News Summary
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare is initiating a new executive leadership structure effective June 1, 2025, aimed at becoming a more comprehensive regional health system. CEO Mark O’Bryant remains at the helm, while Ryan Smith takes on the role of President and COO. Andrew Starr is promoted to President of the West Market, overseeing new operations. The governance model is under consideration for restructuring, which may affect city ownership of TMH facilities amid community concerns over a potential sale.
Tallahassee – Effective June 1, 2025, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) has announced a transition to a new executive leadership structure as part of its strategic evolution into a comprehensive, regionally focused health system. This change is intended to ensure that TMH continues to provide high-quality healthcare services tailored to the specific needs of the communities it serves.
Mark O’Bryant will remain as the Chief Executive Officer of TMH, responsible for overseeing organizational governance and strategic direction for all TMH entities. Ryan Smith has been appointed as the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, managing operational oversight in the Tallahassee market after 16 years with TMH. In addition, Andrew Starr has been promoted to President of the West Market, where he will manage the construction and future operations of the FSU Health Panama City Beach Hospital, having over 20 years of healthcare leadership experience since joining TMH in 2020.
Currently, there is a proposal under consideration for TMH to restructure its governance model to create a new Health System Board. This would allow governance of TMH without needing confirmation from the city. However, the existing TMH Board will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the hospital. The City of Tallahassee owns all TMH-related land, buildings, and assets, having had a long-term lease agreement with TMH since 1979.
City Manager Reese Goad indicated that city staff will evaluate whether continued city ownership aligns with the long-term interests of the city and may explore selling the property. However, TMH has emphasized that it is not currently seeking changes to its ownership or operational model, reinforcing its independence as a nonprofit community-based health system.
TMH occupies about 75 acres of land and 2 million square feet of building space, all leased from the city at a nominal rate of $1 annually since the lease began. In its continuous efforts to enhance regional healthcare services, TMH has expanded specialty care through partnerships, notably the collaboration with Florida State University (FSU) Health. This partnership includes a $125 million appropriation from FSU, aimed at advancing both medical education and clinical care within the community.
As part of FSU’s vision to develop an Academic Medical Center in Tallahassee, the initiative aims to enhance community healthcare while ensuring the local focus of TMH remains intact. However, a recent agenda item raised by the city suggested exploring the potential sale of the hospital, leading to concerns and backlash from TMH leadership and the local community.
TMH leaders have expressed apprehension regarding the city officials’ potential plans to sell the hospital, urging public support to maintain TMH as a community-owned health system. The Chief Communications Officer for TMH reiterated the organization’s commitment to local governance as a nonprofit and clarified that any requests for governance changes were related strictly to administrative growth, not for the purposes of selling or terminating city leases.
As discussions about the potential sale and restructuring of TMH’s governance are set to unfold in an upcoming city commission meeting, there is significant community interest and involvement anticipated. This evolving situation encapsulates the dynamic relationship between healthcare governance and community welfare in Tallahassee.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee Reports: TMH Announces New Executive Leadership Structure
- Tallahassee.com: Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Could City Sell Hospital Property
- WTXL: City of Tallassee to Discuss Ownership and Operation of TMH
- Google Search: Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare
- Wikipedia: Tallahassee
