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McNichols Family Gift Expands Access to Team Member Assistance Program at Tampa General Hospital

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Nov 25, 2024, 2:39 PM ET

The McNichols family endowment enables the Tampa General Hospital Team Member Assistance Program to broaden support for team members and continue in perpetuity.

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and the TGH Foundation today expressed gratitude to the McNichols family for their generous contribution in support of the academic health system's Team Member Emergency Fund, which has been rebranded as the McNichols Team Member Assistance Program, and now provides sustainable support and resource assistance to team members.

The McNichols Team Member Assistance Program allows the academic health system to care for team members navigating unexpected challenges they and their families may face outside of work. Since its establishment in 2009, the program has helped team members and their families in various ways, including resources for home repairs due to hurricane damage, gas cards to provide financial assistance due to an unexpected economic peak and computers and school supplies in preparedness for school, and has provided more than $2.5 million in financial assistance and resources to team members in need. Most recently, it is providing support to team members at all levels throughout the organization as they navigate the devastating direct and indirect impacts of Hurricane Helene, which was the most severe storm to affect the region in more than a century.

This gift from the McNichols family is already making it possible to broaden the program's support for team members, making it more inclusive, compassionate and sustainable. For the first time in the program's history, Tampa General is opening it up to all team members starting on Day 1 of their employment. A new application process will streamline decision-making, enabling agile and unbiased responses to all requests, and a dedicated team member with a public assistance background will manage the program to establish timely connections to sustainable and realistic support resources for both urgent and long-term challenges.

The endowment from the McNichols family also inspired generous contributions from the health system's partner organization, Palantir Technologies, Inc., and its medical staff. Both of these contributions have had a tremendous impact on the nearly 1,100 team members across the system who have applied for support through the Program in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"On behalf of our family, we hope this gift will enable Tampa General to continue to provide their team members with the resources they need to thrive both in and out of the workplace," said Gene and Patsy McNichols. "Tampa General's team members work every day in service to our community and while they are often characterized as superheroes by their patients, like everyone, they face unexpected challenges. Our hope is that with this gift, we can provide them the same feelings of care and hope that they provide to patients every day."

Tampa General prioritizes the team that contributes to the operational excellence of its academic health system with several initiatives to position them for success, extending beyond competitive compensation, benefits packages and schedule flexibility to include programs that align with the workforce's needs outside of the workplace. With a focus on leading with authenticity, transparency, kindness and vulnerability, Tampa General invites suggestions from team members by establishing several channels and forums for team members to communicate openly with the health system's senior leaders. Their feedback has resulted in a benefits program redesign to align resources with the benefits team members identified as most important, expanded access to free mental health services, family programs, discounts and several educational and professional development programs.

Tampa General currently employs approximately 14,000 team members and physicians and delivers world-class care at more than 150 care locations statewide and the McNichols Team Member Assistance Program and other programs have contributed to improved vacancy and turnover rates, which are currently maintained at 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively, both below the national industry averages. Additionally, they have earned Tampa General national recognition as an employer of choice, including the following recent accolades:

A top 100 company on "Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards"
One of Florida's leading workplaces in Forbes' America's Best-in-State Employers rankings
One of Forbes' America's Best Employers for Women
One of Becker's Hospital Review's Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare

"At Tampa General, we understand that providing the safest and most innovative patient care and require a dedicated, experienced and purpose-driven team," said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer at Tampa General. "As leaders, we understand that when we invest in our team and provide the environment and resources to meet their unique needs, they are positioned to show up at their best for our patients and each other. This gift from the McNichols family is instrumental in our "team member first" approach by increasing the effectiveness of our Team Member Assistance Program. Ultimately, it empowers us to achieve operational excellence and provide exceptional care to our patients."

In addition to this endowment, the McNichols family has previously funded the Team Member Chaplain program and was a founding member of TGH's Corporate Philanthropy Partners program. Gene McNichols, CEO of McNICHOLS Co., is a former TGH Foundation and hospital board member and his wife, Patsy McNichols, sits on the TGH Bruemmer Leadership Council.

"On behalf of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, I express our sincere gratitude to the McNichols family for their continued support of our mission and their shared commitment to the well-being of our patients and team members," said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of the TGH Foundation. "As our geographic footprint and impact continue to grow, this generous investment in our most essential resource — our people — is, in turn, an investment in the health of millions of people across the state of Florida."

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 top 50 in Florida in the 2024 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 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, two TGH Outpatient Centers, TGH Virtual Health, and 20 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 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). 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.