Florida Health Sciences Center d/b/a Tampa General Hospital (TGH), one of Florida’s preeminent academic health systems, announced that President and CEO John Couris has accepted an offer from the Board of Directors to extend the terms of his employment agreement for an additional 10 years.

Since becoming President and CEO, Couris has been instrumental in shaping Tampa General into one of the country’s leading academic health systems and helping to grow the Tampa Bay region into a medical and research destination powered by innovation. During his tenure, Couris has spearheaded a wide range of strategic initiatives and partnerships at Tampa General to enhance patient care, propel next-generation research, and inspire broader health care industry innovations.

Under Couris’ leadership, the organization was the first health care provider in the state of Florida to partner with GE Healthcare to launch CareComm, a care coordination center using artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and industrial engineering to improve safety, quality, and cost. Additionally, and in response to COVID-19, Tampa General developed a comprehensive platform — the Global Emerging Diseases Institute (GEDI) — to conduct cuttingedge, emerging infectious disease research. During the pandemic, Couris also collaborated with hospital systems statewide and leadership in Tallahassee to improve health outcomes related to COVID-19.

During Couris’ tenure, Tampa General has significantly expanded its affiliation with the University of South Florida to drive academic medicine across the West Coast of Florida and beyond. Together, Tampa General and USF Health provide world-class clinical care for even the most complex cases, offer exceptional teaching, and support next-generation research to provide the best possible outcomes. In 2020, and under Couris’ leadership, Tampa General and USF formalized their enhanced affiliation and established USF Tampa General Physicians (USFTGP).