A discussion on the future of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s ownership and governance packed the city commission’s chambers Wednesday, with strong sentiment to keep the facility in local hands.
During the meeting, in which about 20 citizens spoke, most commissioners agreed they want the hospital to remain locally owned.
The dialog was sparked by the hospital’s request to the city to establish a new Health System Board to govern health operations. That raised questions about the possible land sale, with Florida State University expressing interest in purchasing the hospital property from the city.
The city owns the hospital's land and assets, while Tallahassee Memorial operates the facility as an independent nonprofit system under a long-term, $1-per-year lease.
Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey then put an item on the commission meeting agenda to discuss whether city ownership of the hospital “remains in the city’s long-term interest.”
The hospital has said it wants a partnership with FSU, but a concern from many of the speakers was that the selling to the university would place ownership under state.
Hospital CEO Mark O'Bryant said Tallahassee Memorial must remain under city ownership, although changing its governance structure is important as it expands outside of Tallahassee. Current governance is made up of locally based directors, he said.
Jacqueline “Jack” Porter and Jeremy Matlow signaled support for keeping ownership under the city.
Porter and Matlow expressed frustration about how the item was placed on the agenda with little warning for commissioners or the hospital leadership team. But Porter said while she has "serious concerns about how we got here," she's glad to see the city having a conversation about public health.
"I want to see the city play a more proactive role in public health," Porter says. "We have so many great partners who are doing a lot of that work, and I certainly think the city could do more."
Dailey said that's the discussion he was trying to foster when he and City Manager Reese Goad decided to put the item on the agenda.
Dailey said after Tallahassee Memorial asked the commission to review proposed changes to its lease agreement and governance structure, he thought an information item would be helpful since not many people are familiar with the relationship between the city and the hospital.
And, he said, more questions remain to be answered.
"How are we moving forward together? What role does the city play?" Dailey asked. "75 years ago, we began the hospital, and we own the assets. Do you still believe we have a role in this vision or not? Is the expectation to divest the assets locally? Or maintain? These are big questions that impact healthcare in this community."
Dailey says all options could be on the table for discussion at the next commission meeting in April.
“We’re going to make sure this community understands that we’re together in this and we’re going to work to move forward to continue to make health care in our community, in our county, in our region be second to none," Commissioner Curtis Richardson said. "I can’t imagine a health care system in our community that is not locally run and owned and operated. I can’t imagine it.”
In related news, the State University System Board of Governors, which oversees Florida's public colleges and universities, approved an FSU proposal Wednesday to issue more than $413 million in bonds to build a hospital in Panama City Beach.
That facility is part of a partnership between Tallahassee Memorial and FSU. The health system is expected to run the hospital under the "FSU Health" brand while the university owns it.
