Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare,
Two Local Philanthropists Fund Innovations
at the 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.

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.

 “Dr. Maguire has long recognized that the model of medical education at the FSU College of Medicine is likely to produce the kind of doctors America truly needs,” said Dr. John Fogarty, dean of the College of Medicine. “Her gifts have helped support a medical library system that is virtual and can be accessed by students and faculty across the state, a Clinical Learning Center and Simulation Lab that emphasizes patient-focused, competent care, and a Geriatrics Chair that recognizes the critical need for clinicians who understand the unique health and social needs of seniors.”

The center 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.

“While it seems cliché and overstated, our medical students come here stating that they want to be physicians because they ‘want to be able to help people,’” said Dr. Alma Littles, senior associate dean for Academic Affairs. “Dr. Maguire’s esteemed career and her philanthropic spirit are concrete examples of that dream fulfilled.”

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.

“Dr. Maguire’s gifts are totally consistent with the mission of the College of Medicine and have helped transform the college into the learning community that it is today,” Fogarty said. Littles also noted the significance of Maguire’s influence on the college as well as its students: “Training our students to emulate Dr. Maguire’s compassionate care of patients and her generosity toward others will help them realize their goals of helping others and their patients will be fortunate to have them.”

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. “I support the FSU College of Medicine because it is such a joy to be able to join with other people in developing the program,” said Maguire. “The College of Medicine is training physicians to not only listen, but to care; not just to treat symptoms, but to treat the whole person.”