Many people think of health care as bureaucratic and arduous, but there's one health care system in Florida that stands out above the rest as "smart."

Of course, hospitals are full of highly educated doctors and skilled professionals. But Tampa General Hospital recently earned the title of "smart" for its accelerated adoption of advanced technologies and innovations.

Healthcare Global named TGH one of the Top 10 Best Smart Hospitals in the world. It was one of three hospitals in the United States on the list, along with MD Anderson in Houston and the University of Chicago.

The rankings recognize smart hospitals for "pushing for innovation and research," defining them as "having specialized services and facilities and redesigned clinical processes, leading to higher patient satisfaction."

"As part of our vision to be the safest and most innovative academic health system in America, Tampa General Hospital is honored by these recognitions," said Tampa General President and CEO John Couris. "It is a testament to the world-class work our physicians and team members do every day as we build out an ecosystem of care centered around the patient."

Also this month, Tampa General earned recognition as the 2021 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Hospital. The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) ranks organizations that demonstrate the embracement and adoption of advanced technologies systemwide. A total of 36,674 organizations were represented in the 2021 Digital Health Most Wired program.

When Couris took the helm, TGH significantly accelerated its adoption of technology, entering a partnership with GE Healthcare. In August 2019, they opened a clinical command center, the first in Florida and third in the nation.

In its first year, CareComm reduced health care costs by $40 million. The center uses 20 artificial intelligence applications to create efficiencies and optimize patient care.

TGH continues to set the gold standard on its way to becoming the safest and most innovative academic health system in the U.S.