USF Aims to Change Health Care Delivery

Tampa, Fla, is heading toward theelectronic roadway for health care. USFHealth, the University of South Florida'senterprise of researchers, teachers, andclinicians, broke ground in March 2006on the first of its Centers for AdvancedHealthcare. The $100-million projectwill include an initial infrastructure of$15 million of information technologyto provide the foundation for safer,quality, outcome-driven health care.Furthermore, USF has partnered withand will become a national demonstrationcenter for Allscripts. The partnershipwill allow patients to receiveseamless care from multiple physicianswho will have instant access to theirhealth information electronically. TheCenters for Advanced Healthcare willinclude 2 new buildings along with anexisting clinical facility located on theUSF Tampa campus.

"This goes back to the state giving ussome money to build a medical educationcenter, but moving that forwardand saying let's work with the community,take that money, invest as much aswe can into building a nationally prominentdelivery system for how healthcare changes," commented Stephen K.Klasko, USF health vice president anddean of the college of medicine. "Wewill now create future health care leadersand a model that the rest of thecountry can come and look at and say,so this is how you deliver health careservices."