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Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) have endorsed the framework for a momentous collaboration agreement aimed at establishing an academic health center in Tallahassee, a progress that will revolutionize health care in North Florida and enhance FSU’s objectives in education and inquiry.
In a collective announcement, FSU President Richard McCullough and TMH CEO Mark O’Bryant expressed that the collaboration will “offer the chance to develop the hospital into a genuine quaternary center — broadening services, increasing our reach, creating employment, and stimulating regional growth, all while maintaining it as a community-centered hospital.”
“By merging TMH’s enduring dedication to community care with FSU’s mission of academic distinction and service, we are embracing a remarkable opportunity to mold the future of health care in North Florida and beyond,” they stated. “This partnership will enhance the caliber of health care for our community, forge dynamic educational avenues for students, and promote pioneering research.”
The TMH Board of Directors approved unanimously on Monday to advance the structure for the partnership, marking a crucial moment for healthcare, research, and education in North Florida. Further definitive agreements need to be finalized in the upcoming months.
The concept of transforming TMH into an Academic Health Center has been under consideration for over a decade. The TMH Board of Directors first outlined the vision in its 2008 strategic document, and since then, the hospital has introduced several residency programs in internal medicine, general surgery, and psychiatry.
In 2021, the TMH and FSU Boards jointly sanctioned the FSU/TMH Academic Health Center Strategic Alignment Plan that mapped out plans for an Academic Health partnership.
The collaboration further builds on the momentum of the FSU Health Research Center, initiated in 2022 with a $125 million allocation from the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis to broaden health care access and innovation across North Florida. Construction is currently taking place on this facility located on the TMH campus. The 140,000-square-foot edifice, anticipated to open in 2026, will accommodate clinical research space, a family residency practice, laboratories, and additional facilities designed to bridge research and patient care.
FSU and TMH have now progressed that vision through this Memorandum of Understanding that formally establishes the framework for a fully comprehensive academic health center. Under the agreement, FSU and TMH will collaborate with the City of Tallahassee on the transfer of the hospital assets to FSU, which includes the 75-acre parcel, 2-million-square-foot hospital structure, and associated assets. It is anticipated that FSU will then lease the assets to TMH under a new 40-year lease and operating arrangement.
TMH will continue as the licensed operator of the hospital, preserving its independent, tax-exempt status, while partnering with FSU through research, branding, academic and clinical agreements.
The hospital will transition its branding to FSU Health. The hospital’s board will persist in setting strategy, approving budgets, and making decisions, though the board composition will now include FSU representation. The hospital will continue to operate under its existing management, and employees will remain TMH staff. There is no shift to state employment, and daily hospital operations will remain unchanged. Current partnerships with Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College will persist, and opportunities for future expansion of these partnerships will be promoted.
For both institutions, keeping the hospital as a locally based, locally governed healthcare system remained crucial. The new agreement is structured to maintain the hospital’s community mission while broadening its reach as an academic health center.
For patients, this arrangement signifies enhanced long-term access to specialized care and treatments that previously may have necessitated traveling to larger hospitals located hours away. Patients will continue to see their current physicians, with new specialists and services added over time. FSU Health will uphold TMH’s existing charity care policy for uninsured and underinsured patients.
In their statement, McCullough and O’Bryant stated, “We are thankful for the trust and collaboration that have led us to this crucial moment. Together, FSU and TMH will establish an academic health center that serves as a symbol of excellence and hope — empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals, spurring innovation, and enhancing the welfare of all those we serve.”
FSU and TMH leaders stress their commitment to train and retain the next generation of physicians, nurses, and health professionals; expand access to care for underserved and rural communities; drive clinical research and innovation that benefits North Florida; and bolster the local economy while positioning the region as a frontrunner in health sciences.
Their unified goal is to align with the nation’s leading academic health centers, making Tallahassee and North Florida sought-after destinations for advanced medical care.
Joint Statement from FSU President Richard McCullough and TMH CEO Mark O’Bryant
“We are delighted to announce that Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare have achieved a historic agreement to propel our mutual vision of establishing a world-class academic health center in Tallahassee. We eagerly anticipate presenting our strategy to the Mayor, City Commissioners, and City Manager.
By merging TMH’s enduring commitment to community care with FSU’s mission of academic distinction and service, we are embracing an extraordinary opportunity to shape the long-term future of health care in North Florida and beyond. This collaboration will enhance the caliber of health care for our community, create vibrant educational pathways for students, and foster pioneering research under the name FSU Health. It will provide the chance to develop the hospital into a genuine quaternary center — broadening services, increasing its reach, creating jobs, and stimulating regional growth, all while retaining its community-centric focus.
We are thankful for the trust and collaboration that have brought us to this significant moment. United, FSU and TMH will create an academic health center that stands as a symbol of excellence and hope—empowering the next generation of health care professionals, fostering innovation, and enhancing the well-being of all those we serve.
We look forward to disseminating further details with the community in the upcoming days.”
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