Calhoun Liberty Hospital

Calhoun Liberty Hospital (Calhoun), a rural critical access hospital, built a new 39,000 square foot hospital with two operating rooms, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, wound care and I.V. infusion treatment facilities in rural Blountstown, Florida. The new facility provides primary and advanced health care services and replaces the former 50-year-old hospital damaged in Hurricane Michael in 2018. Due to the decreased operations of the damaged hospital paired with Covid-19 in 2020-2021, the hospital was operating at a significant loss. The new hospital is expected to serve 23,000 individuals, 75% from the low-income community, and support over 30,000 visits annually. Without Calhoun, residents in this rural, medically underserved area travelled over 50 miles to receive emergency care, a task made difficult as Blountstown lacks adequate public transportation. This facility is fundamental to the healthcare of the Calhoun, Liberty, Jackson, and Golf Counties as these counties have some of the highest poverty rates in Florida. Located in a severely distressed rural area Calhoun creates 35 FTEs, retains 120 jobs, and creates 200 construction jobs. Due to the significantly decreased operations of the damaged hospital and coupled by additional losses from Covid-19, CLH had been operating at a significant deficit. Calhoun was also faced with a financing gap from increased construction costs to rebuild and without NMTC financing, the hospital would not have been completed.