{"id":28778,"date":"2025-11-01T00:31:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T00:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/28778\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T00:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T00:31:13","slug":"fsu-has-done-everything-it-can-to-support-famu-tsc-amid-hospital-plans-president-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/28778\/","title":{"rendered":"FSU has ‘done everything it can’ to support FAMU, TSC amid hospital plans, president says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Florida State University<\/a>\u00a0President Richard\u00a0McCullough says his team has given its best shot in working with\u00a0Florida A&M University<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tallahassee State College\u00a0to ensure they have a say in the ultimate transformation of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to FSU Health.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0still work\u00a0left\u00a0to\u00a0be done. While FAMU has secured a seat at the table for the future academic medical center\u00a0governing board,\u00a0TSC’s situation<\/a> remains in limbo though a breakthrough may be at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve\u00a0been working with FAMU and TSC to continue to work on the governance structure and to put them on several standing and ad hoc committees,\u201d McCullough said\u00a0in\u00a0a report to FSU\u2019s Board of Trustees\u00a0during\u00a0an Oct. 31 meeting\u00a0in the Turnbull Conference Center on campus. \u201cThat is not done for TSC yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are more discussions to be had,\u201d he added, \u201cand\u00a0I think Florida State University has done everything it can to push this forward. We really appreciate all the support that\u00a0we’ve\u00a0had from the city commission and others, but\u00a0we’re\u00a0still on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FSU<\/p>\n

FSU President Richard McCullough speaks on behalf of FSU as the City of Tallahassee, Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare meet to discuss the sale of the hospital Wednesday, October. 1, 2025.<\/p>\n

As the higher education institutions\u00a0continue talks with the hospital, the city is poised to hand off its $1-a-year-lease deal and its hospital property and assets to FSU. After months of tense negotiations and flareups<\/a> of controversy, city commissioners met<\/a>\u00a0on Oct. 22 and voted for a\u00a0third and\u00a0final hearing and vote\u00a0to\u00a0take place\u00a0as early as December\u00a0with a final sale price set for the hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is a strong opportunity,\u201d FSU\u2019s Vice President of Research Stacey Patterson said during an Oct. 30 finance and business committee meeting at the conference center. \u201cOur goal has been, and remains, to be a good partner to improve health and healthcare in this region \u2013 not just in Tallahassee, but in all of northwest Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n

A day after the city’s meeting, a\u00a0non-binding\u00a0memorandum of understanding (MOU)<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0finalized\u00a0between FAMU and FSU\u00a0on Oct. 23. It came after McCullough and FAMU President Marva Johnson, along with other university officials, met several times to\u00a0guarantee\u00a0that the historically Black university\u00a0will have\u00a0a\u00a0seat on the hospital\u2019s 17-member governing board.\u00a0Under that agreement, FSU would\u00a0ultimately have\u00a0the final word on who\u00a0the Rattler representative\u00a0would be.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt solidifies our commitment to working with\u00a0them\u00a0in the academic health center,\u201d McCullough\u00a0told FSU trustees, referring to the MOU\u00a0with FAMU.<\/p>\n

Related news: MOU: FAMU secures seat on TMH-FSU hospital board; FSU will pick Rattler representative<\/a><\/p>\n

But while FAMU has\u00a0gained its seat,\u00a0TSC\u00a0continues to advocate for\u00a0its own college\u00a0representative to have a spot on the\u00a0hospital’s\u00a0governing board.\u00a0TSC President\u00a0Jim Murdaugh<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0the college\u2019s\u00a0board members attended TMH’s Oct. 29 board meeting to make its case for inclusion in the budding academic medical center.<\/p>\n

But the hospital board was unmoved from its concern that adding an “academic seat” would\u00a0relinquish community control and could add a political dimension<\/a>\u00a0to the proposed board for a new hospital enterprise that supporters say will\u00a0vastly advance healthcare<\/a>\u00a0in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n

Offering a compromise, City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox \u2013 who strongly supports the inclusion of FAMU and TSC representatives on the academic health center\u2019s governing board \u2013 suggested to TMH CEO Mark O’Bryant that a couple of\u00a0seats be added<\/a>\u00a0to the board, bringing its headcount up to 19 members.<\/p>\n

She proposes TSC and FAMU would have seats that would solely be determined by the presidents of the institution.<\/p>\n

More: ‘Great idea’: Hospital board compromise may break latest impasse between TMH, FSU<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Mayor<\/p>\n

Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox listens as the City of Tallahassee, Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare meet to discuss the sale of the hospital Wednesday, October. 1, 2025.<\/p>\n

McCullough declined to comment on Williams-Cox’s proposal of adding additional seats to the future board until the university can review a written plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, with President Murdaugh from Tallahassee State College,\u00a0the three of us\u00a0(FSU, FAMU and TSC)\u00a0have been trying to work out with TMH how we might be able to make sure that we continue growing the collaborations that we already have at the hospital, enhance academic programs,\u00a0and elevate research,\u201d\u00a0McCullough told trustees Friday.<\/p>\n

As the vision for FSU Health expands, trustees voted to approve additions to the university’s 2025-26 fixed capital outlay budget, including a $10 million project to the spending plan to address capital needs of FSU Health facilities. Other additions included $45.5 million to construct a new innovation hub on campus called INSPIRE (Institute for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Research and Education) and $6 million to go toward utilities infrastructure.<\/p>\n

During McCullough’s report to the FSU board, he also referred to his collaboration with Rev. R.B. Holmes, Jr.<\/a>, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, and over 40 other community faith leaders who have voiced their concerns and\u00a0support\u00a0of the future\u00a0academic health center.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0FSU is\u00a0still working on\u00a0the\u00a0deal with both the city and TMH \u2013 which includes making decisions\u00a0about the\u00a0payment structure<\/a>\u00a0for the sale\u00a0\u2013 McCullough\u00a0told FSU\u2019s board he\u00a0believes\u00a0they’re\u00a0getting\u00a0\u201cpretty close\u201d\u00a0to\u00a0the end of\u00a0negotiations, which he expects to be\u00a0complete by December.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting,\u201d FSU Trustee Jim Henderson said during Thursday\u2019s finance and business committee meeting. \u201cThis is something we need to get to that next level, and I think FSU and TMH together can do that.”<\/p>\n

Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network \u2013 Florida. She can be reached at\u00a0tjean@tallahassee.com<\/a>. Follow her on X:\u00a0@tarahjean_<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU President updates Board of Trustees on TMH hospital sale<\/a><\/p>\n