(Tallahassee)- After several months of negotiations, Florida State University (FSU) and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) have concluded negotiations, with details being slowly revealed.
(Photo: From FSU)
“This pending agreement is the result of positive collaboration with the City and a shared vision for the future of health care, education, and research in our region”, said McCullough.
While Mayor John Dailey described the news of an agreement as “a transformative step forward”, the merger has not been completed yet.
Dec. 10 was the last city hall meeting for 2025, meaning TMH and FSU will be put on the agenda for the first meeting of 2026, Jan 14.
FSU President Richard McCullough (Photo: From FSU)
After months of back-and-forth between city commissioners and modest public concern, details are being revealed.
A common concern for those who opposed the merger was the lack of compensation for the city, which has leased the property to TMH for an annual fee of $1.
Today, it was announced that the deal, which rebrands TMH as FSU Health, includes investing 1.7 billion dollars in Tallahassee over 30 years.
Out of the lump sum, 109 million dollars will be given to the city of Tallahassee to reimburse the property sold as part of the acquisition. As Commissioner Jeremy Matlow mentioned, none of the payments FSU has negotiated include interest or any provision to account for inflation.
FSU has also made short-term plans to renovate the hospital, promising to invest 250 million dollars in the project over the next 10 years.
Commissioner Jeremy Matlow has been a vocal opponent of the merger and has continued to express discontent.
Commissioner Jeremy Matlow (Photo: Talgov.com)
"I think that's just that's a bad use of public assets, and we need to make sure that people who own the hospital get what it's worth so we can reinvest that money into our community,” Matlow said.
Matlow’s comments serve as a reminder that the merger still faces opposition, which the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will almost certainly support Matlow.
Where Matlow has been vocal about ensuring the city receives a fair deal, the NAACP has focused on the public’s opinion.
The NAACP planned to stage a press conference before the Dec. 10 city commissioner meeting and will likely be present on Jan. 14 to ensure their voice is heard.
So far, the sale has almost exclusively run through the city commissioners, a process that has come under scrutiny. After months of negotiations, the end may finally be in sight for the merger
The question becomes how do you feel? Are you unsatisfied with the amount of public involvement? Do you believe Tallahassee is giving FSU a discount? Or are you happy Tallahassee will finally have a reliable hospital within a 3-hour drive?
Although we can expect the FSU-TMH merger to pass 3-2 on January 14, be sure to attend the meeting to hear the true details firsthand and stay informed about your community.
As always, reach out to me with any comments or concerns as we learn more about the sale at jason.f@lead4earth.org.
Comments