Tampa General Hospital Foundation Announces Transformative Gift to Create a New Hybrid Operating Room

The Jenkins Charitable Foundation donation to Tampa General will help to create a new space for complex vascular surgeries.

Tampa, FL (Aug. 20, 2025) – The Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Foundation received a transformational gift from the Jenkins Charitable Foundation to fund a new hybrid operating room at Tampa General. 

The gift will bring to fruition another space at the academic medical center on Davis Islands that integrates a state-of-the-art surgical environment with the advanced imaging capabilities of an interventional suite, a critical combination for performing highly complex vascular surgeries. The cost to build the new hybrid operating room is just under $10 million. 

“This exceptional gift will elevate the already world-class care available to our patients at Tampa General,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “Donors like the Jenkins family truly understand the spirit of innovation and the mission of caring for everyone in the most advanced way possible.” 

The Jenkins Family Hybrid Operating Room will be the second of its kind at Tampa General, with more planned for the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower currently under construction on the Davis Islands campus. 

“This hybrid operating room is a game-changer for patients with complex vascular disease,” said Dr. Jean Bismuth, chief of Vascular Surgery and medical director of the TGH Heart & Vascular Institute. “It streamlines care, promises to improve outcomes and elevates the standard of vascular treatment for the entire Tampa Bay community we proudly serve. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to bring this level of care to our patients.”

For Steve and Carole Jenkins and their children, Laura and Stephen, the donation from their family foundation is a way to honor their backgrounds in science and technology. The Jenkins family has called Tampa home for five generations. In 1957, Steve’s father, Richard B. Jenkins, launched Beach Pharmaceuticals from his home with his wife and children. Since then, three generations have been involved in pharmaceutical development, manufacturing and sales.

“As our beautiful city continues to grow, it is our hope to help TGH provide access to cutting-edge care in the community,” said Steve Jenkins. “Our family has witnessed the quality services provided by Tampa General, and it is our desire to help ensure that TGH has the necessary tools to attract the best leaders, researchers and physicians in their fields. We are honored to be able to contribute to the ongoing success of Tampa General.”

The gift, part of the TGH Foundation’s Elevating Excellence: Innovating Tomorrow’s TGH campaign, means that this advanced care will be available to patients sooner. 

“Tampa General is profoundly grateful to the Jenkins family for their visionary giving and investment in world-class health care in our community,” said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer at Tampa General. “It’s a beautiful and humbling thing to see the amazing results made possible with a gift of this magnitude.”