Nearly $2.5 million
state grant to support
new Calhoun Liberty
Medical Center
Funding awarded to Calhoun
County through partnership
with hospital will expand
space for primary & specialty
care close to home
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL (Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026) – A nearly $2.5 million state investment will help Calhoun Liberty Hospital continue expanding access to primary and specialty healthcare services for residents of Calhoun, Liberty and surrounding counties.
Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced that the Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners has been awarded $2,497,933 through FloridaCommerce’s Rural Infrastructure Fund to support the acquisition and renovation of an existing commercial building adjacent to the new Calhoun Liberty Hospital (CLH) campus.
The funding is the result of a collaborative effort between the county and CLH to secure resources for expanding healthcare services in the community. Plans call for the building to be developed into a medical center that will provide space for primary care, specialty care and Calhoun County EMS operations.
“Partnerships like this allow us to make the most of opportunities available to rural communities and turn those resources into something that directly benefits the people we serve,” said Mark Plummer, chair of the CLH Board of Directors. “We are grateful to the Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners for partnering with us on this project and for recognizing the importance of strong, accessible healthcare to the future of our community. This investment will give us room to grow and help bring more services closer to home.”
The new medical center will allow CLH to expand its existing primary care services and build on its growing specialty care offerings. In September, CLH welcomed cardiologist Maria R. Lahti, MD, of Southern Medical Group, giving area patients access to cardiology services that previously required many to travel outside the community. The additional space will create opportunities to bring more specialists to Calhoun and Liberty counties.
“Expanding specialty care has been part of the vision for Calhoun Liberty Hospital for a long time,” said Emily Brown, CEO. “We are now at a point in our journey where we are seeing that vision become reality. We have opened a new hospital, launched new services and are continuing to look at the types of care our community needs most. This funding gives us another important piece of the infrastructure we need to continue that progress.”
“Every new service we can provide locally means a patient may be able to see a specialist here instead of taking time away from work or family to travel for an appointment,” Brown said. “We want to continue building a healthcare system that meets more of those needs right here at home.”
The Rural Infrastructure Fund supports infrastructure projects that promote economic development in Florida’s rural communities. The state received a record 141 applications requesting more than $193 million during the 2026-27 application period.
The Calhoun County project is one of 14 rural community projects awarded funding statewide and is expected to create approximately 33 full-time jobs.
Additional details about the medical center, including the project timeline and future specialty services, will be announced as plans move forward.
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About Calhoun Liberty Hospital Calhoun Liberty Hospital (CLH) is a private, nonprofit, 12-bed Critical Access Hospital that has served Calhoun and Liberty counties for more than 65 years, committed to delivering professional, courteous and compassionate care through emergency services, primary care, short-term inpatient rehabilitation and a range of outpatient services. After Hurricane Michael destroyed its original facility in 2018, CLH rebuilt and reopened a new 50,000-square-foot hospital in Blountstown in August 2025 and has been recognized as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The Calhoun Liberty Hospital Association, Inc. (CLHA) contracts with Alliant Management Services for administrative operations and has a formal partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) to enhance the services and resources available to CLH. For more information, visit calhounlibertyhospital.com.
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