my blood pressure – things I wouldn’t be able to do on my own.”

Although The Well’s daytime drop-in center on Florida Avenue closed its doors in November (the organization is transitioning to a mobile model of outreach to the homeless), TBSM continues to operate a free indoor health clinic the third Saturday of each month at First Presbyterian Church of Tampa on Zack Street.  A second monthly clinic will be added at the church beginning in February 2017.

The arrangement allows medical students supervised by licensed health care practitioners to offer more in-depth, personalized care than possible on street runs.  For instance, they can provide more extensive wound care, prescribe some basic medications and monitor those with high blood pressure and chronic conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis and heart disease to help keep them out of the emergency room.

The students are also exploring the possibility of working with residents and faculty from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences to provide some mental health services.

And, this November, Skye Schmelzer donated to TBSM $25,000 of a $50,000 Lightning Foundation grant she received when she was honored as a Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero of Tomorrow.  Schmeltzer, who endured many nights of uncertainty as a homeless teenager in high school and is taking classes at USF to help her apply to medical school, intends for the funds be used to help USF’s TBSM establish a mobile outreach clinic to serve the homeless in the Tampa Bay area.

“I think it’s a huge advantage for these medical students, many of whom come from the suburbs, to be connected with people who live in a different world,” said Jon Dengler, executive director of The Well.  “My hope is that they remember the relationships they’ve made with our guests from the streets, so once they are practicing doctors they not only remember the poor financially but also are better equipped to treat patients from all walks of life without prejudice.”

Meanwhile the TBSM continues to seek more student and faculty volunteers.  The goal of serving more homeless, however, may require additional resources from the university or community, especially as grant funding runs out, Foley said.

For more information on the Tampa Bay Street Medicine Project, visit http://tbstreetmed.wix.com/tbsm.

Video and photos by Sandra C. Roa, USF Health Communications 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9egMmvVnUh4

Under a clear blue Florida sky, with the sunlit Tampa skyline behind them, friends and supporters gathered in downtown Tampa the morning of Dec. 8 to celebrate a key milestone for the University of South Florida – the site dedication for the future home of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and its Heart Institute.

University and community leaders gathered for the new Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute site dedication in downtown Tampa.

With their shovels full of white sand that surrounded a sand-sculptured USF Health logo, community leaders, legislators, USF leaders and USF Health medical students made the symbolic turn of earth. It marked the first official celebration for building the new academic facility that will propel medical education and heart research.

Setting a tone of celebration, USF System President Judy Genshaft called the event the first of many that will create a vibrant center of learning and research to transform the Tampa Bay region.

USF System President Judy Genshaft

“Today, we come together with a new chapter for downtown Tampa and the incredible partnerships that are helping this city and community reach its fullest potential,” President Genshaft said. “Our destiny is to be a city like no other – to put our heads and hearts together to create a happier and vibrant future for all of the Tampa Bay area. We are so appreciative to all who have played important roles and we look forward to taking the next steps together to make something quite amazing.”

Amid a standing ovation, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik stood at the podium. Following a light quip that the standing ovation was because “we’ve built a tent” on the site, he turned his heartfelt thanks to the group in front of him.

Jeff Vinik, Tampa Bay Lightning owner and principal of Strategic Property Partners

“Because of Judy Genshaft, our Mayor and all the legislators in this area, that standing ovation is for every person I’m looking at right now,” Vinik said. “To get the USF medical school and heart institute where we are standing, it takes everybody under this tent and in this community. We’re all in this together. I couldn’t be more proud to have USF as the first anchor of this (development) district.”

The transformative initiative for USF will be a key anchor in a thriving downtown redevelopment project and will strengthen the university’s presence in downtown’s business district, as well as allow USF Health to expand essential educational and research programs at its main campus location.

The downtown site will position the medical school in close proximity to USF Health’s primary teaching and clinical affiliate, Tampa General Hospital, as well as its world-class simulation center, the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) and other surrounding facilities.

And locating the Morsani College of Medicine in this downtown district will have a positive impact on recruiting top-tier students, Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, pointed out.  At the dedication he reported that the College had already received more than 6,100 applications for the 2015-16 admissions cycle, all vying for 170 available positions.

Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president of USF Health and dean, Morsani College of Medicine

“We are one of the most competitive medical schools in the country,” Dr. Lockwood told the guests, who followed with cheers and applause. “This downtown location is precisely where millennial medical students and young faculty want to be.”

Co-locating the USF Health Heart Institute with the new MCOM building downtown will also enhance recruitment of top cardiovascular researchers, support clinical and translational research opportunities to advance public health, increase MCOM’s National Institutes of Health funding levels and improve the rankings of MCOM and our partner, TGH.

In June, the Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott supported plans for the new co-located facility by including $17 million in the annual state budget.  The new MCOM and Heart Institute, which will be built with a combination of state and private dollars, have received a total of about $57 million in state funding and $18 million in private donations to this point. The total cost of the project is $153 million.

Located at the corner of South Meridian Avenue and Channelside Drive, the new facility is part of a $2 billion real estate development led by Jeff Vinik. The group is developing 40 acres in downtown Tampa into a multi-use, urban waterfront district that will promote a walkable, sustainable, healthy environment for downtown Tampa residents, workers, students and visitors.

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With a 360-degree view of the hustle and bustle of downtown Tampa, speakers at the dedication captured the enthusiasm echoed across the region for this move downtown for the Morsani College of Medicine and the USF Health Heart Institute.

Site Dedication Speakers:  More of what they said

“The USF Morsani College of Medicine and the USF Health Heart Institute will rise here as one of the anchors of the development being planned by Strategic Property Partners, the joint venture between Mr. Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investments. By working together on every level of state and local government, and across both public and private sectors, we are creating a vibrant center of learning and research that will eventually touch the lives of everyone in the Tampa Bay region.”
USF System President Judy Genshaft

“Please allow me to… peer ahead to the year 2020. We would be standing on the first floor of the brand new medical school for USF and heart health institute, there would be a companion office building, and also one and two 600,000-square-foot office buildings.  You would be seeing bike paths, you would see diversity and inclusion from all kinds of people, you would see a 500-room hotel, 1,000 residential units, retail, restaurants, entertainment, vibrancy, water features, public art — all of which are require to turn an area into a district. A place where people live, work and play.”
Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

“This is an important day for this region. This is the beginning of Tampa taking that next step. This is where we join together as a community, driven by the belief that we are better together, that we are stronger together, that we are more competitive together, driven by Jeff Vinik’s vision. The willingness of USF to believe in what a downtown university could do for this community. The recognition that these resident (physicians) right here, that this is the intellectual capital that will drive the community for decades to come. Our ability to attract them to come to a great university but, most importantly, to stay in this city depends on an urban environment that works, an urban environment that’s alive 18 hours a day. That will drive our economy.”
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn

Florida Senator Tom Lee.

“The university system throughout our nation is one of the great economic engines in this country. I truly believe, having spent 35 years in the home building development business and off and on about 20 years in the Florida Legislature, having worked with many of the men and women in this room, I really believe that the University of South Florida anchoring downtown (Tampa) is going to create wonderful synergies, clusters of opportunity for further economic activity and truly create this mixed-used opportunities that our community is looking for to revitalize and fully develop the downtown area.”
Florida Senator Tom Lee

Florida Board of Governors Chair Mori Hosseini

“It has long been a priority of the Board of Governors to support higher education programs and facilities that provide the most return on investment for the state’s economy, especially those in STEM and health care. The newest USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and the USF Health Heart Institute exemplify that mission. President Genshaft, the USF Board and all of the partners across the Tampa Bay community have made it easy for the Board of Governors to lend its support… Congratulations to USF and, indeed, all of Tampa Bay on this historic milestone.”
Florida Board of Governors Chair Mori Hosseini

“We are another step closer toward the creation of a new kind of medical school and research program, both of which together will have a transformative effect on medical education and research, as well as the health of our Tampa Bay region and its economy. Together, we are building a medical school of the future, one that will allow us to educate future doctors in an era when medical student knowledge doubles every 73 days, that will pioneer new discoveries and personalized therapies to allow people live better and healthier lives, and that will set new standards of health care quality and outcomes while reducing health care costs. But the greatest impact of this project will be on the lives of our students, current and future physicians, researchers, and other health care professionals.”
Charles Lockwood, MD
Senior Vice President for USF Health
Dean, Morsani College of Medicine

Co-Director of USF Health’s Heart Institute Dr. Arthur Labovitz.

“This integrated facility will help recruit top cardiovascular researchers and clinicians and support translational and clinical research in order to advance public health and increase NIH funding levels. It will elevate the level of cardiovascular care throughout the Tampa Bay region — providing a world-class program that leads to new and more effective treatments for heart disease for generations to come.”
Arthur Labovitz, MD
Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences for MCOM
Co-director, USF Health Heart Institute

USF friends and steadfast supporters Frank and Carol Morsani with Jeff Vinik.

USF Health medical students turn shovels with USF President Judy Genshaft, Dr. Charles Lockwood and USF mascot Rocky D. Bull. Photo by Aimee Blodgett, USF Photographer.

Video by Sandra C. Roa, photos by Eric Younghans, and graphic by Mark Leaning, USF Health Office of Communications

Closely huddled by attentive residents and students, USF physician Charles Edwards, MD, performs his daily rounds of patients inside Tampa General Hospital. Dr. Edwards is a hospitalist and as such, he and his team care for hospitalized patients until they are well enough to be discharged. Patient stays range anywhere from 12 hours to many months.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-k7DXepKAc

Regardless of stay length or ailment, these in-house doctors known as hospitalists lead a team of other specialists such as physical therapists, nurses and pharmacists, to best provide safe and efficient patient care.

“We see every type of patient at this hospital so it’s hard to say that there is a typical pattern and that’s one of the unique challenges for a hospitalist,” said Dr. Edwards.

During patient visits, Dr. Charles Edwards takes time to connect with his patients to learn about their lives and individual challenges that may effect health outcomes.

The hospitalist role is fairly new in medical practice, just two decades since the position first began to appear. Its purpose was to eliminate needless transportation time for primary care doctors so they could focus more on office visits and so that the hospital can provide immediate personalized care to their patients. Currently there are 34 USF Health hospitalists working at Tampa General Hospital.

“We are here, we are here 24 hours a day. Available immediately to see patients, if needed,” said Dr. Edwards who takes pride in connecting with his patients, “though [my care] may not continue, while they’re here [I’m] going to care for them as much as their primary care doctor does.”

On a typical morning you’ll find Dr. Edwards and his team reporting on their patients’ progress with details about medication, mental status and sleep or eating patterns. They will see between 15 to 20 patients throughout the day. However, patient care involves more than bedside visits. For physicians like Dr. Edwards, responsibilities extend into his personal life and he is passionate about it. He might read more about the symptoms of a patient he’s not sure about or catch up on the latest from his favorite medical journal.

Residents and students evaluate patients’ progress with Dr. Edward’s guidance.

Dr. Edwards’ profession is not just about patient care, it’s an “innate curiosity about medicine,” and a balance of at least four other roles. In addition to being the director of the Division of Hospital Medicine, vice-chairman for Clinical Operations in the Department of Internal Medicine and chief of staff at TGH, he is also an associate professor at USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine.

Patient records are updated as Dr. Edwards and his team complete morning rounds.

“Without a doubt teaching is my main inspiration,” said Dr. Edwards. “The one thing I can do and enjoy, [is to] go around with my students, residents and my team to see our patients.”

Many doctors were inspired to pursue their profession by personal reasons, or wanting to do something important in life. Dr. Edwards had these reasons, but his active role as an educator is a daily reminder of the benefits of his kind of work.

“I’m constantly around other people who are learning,” said Dr. Edwards. I constantly have to try and teach younger physicians and that’s one of the best ways to learn, is to teach. They certainly keep you on your toes.”

Dr. Charles Edwards and his team provide non-surgical patient care throughout Tampa General Hospital.

Aside from his patients, mentorships and dedication to keep up with medical advancements, Dr. Edwards has his mind set on the future of hospital medicine.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to make the hospital safer,” said Dr. Edwards. He’s referring to the main challenge his profession faces: The transition of patient care.

Caring for patients has a multi-level set of tasks that include bedside visits, medical charting, preventing infections, avoiding unnecessary tests, not delaying patient stays, and the continuum of patient care beyond their hospital stay.

“One of the things that you must do is make sure you understand the challenges a particular patient is going to face when they’re discharged so that you can try to best address them,” said Dr. Edwards. “But it is often a source of anxiety when patients leave the hospital.”

The final stage of Dr. Edwards’ care involves updating the patient’s records and sharing the hospitalization charts with the primary doctor. Patient medical information is private and protected by federal HIPAA laws, which limit how hospitalists and primary doctors can exchange records.

Medicine, as most professional fields, has been increasingly harnessing the powers of technology. The transition of patient care is eased by the standardization of electronic health records and USF Health’s Physicians Group patients will benefit even more with its transition to EPIC– the same EHR used at TGH, thus providing a stronger continuity of care. With a unified records system, interdisciplinary caregivers can access thorough medical data about a patient. Hospitals, clinics and physicians can share details about their patient’s outcome and will help relieve the worry that hospitalists have when treating or discharging patients. But for Dr. Edwards, the best assurance has a personal touch.

“Technology will certainly play a big role in improving the transition of care in the future, but there’s no substitute for good old-fashioned verbal communication with fellow colleagues.”

Story and multimedia by Sandra C. Roa, USF Health Office of Communications. 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVEXl-wwOg0

Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik unveiled his vision for the redevelopment of Tampa’s waterfront district today – a vision that includes co-locating the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and USF Health Heart Institute on land he has offered to donate.

Leaders from across the Tampa Bay community, including from USF and USF Health, came together in a ballroom of the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel for the announcement of the project, estimated to total $1 billion and take five to 10 years to fully build.  A contingent of USF medical students and faculty also attended the presentation.

Vinik told the overflow crowd that he envisions creating a walkable mixed use space stretching from the Tampa Convention Center to the Amalie Arena to the Florida Aquarium, a downtown waterfront district  where people can “live, work, play and stay.”  The project would encompass five main components: a medical education and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) district, residences, offices, hospitality, and retail and entertainment.

If approved by the Florida Board of Governors in January, USF Health would be among the major economic development anchors for Vinik’s proposed transformation of downtown Tampa.

Read USF President Judy Genshaft’s commentary on USF’s downtown plan.

What they said:

USF President Judy Genshaft:

• “The project not only elevates USF Health to new heights as an academic and medical research center, but it advances one of the most important missions we have: to create a healthier and more sustainable community.”
• “This downtown location is spectacular in that it opens the doors for USF Health to recruit and retain more world-class researchers and top students, who will want to be part of this exciting downtown atmosphere.”
• “The innovative ecosystem that will grow around health sciences will also allow start-up and spin-off companies from our inventive faculty and students to grow, and create even more opportunity for future generations.”
• “We look forward to building support for this plan at the Florida Board of Governors, with the Florida Legislature and with Governor Scott, because we know that above all, we are a state committed to empowering individuals through opportunity and building vibrant and health communities.”

Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik:

• “We’re doing everything we can to make the USF Health medical school and Heart Institute move downtown a reality.”

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn:

• “This opportunity to move the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute downtown is singularly one of the most important things that will occur in our lifetime.”
• “We will look back on this as the day when Tampa started the journey… We are united in this effort; we’re a city moving forward.”

– Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications and Marketing
– Fly-through video courtesy of  Strategic Property Partners LLC