Partnering with Lifepoint Health expanded both the acute care rehabilitation and behavioral health services, ultimately improving care quality and outcomes for Tampa General Hospital (TGH). Through this, TGH is now able to provide the community with two new state-of-the-art facilities, specialized expertise and aligned values.
The rehab challenge
TGH’s original acute rehab unit resided in their downtown location, which had become increasingly overcrowded. To accommodate service line growth, they needed more space. How could TGH meet the growing patient need and free up vital bed space in the current hospital?
To scale and enhance their rehabilitation service line, TGH needed additional resources, specialized expertise, and access to the latest tools and technology — they needed a partner.
The solution
After evaluating several solutions, TGH first entered a joint venture partnership with Lifepoint Rehabilitation to build and operate a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility just off the hospital’s original campus.
The successful partnership with Lifepoint Rehabilitation – which ultimately led to a successful hospital opening in May 2022 – led TGH to enter another JV with Lifepoint Behavioral Health. From the ground up, Lifepoint and TGH worked together to scale a freestanding behavioral health facility to not only address the growing behavioral health need within the community, but it also serves as a training and education center for staff. That facility held its grand opening in February 2025.
“We wanted a partner that we could not only share some risk with but also leverage their expertise around running a new stand-alone facility,” shared TGH President and CEO, John Couris. “And because of Lifepoint’s track record, it made a lot of sense to partner with them.
“There’s a lot of structure with Lifepoint, but still a lot of autonomy to do what fits best for this region and this market. That is an important factor when looking at a joint-venture partner,” shared TGH Rehabilitation Hospital CEO, Health Higgins.
Leadership Q&A: Meeting Growing Patient Needs Through Partnership
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- How important was the expansion of TGH’s rehab services for the community?
Couris: We knew expanding and modernizing our rehabilitation program would be critical for our hospital, as it is a vital component of the entire care continuum and is a huge part of who we are.
Jennifer Morales, Director of Business Development, TGRH: The fact that Lifepoint had such great resources, expertise and knowledge prior to opening the rehabilitation hospital has really allowed us to be successful from day one.
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- What additional opportunities did the initial rehab partnership lead to?
Couris: We were really impressed with Lifepoint – their people and their culture – following our rehabilitation partnership, so we decided to approach them with a behavioral health partnership opportunity as well.
With the opening of TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, we are making a significant leap forward in addressing the pressing need for mental health services in our community and across Florida. This facility is more than just a hospital — it is a beacon of hope for patients and their families, offering compassionate, personalized care provided by world-class academic-based physicians with access to the latest research and cutting-edge technologies.
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- What resources did Lifepoint bring to the table for TGH?
Couris: Lifepoint not only brought technology – both clinically and operationally – but they brought quality people and deep knowledge of the rehabilitation space. These resources allowed TGH to develop an 80-bed rehabilitation hospital and 96-bed behavioral health hospital.
Taking our own expertise and combining it with Lifepoint’s has helped us more effectively care for our patients and their unique needs.
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- Would you recommend Lifepoint as a partner?
Couris: I would absolutely recommend Lifepoint as a partner. It’s important for us to have a partner that understands our culture and climate, has similar values, and has a commitment to quality, safety, service and clinical outcomes. Lifepoint has all of that.
We look forward to years of a healthy and productive relationship with Lifepoint.
See how TGH Rehabilitation Hospital’s state-of-the-art facility is able to deliver high quality, patient-centered care to its patients and community.
Learn more about TGH Behavioral Health’s grand opening and partnership with Lifepoint.
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