A Florida hospital’s plan to become an academic medical center is coming to fruition after 17 years.
In 2008, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s board outlined a plan to transform the hospital into an AMC. In September, the vision took shape through a deal with Tallahassee-based Florida State University. Under the partnership, the hospital-turned-AMC will be branded under FSU Health while retaining its current management.
In a statement, FSU President Richard McCullough, PhD, and Tallahassee Memorial CEO Mark O’Bryant said the partnership will “provide the opportunity to establish the hospital as a true quaternary center — expanding services, extending our reach, generating jobs, and fueling regional growth, all while preserving it as a community-focused hospital.”
Stephanie Derzypolski, vice president and chief communications officer for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, told Becker’s the future AMC will introduce innovations and advanced care for complex conditions to North Florida.
In a Q&A with Becker’s, Ms. Derzypolski expanded on the partnership between Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and Florida State University.
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for grammar and style.
Question: How will Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare balance its decades-long mission of community care with the new academic and research focus?
Stephanie Derzypolski: Our mission to serve this community will always come first. Becoming an academic medical center doesn’t change who we are — it strengthens what we can offer our community. Research and education will only improve our quality, attract top talent and expand access to care for our neighbors, right here at home.
Q: How will this partnership affect workforce pipelines? And how will you measure success on this pipeline access in five to 10 years?
SD: We already have a great talent pipeline from our regional colleges, including FSU, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee State College, Lively Technical and other academic partners. This partnership will only enhance it as we have future ambitions to add clinical, academic and research programs as well as residencies and fellowships. Success will be measured by increased numbers of graduates who stay in our region to practice, improved access to care, and greater diversity across our healthcare teams. In five to 10 years, we expect to see outcomes in retention, recruitment and the strength of our clinical leadership.
Q: What specialties are you most excited to grow under the FSU alignment?
SD: Once we have our definitive agreements signed, we will come together with FSU to align on areas where academic collaboration directly translates into improved patient outcomes.
Until that time, TMH continues to focus on physician recruitment to bring highly qualified physicians to our community, with more than 35 active searches at this time. Some of the recruiting areas included cardiothoracic surgery, urology, cancer care, nephrology, neurology, gastroenterology, trauma surgery, cardiology and electrophysiology.
Q: What kinds of services or subspecialties do you expect patients will soon have access to locally that previously required travel to other hospitals?
SD: We anticipate that, over time, patients will see expanded access to subspecialty care in complex liver procedures, advanced neurosurgery, specialty oncology care, advanced gastroenterology, advanced cardiothoracic surgery and some pediatric subspecialties.
Q: What areas of research or clinical innovation do you see as most promising for improving care in North Florida?
SD: This partnership will bring research focus and clinical improvements in mental health, substance abuse, infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience and neuromodulation, digital health and personalized medicine. We will also have a focus on population health, AI and clinical innovations that will improve care in all our specialties and subspecialties. This will develop and grow over time as we add more physician researchers and expand our relationships with our FSU research colleagues.
Q: How does the 40-year lease structure with FSU set TMH up for long-term stability and growth?
SD: The lease structure provides stability, shared investment and a long-term framework for planning. It allows both organizations to make investments in infrastructures, technology and talent — knowing this partnership will endure for decades. That continuity will attract top-tier clinicians, researchers and students who want to build their careers within a stable and forward-thinking academic health system.
Q: What are you doing to keep staff engaged and aligned with the new academic mission, especially at a time when workforce burnout remains a challenge across healthcare?
SD: Becoming an academic medical center will give our staff opportunities to learn, teach and participate in discovery — all of which are deeply energizing. We have hosted town halls and deployed internal communications strategies to update our colleagues on the evolution of our discussions with FSU. Colleagues are excited about the possibilities for organizational growth and professional development that come with this enhanced partnership.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
SD: This partnership represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our region. It’s about creating access to world-class care, training the next generation of healthcare leaders and advancing research that will change the trajectory for our community. It’s a new chapter — but one firmly grounded in the values that have defined TMH for over 75 years.
