Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, two local philanthropists fund innovations at FSU College of Medicine

Two local retired physicians have joined forces with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to provide $2.5 million worth of enhancements to the Florida State University College of Medicine, including a new center where medical students will learn using high-tech patient simulators.

Charlotte E. Maguire, M.D.

The Charlotte E. Maguire, M.D., and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Center for Clinical Simulation is equipped with mannequins that can simulate a variety of conditions, from wheezing to a heart murmur to cardiac arrest, enabling students to learn how to react to the unexpected in a no-risk environment.

"This new center represents a significant advancement in our clinical skills education and will serve to complement our outstanding and innovative Clinical Learning Center," said Dr. J. Ocie Harris, dean of the College of Medicine. "We are so grateful to Dr. Maguire and to TMH for making this possible."

The center, which goes into operation this week, honors Maguire, a benefactor of both the hospital and the medical school, and was made possible through a $750,000 gift from the TMH Foundation that was matched by the State of Florida for a total gift of $1.5 million.

"The Maguire-TMH Clinical Simulation Center will offer the residents in the TMH Family Medicine Residency Program and — in any future additional TMH residency programs — the opportunity to learn advanced procedures and protocols in a no-risk environment," said Paula Fortunas, president and CEO of the TMH Foundation.

Dr. Maguire's friend and colleague, Dr. Laurie L. Dozier, Jr., has funded a $2 million charitable remainder annuity trust for the ultimate benefit of TMH and the College of Medicine. When the funds are received, FSU will establish the Laurie L. Dozier Jr., M.D., Endowed Professorship. Under present State of Florida provisions, the Dozier Professorship will be eligible for State of Florida matching funds.

A Leon County native, Dozier earned his medical degree from Duke University in 1955 and practiced internal medicine and cardiology in Tallahassee from 1960 to 1991. He was co-founder of Cardiology Associates, which later became Southern Medical Group.

The Laurie L. Dozier Jr., M.D., Endowed Professorship will serve as a tribute not only to his work, but also to that of his daughter, Sarah Dozier Sherraden, director of the Clinical Learning Center, where medical students learn patient interviewing and examination skills by working with people who have been trained to portray specific medical cases.

"We have been so fortunate since our founding to have Sarah Sherraden as the director of our Clinical Learning Center, and we want to thank Dr. Dozier for ensuring the continuation of the tradition of excellence Sarah has helped establish for clinical education at the FSU College of Medicine," Harris said.

The Charlotte E. Maguire, M.D., and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Center for Clinical Simulation is directed by Dr. Stephen Quintero, assistant professor of family medicine and rural health.

"This is yet another outstanding example of the positive partnership between TMH and the FSU College of Medicine," said Mark O'Bryant, TMH president and CEO.

By Nancy Kinnally