The enhancement comes as more than 100,000 people in the United States wait for a lifesaving organ transplant.
Aug. 22, 2025 — Tampa General Hospital (TGH), home to the TGH Transplant Institute, the No. 1 transplant institute in the nation by volume, is proud to announce a new MyChart feature that allows patients to register as organ, eye and tissue donors — marking a first for Florida residents. The enhancement simplifies the donor registration process for TGH patients, expanding access to lifesaving generosity. With just a few clicks, patients can make a deeply personal choice that could impact lives across the country.
MyChart is a secure, online portal and mobile app that allows TGH and USF Health patients to manage their health care information and communicate with their health care providers.
“Signing up through MyChart allows a patient to register in the National Donate Life Registry, creating a new pathway to help save lives and ensure that an individual’s donor registration travels with them. Registrants can choose to donate for transplant, research or educational purposes, and their decision remains private from clinical teams,” said David Fleming, president and CEO of Donate Life America. “Existing MyChart data also helps streamline the registration experience, thanks to Epic, TGH’s electronic health record provider and creator of MyChart.”
TGH’s Transplant Institute earned its No. 1 national ranking after completing 889 transplants in 2024, more than any other transplant center in the United States. This milestone reflects the hospital’s commitment to excellence, innovation and compassionate care.
“Expanding access to viable organs is not just a medical imperative — it’s a moral one,” said Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute and associate professor of surgery with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “Every new donor registration represents a chance to save a life, and by embedding this opportunity into MyChart, we’re removing barriers and empowering patients to make a difference with dignity and ease.”
More than 100,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Just one donor can save up to eight lives, restore sight to two people and heal more than 75 others through tissue donation. While only half of U.S. adults are registered donors — often through the Department of Motor Vehicles — surveys show that 90% support organ donation. Convenient options like MyChart offer a powerful way to close that gap.
To learn more about the TGH Transplant Institute, visit https://www.tgh.org/institutes-and-services/transplant-institute
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,529-bed, not-for-profit academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the Tampa Bay region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. The system’s hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, Tampa General has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. The academic health system’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2025 America’s Best Large Employers, the top 50 in Florida in the 2025 America’s Best Employers by State and the 2023 America’s Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety-net hospital for the region, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2023, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $301.8 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It was the nation’s No. 1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024 and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General is home to a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General’s footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 19 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
ABOUT USF HEALTH
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians’ group. The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.
