TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — In the potential sale of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare to Florida State University, the Board for the hospital could get two additional seats, bringing the total to 19 seats, according to a statement from TMH Board Chair James Killius, MD, and CEO Mark O'Bryant, sent to ABC 27 Friday afternoon.
According to this proposal, the new board would consist of 10 community seats for TMH, and 9 for academic partners.
The original MOU had 9 seats designated for TMH and 8 for FSU.
Now, per this proposal, FSU and the hospital would gain an additional seat. TMH said a Tallahassee State College representative would fill FSU's extra seat. This would mirror the seat previously given to Florida A&M University per a recent MOU between FAMU and FSU.
TMH's additional seat would be community representation.
The statement concludes that TMH is "encourag[ing] all parties to join" this new approach.
The full statement can be found below:
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare has always believed that the strength of our hospital comes from its deep roots in this community and the people we serve. As we work toward a next-generation academic medical center, that community foundation must remain secure.
Earlier today a new proposal surfaced that offers a smart and balanced path forward: expand the governing board by two seats, bringing the total to 19 members.
Under this approach, TMH would hold 10 community seats, and our academic partners would hold nine.
Florida State University would gain an additional academic seat, designated for Tallahassee State College—mirroring the designation previously given to Florida A&M University. The second new seat would be added to TMH to represent the community.
This preserves a clear community majority while ensuring all three institutions contributing to our healthcare workforce have a meaningful and defined role.
TMH fully supports this structure and stands ready to move forward on that basis. We encourage all parties to join us in adopting this approach and advancing together toward a stronger healthcare future for our region.
ABC 27 also received a statement from FAMU's President Marva Johnson regarding the new MOU between FAMU and FSU, and their representation on the Board.
Florida A&M University remains steadfast in our mission to prepare students for careers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and allied health fields. We look forward to working with Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to ensure that our healthcare workforce reflects the communities it serves. The MOU with Florida State affirms that FAMU will hand-select a qualified pool of candidates from which one designee will represent our interests on the new board. FAMU will continue to play a vital role in producing professionals who can reduce health disparities and deliver culturally competent care.
A copy of the MOU can be found below:
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