UCH gets new name; USF gets a partner

Posted Sep 21, 2011 by Lindsay Peterson

Updated Sep 22, 2011 at 01:02 PM

For all these years University Community Hospital and USF sat across the street from each other with a relationship that was fragmentary at best, says USF med school dean Stephen Klasko.

Now the two are building a partnership and UCH goes and changes its name.

UCH is now Florida Hospital Tampa

No matter. Klasko is still excited.

The change follows the Adventist Health System’s acquisition of Tampa’s University Community Health system. All six of its Hillsborough-Pasco hospitals are getting new names as Adventist invests in expansion.

So what does this mean for USF?

It already sees thousands of patients at its Morsani clinics, on campus. But with the Adventist partnership, “I think within the next two to three months, we’ll be able to combine outpatient and inpatient services,” Klasko says.

In cardiology, “we’ll have the ability to add a clinical research component with what’s already being done.”

They need to have a few meetings to iron out the details, but look for some changes for both patients and med students.

Klasko said the Adventist ties could one day be similar to the arrangement USF Health has with Tampa General, where so many of its doctors practice.

And there could be more changes to come as USF Health tries to find its pace for in this turbulent health care business environment.