Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Matthew Cantonis, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of USF Tampa General Physicians
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Nov 24, 2025 Matthew Cantonis, Senior Vice President and COO at USF Tampa General Physicians, dives into how leadership culture impacts patient access in healthcare. He discusses the transformative power of centralized scheduling and AI agents that can handle calls to streamline the appointment process. Matthew emphasizes the necessity of multidisciplinary collaboration and transparent leadership to engage staff effectively. Looking ahead, he envisions a future where connected, digital solutions enhance patient-centered care while fostering a seamless integration of academic and community health.
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Access Is More Than An Appointment
- In academic medicine, access means timely connection to the right specialist plus smooth downstream navigation across care and teaching missions.
- Balancing clinical care with education and research makes access more complex but also a differentiator in care quality.
Centralized Experience Center Boosts Scheduling
- USF Tampa General built a centralized experience center to break departmental silos and simplify scheduling across units.
- They deployed an AI agent that answers 100% of calls and will soon schedule and cancel appointments directly to reduce manual touchpoints.
Start With Listening And Transparent Data
- Listen to point-of-care clinicians and faculty early to earn buy-in for access initiatives.
- Use data transparency to show how better access improves patient care, education, research, and reduces no-shows.