TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) — The Tallahassee City Commission voted to advance a sale of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on Wednesday night.
The TMH-FSU merger has been a topic of conversation for the capital city since the pair announced the agreement to create an academic health center.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the two said TMH would always retain a majority of the board seats, though FSU would gain seats over time.
A press conference on Wednesday revealed FAMU and Tallahassee State College also got board seats.
Representatives from FSU, FAMU and TSC all support the merger. Mayor John Dailey called it “full academic support.” Clergy members also spoke out on Wednesday in support of the merger.
Critics of the deal say the commission shouldn’t give up ownership to the state for fear of political interference or a drop off in charity care.
The commission heard a second round of public comments at its hearing Wednesday night.
Delaitre Hollinger, president of the National Association for the Preservation of African American History and Culture, wants a memorandum of understanding that FSU will not consume FAMU programs.
“The African American community has lost the FAMU hospital, and I think there’s a lot of trepidation,” he said.
Hollinger said the NAACP wants three FAMU seats, not just one, and the FSU president shouldn’t have veto power.
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FSU President Richard McCullough explained that, starting in year three, FAMU would offer three names for their board seat, and then FSU-FAMU would pick someone.
“We could refuse to appoint whoever FAMU recommends, but that’s not the spirit of the agreement. There’s no funny business,” McCullough said.
Another speaker said Gov. Ron DeSantis has already harmed Florida universities.
“Will a state-owned hospital limit care to women?” the speaker asked.
One speaker expressed concerns about privatization, saying Republicans at the statehouse want to privatize schools, so they will try to privatize Tallahassee’s hospital.
Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox said the city can’t be scared of the governor.
“We can’t say we’re fearful of what the governor might do,” she said. “We’re unhealthy people. We need to bring in the right specialists.”
Williams-Cox gave a passionate speech saying she hears the concerns, but the city needs to take the next steps.
“I’m from Quincy,” she said. “I want this to happen in the surrounding counties. Rural healthcare is important.”
Previous coverage about proposed FSU-TMH merger
Commissioner Curtis Richardson agreed, adding that FSU started an indigent clinic in Sabal Palm.
“They haven’t been the boogyman,” Richardson said. “Their football team brings $100 million in revenue.”
As for questions raised by Tallahassee citizens, Richardson said it’s about getting the community access to information.
“I’m supporting where we’re going, and I think we all need to find out how you can get questions answered,” he said. “We just have to make sure the community has access to information. It will be up to you to do the homework.”
Mayor John Dailey said he would support the motion to move the sale forward and set another public hearing once the “definitive agreements” are signed.
The price will also need to be negotiated before the final sale.
Ultimately, the motion passed 3-2. This vote is not final, but a critical one in the future of the TMH-FSU merger.
They will schedule another final vote once a price and board seats are agreed upon.
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