DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates highlighted their endorsement of the sale of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare from the City of Tallahassee to Florida State University in letters and statements sent to ABC 27 on Tuesday.
The Board of Directors of the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates (NEBA) strongly encourages the Tallahassee City Commission to approve the agreement transferring the City’s hospital assets to Florida State University to establish an academic medical center under FSU Health. For the business community, access to world-class healthcare is not simply a medical issue, it is an economic development imperative.
The proposed partnership will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment into our local healthcare infrastructure, expand specialized medical services, and attract research funding and talent to Tallahassee.
Academic medical centers are powerful engines of innovation and economic growth, drawing leading physicians, biomedical researchers, healthcare startups, and life-science investment into the communities they serve.
For entrepreneurs, employers, and investors, these institutions help create the type of environment where businesses want to locate and grow.
This agreement also ensures the continuation of our hospital’s critical community mission by protecting indigent care policies, maintaining access to healthcare for all residents of our region.
At the same time, the partnership recognizes the extraordinary work of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, whose leadership and commitment to patient care over the past four decades have positioned our community for this next stage of growth.
This proposal represents a rare alignment between healthcare advancement, economic development, and community impact.
Tallahassee has an opportunity to strengthen its position as a regional leader in academic medicine, medical research, and advanced patient care. Opportunities of this magnitude do not come often, and we believe the long-term benefits to our community are significant.
For these reasons, the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates respectfully urges the Tallahassee City Commission to vote “Yes” on the proposed agreement.
This decision will help ensure a stronger hospital, a stronger economy, and a stronger future for our community.
The letter from The Chamber shows a written date of March 4, 2026. The NEBA Board met on Tuesday and sent this statement to ABC 27 following the conclusion of the meeting.
These endorsements are taking place a day before City Commissioners are set to hold the third and final public hearing and vote on the transfer of TMH.
The deal has divided the community, with community groups like Tallahassee ALERT and the NAACP raising concerns about the deal, including access to indigent care and the automatic transfer deadline of April 1.
Supporters of the deal have included some of the City Commission, including Mayor John Dailey, Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Richardson, and Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox. Community members, including FSU staff, students, and faculty, and local pastors in the community.
Previous coverage about different neighbor opinions can be found here.
The City Commission is set to meet on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall for the third and final public hearing about the transfer of TMH. The agenda can be found here.
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