(TALLAHASSEE) -- The merger between a hospital and a university; to be, or not to be.
After a several-month saga with the city commissioners, the potential merger between Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) and Florida State University (FSU) may come to an end.
As of the date this article was posted, FSU and TMH have not yet been placed on the agenda to finalize the merger. A few weeks ago, FSU President Richard McCulough was hopeful the details of the merger would be agreed upon in December.
As we approach the final city commissioners meeting of 2025, the chances that the merger will be completed before 2025 grow slim. With the commissioners scheduled to meet on Dec. 10, the NAACP, along with African American Leadership for Empowerment, Respect and Tenacity, also known as the Tallahassee Alert, will attempt to hold a press conference outside of city hall prior to the three p.m. meeting.
The NAACP’s current president spoke during the group's town hall meeting on Nov. 18, detailing his personal opinion.
Dr. Marlon Williams-Clark, Tallahasseee NAACP president (Photo: NAACPTallahassee.org)
“We can build a strong, integrated FSU–TMH academic health center without giving away public wealth”, Williams-Clark said.
The president went on to elaborate that a memorandum of understanding is not a sufficient standard, as it is not legally binding. Instead, Williams-Clark is hoping for a binding agreement, which would give both Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University(FAMU) and the community some voting power.
Nov. 18 was a date the NAACP set for community members to voice their opinions on the TMH-FSU merger. Since the mention of a merger, several problems have been cited.
Florida State University (Photo: Florida State University)
Namely, the timeline. The first time a potential sale was brought to the commissioners publicly was in October. Although unlikely, the sale was slated to be brought to the city commissioners for approval on Dec. 10. In combination with the scrutiny that came with opting for a single appraising firm, some community members feel the merger has a predetermined destiny.
Dr. Bruce Strouble is a spokesperson for Tallahassee Alert, a civic engagement group that is discontent with the TMH merger trajectory.
(Photo Brucestroublejr.com)
“TMH is public property; it belongs to the people. Our money built it, our families rely on it, and our voices must decide its future,” Strouble said.
Speaking for the community, Strouble brings attention to a common view that the city seems to be in a rush to get rid of an asset.
Second is representation. As of now, there is an MOU promising representation for FAMU, which would give the university one board member. Many, including Dr. Strouble, have brought attention to the lack of representation and care for FAMU.
To promote diversity and patient safety in the hospital, the community wants FAMU, an HBCU, to have greater voting power in the hospital. Currently, the agreement between FSU and TMH does not explicitly designate FAMU as having a board member. FSU and FAMU have a separate MOU that gives FAMU one of the board positions allotted to FSU, one of the eight.
Together, Tallahassee Alert and the local NAACP are looking to hold a press conference in front of and prior to the next city commissioner meeting. The merger is not expected to be ready for the commissioner's approval as of now.
If you have any comments or concerns please message me and leave a comment at jason.f@lead4earth.org.
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