Mark O’ Bryant, TMH CEO
In addition, it sponsors the Alexander D. Brickler, M. D., Fellowship in Obstetrics for interested graduates of family medicine residency programs. There are currently 106 physicians in training in the residency and fellowship programs.
Alma Littles, M. D., dean of the College of Medicine, knows first-hand the deep and longstanding partnership between FSU and TMH.
After graduating from medical school in 1986, she continued her training in the TMH Family Medicine Residency Program, eventually serving as chief resident and later being hired by TMH to serve as director of the program. Even though she was a TMH employee, she was intimately involved in the early stages of the college’ s development, serving as acting dean of the Tallahassee Regional Campus, acting chair of the college’ s Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health, and chair of the curriculum committee. A year after the first students entered the newly created College of Medicine, she was hired full-time as the inaugural chair of the college’ s Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health. She also served on the TMH Board of Trustees and is a past chair of that group.
“ I am delighted that we have taken the next step in this partnership because, ultimately, our patients will benefit, as will the next generation of health care professionals,” Littles said.“ This is an extraordinary step forward for our community, medical education, patient care, and research.”
In 2021, the TMH and FSU boards jointly approved the FSU / TMH Academic Health Center Strategic Alignment Plan, which laid out a blueprint for an academic health partnership.
The new agreement further builds on the momentum of the FSU Health Academic Health Center, launched in 2022 with a $ 125 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis. Construction is underway on the TMH campus. The 140,000-square-foot building, expected to open in 2026, will house the FSU Family Medicine Residency Program in TMH’ s outpatient clinical and educational space, a simulation center, clinical research space, laboratories and other facilities designed to connect patient care, education and research.
FSU and TMH have now advanced that vision through this Memorandum of Understanding that formally establishes the framework for a fully encompassing academic health center. Under the agreement, FSU and TMH will work with the city of Tallahassee on the transfer of the hospital assets to FSU, including the 75-acre property, 2 million-square-foot hospital building and related assets. It is anticipated that FSU will then lease the assets to TMH under a new 40-year lease and operating agreement.
TMH will remain the licensed operator of the hospital, preserving its independent, tax-exempt status, and collaborate with FSU through research, branding, academic and clinical agreements.
The hospital will transition its brand to FSU Health. The hospital’ s board will continue to set strategy, approve the budget and make decisions, though the board composition will now have FSU representation. The hospital will continue to operate under its existing management, and employees will remain TMH employees.
" This is an extraordinary step forward for our community, medical education, patient care, and research."
Alma Littles, M. D. Dean, FSU College of Medicine
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