Tampa General Hospital in Florida and Dutch health technology giant Philips have set up a long-term strategic partnership to keep the hospital at the forefront of innovation.

Tampa General, one of the largest hospitals in the USA, will have early and ongoing access to the latest Philips innovations during the seven-year arrangement. This should let the hospital continue delivering the latest care while lowering costs.

“We are humbled by the heroic work the TGH team is doing during the pandemic and their dedication to constantly improving care across the board, even in these difficult times,” said Vitor Rocha, chief of Philips in North America. “The relationship between TGH and Philips builds on a shared drive for innovation in healthcare to deliver on the quadruple aim, break down the barriers between hospital and home and improve people’s lives. For us, the partnership is more than transactional, it means taking the time to truly understand their patients’ needs and suggest solutions that can address their workflow and service line needs today, while planning for tomorrow.”

Under the terms of the partnership, Philips will provide the hospital with millions of dollars worth of new technology such as software packages, healthcare informatics, workflows and high-level consulting.

As a result, Tampa General will replace all bedside patient and vital sign monitors throughout the 1006-bed hospital and upgrade key imaging equipment in the catheterisation laboratories and interventional radiology rooms.

Philips also plans to deliver a standard platform, providing doctors and clinicians with a better overall view of the patient to help make the best decisions when it comes to diagnosis and providing care.

“This partnership allows us to stay on the leading edge of technology for many years to come, in a cost-effective way,” said the hospital’s CEO John Couris. “Philips not only provides new solutions, but also serves as a valuable partner by helping us improve our workflows and optimisation. Tampa General’s vision is to become the safest and most innovative academic health system in America, and long-term commitments like this one will help us achieve that vision.”

Together, Philips and Tampa General have already invested more than 1000 hours on technology replacement planning and performed over 400 clinical staff interviews to understand how to improve the patient and staff experience.

Philips is also working on a technology replacement plan, which includes implementing cloud-based technologies such as Philips Performance Bridge. This gives users a view of all their diagnostic equipment and ensures the hospital gets the latest in medical innovation in a cost-effective, timely way.

A key benefit for Tampa General is that Philips technology is built to integrate with the hospital’s existing technologies for a seamless experience for clinicians and patients.