On Oct. 1, the Tallahassee City Commission will meet to hear details of an agreement reached by Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare on the future of our city’s public hospital.
The plan calls for TMH to become part of FSU Health, which would transfer control of the city-owned hospital assets to the university, pending city commission approval.
And, while day-to-day operations and employment are expected to remain unchanged, this may be one of the most important decisions coming before elected officials – and the public – in recent memory.
Will the proposal put the hospital under state control, as critics fear, and subject matters of public health to the political whims of the moment? Or will it usher in a new era of healthcare in Tallahassee, where residents no longer need to travel many miles to receive needed care?
There are arguments for and against the agreement emerging from all segments, but everyone agrees that public input must be heard before any vote is taken.
At the Tallahassee Democrat, we want to hear your views through thoughtful letters to the editor and in Your Turn opinion columns.
Letters should be limited to a maximum of 200 words and include your name, city of residence and email (you can request we withhold publishing your email). Please include your cell number for editing purposes.
Your Turn columns should be 500 to 550 words. They must be signed and include a color JPEG headshot and one-line bio of the author, a suggested headline, and your cell number (for editing purposes).
Letters and Your Turn columns should be emailed in a Word document (not a PDF) or be copy and pasted in the body of the email to TLHLetters@tallahassee.com.
We look forward to the discussion.