Florida State University and Tallahassee (Fla.) Memorial HealthCare have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a governance structure for a new Tallahassee-based academic medical center and a Panama City Beach, Fla.-based medical campus.
The partnership will create a nonprofit corporation that will oversee large research and clinical education decisions for both FSU and TMH.
"TMH has been working toward this goal of partnering with FSU to create an academic health center for almost 15 years," Mark O'Bryant, president and CEO of TMH, said in an April 8 news release. "This is a monumental step forward in our relationship, and I'm incredibly excited and proud of the work our teams have done."
FSU and TMH have partnered previously over residency programs like internal medicine, psychiatry and general surgery.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature gave FSU $125 million in 2022 to develop a Tallahassee-based academic medical center.
The conceptual design for the hospital is in its final stages, with the site on TMH's campus being cleared for construction to kick off.
FSU is also aiding in the partnership between TMH and the St. Joe Company, a land development company, to create FSU Health in Panama City Beach, Fla.
The campus, which will open in July, comprises a medical office building that will house physician partner groups, an ambulatory center, cardiology and orthopedic services, and an urgent care center.
Construction of a 100-bed hospital that features an emergency center and inpatient services like cardiology procedures and imaging and surgery is planned to wrap up by the end of 2027.
The Panama City campus also has plans to build a 600-bed facility that will be backed by around 380,000 square feet of space for medical offices, the release said.