FSU, TMH forge new research alliance April 10, 2009

By Doug Blackburn
DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER

In a major local health-care development, Florida State University and Tallahassee Memorial Health Care officially have joined forces to work as research partners on numerous projects, including two that are already under way.

The partnership at this point does not have a formal name, nor does it have a budget. According to Paula Fortunas, president and CEO of the TMH Foundation, the shared research projects will be funded primarily through grants, contracts and gifts.

The agreement between the two institutions allows the hospital’s physicians to conduct laboratory research and clinical trials with researchers at FSU’s College of Medicine as well as other colleges and departments at the university. Many of the more than 500 doctors affiliated with TMH already serve as clinical faculty at the medical school.

“This is the beginning of a unique research effort,” FSU President T.K. Wetherell said in an announcement released Thursday. “In community partnerships such as the one we are forging with TMH, we will be able to provide a body of knowledge through which Florida’s citizens will see unprecedented health-care benefits.”

This is the 9-year-old College of Medicine’s second research partnership with a major health-care facility. FSU announced a formal relationship with the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville last April.

“The biggest difference is this is with one of our community partners,” said Dr. John Fogarty, dean of the College of Medicine. “The majority of the research that’s taking place at TMH is clinical research, as opposed to the high-end research you might think about at the Mayo Clinic.

“This is very exciting for us. From my perspective, this is the next generation of development for the College of Medicine. This begins to build out our research portfolio.”

Mark O’Bryant, president and chief executive officer of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, lauded the new collaboration between the hospital and FSU, which had been in negotiations for several weeks.

“This partnership presents a golden opportunity to bring great minds together,” O’Bryant said. “We believe the result of their work will be a healthier community for all.”

Increasing physician and hospital clinical research is a key component of TMH’s strategic plan, according to Fortunas.