Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) have approved the structure for a historic partnership agreement to create an academic health center in Tallahassee, a development that will transform health care in North Florida and expand FSU’s mission in education and research.
In a joint statement, FSU President Richard McCullough and TMH CEO Mark O’Bryant said the partnership will “provide the opportunity to establish the hospital as a true quaternary center — expanding services, extending our reach, generating jobs, and fueling regional growth, all while preserving it as a community-focused hospital.”
“By uniting TMH’s longstanding commitment to community care with FSU’s mission of academic excellence and service, we are seizing an extraordinary opportunity to shape the long-term future of health care in North Florida and beyond,” they said. “This partnership will elevate the quality of health care for our community, create dynamic educational pathways for students, and foster groundbreaking research.”
The TMH Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to proceed with the framework for the partnership, marking a pivotal moment for healthcare, research, and education in North Florida. Additional definitive agreements must be finalized in the coming months.
The idea of transforming TMH into an Academic Health Center has been under discussion for more than a decade. The TMH Board of Directors first outlined the vision in its 2008 strategic plan, and the hospital has since added multiple residency programs in internal medicine, general surgery and psychiatry.
In 2021, the TMH and FSU Boards jointly approved the FSU/TMH Academic Health Center Strategic Alignment Plan which laid out plans for an Academic Health partnership.
The partnership further builds on the momentum of the FSU Health Research Center, launched in 2022 with a $125 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis to expand health care access and innovation across North Florida. Construction is under way on this facility on the TMH campus. The 140,000-square-foot building, expected to open in 2026, will house clinical research space, a family residency practice, laboratories, and other facilities designed to connect research and patient care.
FSU and TMH have now advanced that vision through this Memorandum of Understanding that formally establishes the framework for a fully encompassing academic health center. Under the agreement, FSU and TMH will work with the City of Tallahassee on the transfer of the hospital assets to FSU, including the 75-acre property, 2-million-square-foot hospital building, and related assets. It is anticipated that FSU will then lease the assets to TMH under a new 40-year lease and operating agreement.
TMH will remain the licensed operator of the hospital, preserving its independent, tax-exempt status, while collaborating with FSU through research, branding, academic and clinical agreements.
The hospital will transition its brand to FSU Health. The hospital’s board will continue to set strategy, approve the budget and make decisions, though the board composition will now have FSU representation. The hospital will continue to operate under its existing management, and employees will remain TMH employees. There is no shift to state employment, and day-to-day hospital operations will not change. Current partnerships with Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College will continue and opportunities for future expansion of these partnerships will be encouraged.
For both institutions, maintaining the hospital as a locally based, locally governed health care system remained paramount. The new agreement is structured to preserve the hospital’s community mission while expanding its reach as an academic health center.
For patients, the arrangement means expanded long-term access to specialized care and treatments that previously may have required travel to larger hospitals hours away. Patients will continue to see their current doctors, with new specialists and services added over time. FSU Health will maintain TMH’s existing charity care policy for uninsured and underinsured patients.
In their statement, McCullough and O’Bryant added, “We are grateful for the trust and collaboration that have brought us to this pivotal moment. Together, FSU and TMH will form an academic health center that serves as a beacon of excellence and hope — empowering the next generation of health care professionals, driving innovation, and enhancing the well-being of all those we serve.”
FSU and TMH leaders emphasize that they are committed to training and retaining the next generation of physicians, nurses and health professionals; expanding access to care for underserved and rural communities; driving clinical research and innovation that benefits North Florida; and strengthening the local economy while positioning the region as a leader in health sciences.
Their shared goal is to match the nation’s leading academic health centers and make Tallahassee and North Florida destinations for advanced medical care.
Joint Statement from FSU President Richard McCullough and TMH CEO Mark O’Bryant
“We are pleased to announce that Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare have reached a landmark agreement to advance our shared vision of creating a world-class academic health center in Tallahassee. We look forward to presenting our plan to the Mayor, City Commissioners and City Manager.
By uniting TMH’s longstanding commitment to community care with FSU’s mission of academic excellence and service, we are seizing an extraordinary opportunity to shape the long-term future of health care in North Florida and beyond. This partnership will elevate the quality of health care for our community, create dynamic educational pathways for students, and foster groundbreaking research under the name FSU Health. It will provide the opportunity to establish the hospital as a true quaternary center — expanding services, extending its reach, generating jobs, and fueling regional growth, all while preserving it as a community-focused hospital.
We are grateful for the trust and collaboration that have brought us to this pivotal moment. Together, FSU and TMH will form an academic health center that serves as a beacon of excellence and hope—empowering the next generation of health care professionals, driving innovation, and enhancing the well-being of all those we serve.
We look forward to sharing more details with the community in the days ahead.”