Florida State University and the City of Tallahassee have officially completed the legal transfer of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare’s city-owned hospital assets to the university.
FSU President Richard McCullough made the announcement Friday in an email to all university students, faculty and staff.
In it, he said it will allow the institution to build FSU Health, an academic health center, while Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare will continue to operate the hospital.
“This is about impact. It means better access to care for our region, new opportunities for discovery, and a stronger pipeline for training the next generation of health professionals,” he wrote. “This moment reflects years of collaboration and a shared commitment to serve our community. It also reflects what a strong public university should do: bring together education, research, and service to improve lives.”
The issue was a hotly debated one in the capitol region before the transfer was approved by the Tallahassee City Commission last month. Supporters said it will bring more healthcare offerings to the area, while opponents express concern about giving up local control of the hospital to the university, which is controlled at the state level.