Calhoun Liberty Hospital reopening to provide much needed healthcare services to rural communities
Season 11 Episode 23 | 2m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Florida’s population has been growing, how has this been affecting Health Care?
Calhoun Liberty Hospital opened its new facility in Blountstown, Florida. Residents and leaders of the community share with us how this impacts the region as Florida’s population grows. Discover more local stories at wfsu.org/localroutes.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Local Routes is a local public television program presented by WFSU
Calhoun Liberty Hospital reopening to provide much needed healthcare services to rural communities
Season 11 Episode 23 | 2m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Calhoun Liberty Hospital opened its new facility in Blountstown, Florida. Residents and leaders of the community share with us how this impacts the region as Florida’s population grows. Discover more local stories at wfsu.org/localroutes.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipFlorida's population has been exploding over the past few years, but that growth hasn't been felt equally everywhere.
Liberty and Calhoun, two rural counties right next to each other, have experienced little to no population growth over the past five years.
And, they're getting older.
That's while surrounding counties, like Bay, Gulf and Wakulla, have seen their populations spike by at least 15 percent.
While all those counties were hit by Hurricane Michael in 2018, Liberty and Calhoun have been slower to recover.
Calhoun Liberty Hospital, one of the few hospitals in the area, was hit hard, leaving its operating capacity at 40% for years.
Luckily, we have a good staff with the limitations where we didn't have wall oxygen, we didn't have suction, we didn't have proper lighting.
It's just it's almost like working out of your garage.
My wife was real sick, so it was.
We started going more to Tallahassee, away from the hospital.
It was.
It was pretty expensive.
And it was a lot of time consuming.
The hospital unveiled a brand new 50,000 square foot facility in Blountstown in July 2025.
It's going to be nice and it's already nice.
Yeah, I think it'll work out real good for, my family and all the community.
It's instrumental as far as access to care for the area.
It is in essence, the most one of the most important types of facilities that you'll find in rural health care.
This is a critical access hospital, which means it's at least 30 miles from another hospital.
Which 30 miles could be life or death?
That could, you know, minutes.
Seconds mean, the outcome a good outcome or a bad outcome.
The construction of this facility is happening as health care needs across Florida are expected to grow even more over the next 10 to 15 years due to a population that is both growing and aging.
Without a doubt it is an economic pillar, a job creation pillar.
I'm excited about what we can continue to do to develop rural health care, not just in the hospital setting, but for, providers and other services and try to get the whole gauntlet of health care available to those that live in rural areas.
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Local Routes is a local public television program presented by WFSU