Colleagues, Patients, Volunteers and Community Members Can Submit Their TMH Stories at TMH.ORG/75Years
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Friday, July 21, 2023) – Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) is celebrating 75 years as the region’s healthcare leader by highlighting the stories of patients and the memorable life moments that health and wellness make possible.
TMH has launched TMH.ORG/75Years, a website where community members can share their TMH memories and stories and learn about the organization’s history.
The hospital has grown from a small wooden barracks at Tallahassee’s Dale Mabry Field to a sprawling campus in the center of the capital city to a regional healthcare system with a new campus under construction in Panama City Beach.
“It’s difficult to put into words what TMH has meant to Tallahassee and the surrounding region since our founding in 1948,” said TMH’s President & CEO for 20 years Mark O’Bryant. “With nearly 6,000 colleagues, we are Tallahassee’s largest private employer and a community asset that drives the health of our region. TMH is led by a volunteer board of directors, and we belong to the community. It only makes sense to celebrate by putting the focus on the community and patients who entrust their care to us.”
Colleagues, patients and families can share their TMH stories – from births and new beginnings to overcoming health challenges – via a form on TMH.ORG/75Years. Stories will be chosen and featured on TMH’s website and social media channels.
“When you think about what we do at TMH, it’s all about caring for people and empowering them toward health so they can enjoy life to the fullest with the people they love,” Vice President & Chief Communications Officer Stephanie Derzypolski said. “That’s the meaning behind our tagline: ‘Your Hospital for Life.’ We are honored to care for patients and families and grateful for their continued trust. Our story is Tallahassee’s story.”
The campaign, which will continue through the end of the year, focuses on the life moments – from milestone birthdays to families spending Saturdays at the ballfield to hitting the road and enjoying retirement on a motorcycle – that come as a result of being strong, happy and healthy. Community members will see these stories, developed in partnership with The Mitchells Agency and Orange Video, in a variety of placements including television, social media, digital media and print publications.
“It’s stories like Camilla Augustine’s, a patient who recently came to TMH after years of enduring debilitating tremors in her hands,” O’Bryant said. “Camilla had Deep Brain Stimulation surgery at TMH, which dramatically reduced her tremors and allowed her to get back to doing the things she loves like drawing and painting. Stories like these are our why, and they inspire us toward growth and innovation every day.”
A book detailing the milestones of TMH’s 75-year history, written by longtime local journalist Rosanne Dunkelberger, will be published later this year.
Because TMH has been engrained in the community for so long, people are often surprised to learn just how much it has grown in the past seven and a half decades, Derzypolski said, from a small, city-run hospital to a regional, nonprofit healthcare system serving 21 counties in North Florida and South Georgia.
In fiscal year 2022 alone, TMH saw 31,190 inpatient admissions. Here are some additional stats from 2022:
- 137,012 Emergency & Urgent Care Center Visits
- 18,050 Surgeries
- 3,369 Births
- 4,655 (Full Time Equivalent) Colleagues
- 1,225 Medical Providers
- 639 Volunteers
- 10,452 Volunteer Hours
- 4,809 Music Therapy Sessions
- 2,645 Animal Therapy Sessions
- 2,818 TMH Foundation Donors
- $2.47 Million Given Through the TMH Foundation
- Over 130 Community Events/Organizations Sponsored by TMH
In the coming years, TMH will see growth in Panama City Beach on an 87-acre parcel, a project in partnership with Florida State University and The St. Joe Company. Plans include an 80,000-square-foot medical office building, scheduled to be complete in 2024, and a 100-bed hospital to be complete by the end of 2027.
In Tallahassee, FSU and TMH are partnering on a new academic facility that will offer advanced medical training and research opportunities. The building, funded by $125 million from the Legislature and located on the main TMH campus, will include educational, medical and research laboratory space.
“TMH has grown with our region to keep pace with our population’s healthcare needs,” O’Bryant said. “This is why we are developing strategic partnerships. This is why we invest in the most advanced lifesaving technology. This is why we are building the best-in-class healthcare system our colleagues, patients and community deserve. In another 10, 20, 25 years, we’ll be able to look back and see the tremendous impact we made together.”
Share your TMH story at TMH.ORG/75Years for an opportunity to be featured as part of the campaign.
