Women’s Institute at Tampa General Hospital: The Gold Standard of Care

A wave of impressive honors underscores why the Women’s Institute at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) provides the gold standard of care for a full range of women’s health services.

Consider that the institute recently received the highest honor from a national accrediting body, earning Level IV maternal care designation from The Joint Commission—literally the gold standard of accreditation.

Then factor in that the renowned U.S. News & World Report, a global authority in hospital rankings, once again named TGH in the top 10 in the nation for Obstetrics & Gynecology and as a 2024 High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care, which is the highest award a hospital can earn for maternity services.

These distinctions come on the heels of TGH’s redesignation as a Baby-Friendly ^® birth facility and its inclusion once again in Newsweek’s list of Best Maternity Hospitals in 2024—a dual recognition that highlights the hospital’s steadfast commitment to providing outstanding support, nurturing environments and comprehensive assistance to expectant mothers and their newborns.

While each individual honor is impressive in its own right, collectively they demonstrate the world-class backing the TGH Women’s Institute offers parents and newborns throughout the Tampa Bay area and state.

In particular, The Joint Commission—an organization dedicated to empowering health care organizations in the areas of safety and quality—verified TGH as one of only seven hospitals in Florida and just 33 nationwide to receive a Level IV maternal care hospital designation.

“At Tampa General Hospital, our physicians and team members provide exceptional support to expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy and through the delivery of their newborns,” says John Couris, president and CEO of TGH. “We recognize a healthy start for families will help drive healthy outcomes throughout their lifetime. This recognition for Level IV maternal care is a testament to the team and their commitment to excellence in patient care and clinical research, just two of the reasons why families turn to Tampa General.”

“The highest designation acknowledges the comprehensive support we provide women, from conception to delivery and postpartum,” adds Judette Louis, MD, MPH, chief of the TGH Women’s Institute, and James M. Ingram professor and chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “This is about providing world-class care for mothers regardless of the complexity of their medical condition.”

This care might look like a complex, lifesaving surgery like the one that saved Diana McDowell’s newborn son after an ultrasound seven months into her pregnancy revealed an obstructed airway. Or it might entail meeting a wide range of other needs: advanced medical and surgical treatment in the Gynecology Center, compassionate midwifery, helping women achieve a vaginal birth after undergoing a previous C-section or innovative programs for the most high-risk individuals.

“USF Health and our partners at Tampa General Hospital are committed to providing the best possible care to every mother and baby delivering at Tampa General, whether that’s a mother enjoying a normal pregnancy or facing a high-risk pregnancy that requires the kind of complex care that only an academic health system can provide,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

It’s all entwined in the motto crafted by Dr. Louis: “Where you deliver matters.”

“We really adhere to that in what we do day-to-day,” says Dr. Louis. “We are the experts in handling every kind of pregnancy situation, and people seek us out for that reason. It’s uncommon to offer both routine and high-risk care. Usually programs are good at one or the other. But we have it all under one roof.”

The honors speak volumes about TGH’s commitment to excellence, stresses Melissa Golombek, vice president, Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH and Women’s Institute: “Accolades like these further underscore Tampa General Hospital’s determination to deliver extraordinary treatment and support to mothers and their newborns. They reflect our devotion to upholding the utmost standards of maternity services and affirm our position as a leader in providing the safest possible care.”

*Presented by TGH | Originally published in the August 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine .