TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The city commission is set to vote Wednesday afternoon on a memorandum of understanding that outlines what the transfer of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare from city ownership to Florida State University would look like.
The agreement outlines the transfer of city-owned hospital assets and commits the university to pay the city $109 million over 30 years.
Some community members have raised concerns about the pace of the process and the level of public input.
Bruce Strouble, chair of Tallahassee Alert, said he sees the potential benefits of the transfer, but he would like to see the city and commission consider more thoughts from the public.
“I’m generally concerned about the speed that it was done at,” Strouble said. “When you’re talking about a large-scale public asset like TMH, you have to think who stands to gain and what is the community is losing.”
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Strouble also said he’s concerned about what will happen to the services in place for residents who need more affordable healthcare.
“The city will be giving up its leverage. It’s the only place a lot of people go for affordable healthcare services in Tallahassee, and to see it transferred over, we have to know what we’re getting in return for this, and that hasn’t been laid out clearly,” he said.
Supporters said the transfer would strengthen health care access.
Pastor Rudy Ferguson Sr. said he believes FSU, TMH, Tallahassee State College and TMH all have something to bring to the table.
Pastor Rudy Ferguson Sr. joined seven other local faith leaders at a press conference ahead of the vote Wednesday morning at Jacob Chapel Baptist Church.(WCTV)
He added that Florida A&M University has the cultural knowledge and relationships to build trust with underserved communities seeking healthcare.
While FAMU and TSC secured seats at the table in October, there’s no mention of either school in the MOU up for vote.
Ferguson joined seven other local faith leaders at a press conference ahead of the vote Wednesday morning at Jacob Chapel Baptist Church. They voiced support for the deal. “It’s important that we have a better healthcare system,” Ferguson said. “We want to see our citizens live a healthy life, we want to see our communities thrive.”
The faith leaders shared personal stories of their experience having to travel out of town for specialized care. That’s something they hope will change through the transfer.
City commissioners are expected to take up the vote on the Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday afternoon at City Hall.
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