Tampa General Hospital Transforms Operating Room Safety and Efficiency with Artificial Intelligence-Powered Insights

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 8, 2024 -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) today announced the launch of Apella, a technology platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to provide data and insights that enhance safety, increase efficiency and elevate the patient experience in the operating room.

"We have some of the most talented surgeons and clinical teams in the world right here at Tampa General. The question is — how do you make the best better?" said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "Through innovation and technology such as Apella, we're giving our teams the tools and information to enhance quality, strengthen safety and improve patient outcomes. We're also increasing access for more patients to benefit from the exceptional, academic-based care we offer at TGH."

Apella offers perioperative teams a 360-degree view of operating rooms in real time so they can make more informed decisions, respond to immediate needs, anticipate next steps and plan future operations. The technology utilizes AI, computer vision and cutting-edge communications to offer predictive case durations, turnover durations and staffing suggestions. It also captures highlights to identify patterns, determine opportunities for improvement and support continuous learning and training efforts. With improved scheduling workflows, teams can better meet patients' needs in a timely manner.

"Apella is a well-respected partner, and our opportunities to deepen this exciting partnership are extensive. The technology's ability to look deeper into process efficiencies, predict workflow improvements and find opportunities for quality improvement in our cases are just a few ways we can use this technology to work toward better patient outcomes and improved efficiencies," said Dr. Murray Shames, medical chief of staff at Tampa General and the Richard G. Connar Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The data and insights from this technology bring the promise of better patient outcomes. Increased efficiencies mean that patients will spend less time in an operating room, which lowers risk and accelerates recovery. Improved turnover of rooms and equipment also helps to increase the efficiency of each operating room, which enables Tampa General to strengthen access to high-quality surgical care for more patients.

This collaboration with Tampa General follows news of Apella's recent expansion with Houston Methodist.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 Best Hospitals, with two medical specialties ranking among the top 20 in the nation and eight medical specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2024 America's Best Large Employers, the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women, and the top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2022, provided a net community benefit of approximately $240.3 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also 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 Hospital's footprint includes TGH North which is comprised 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, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by 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). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT APELLA
Apella is a health technology company on a mission to make operating rooms work better. Powered by ambient sensor technology and artificial intelligence, Apella provides new data and insights in real time to help analyze the past, manage the present, and plan for the future. With Apella, perioperative teams spend less time dealing with logistics and more time caring for patients. To learn about the impact Apella is having at leading health systems across the country, visit www.apella.io.