Calhoun Liberty Hospital's new 50,000-square-foot facility in Blountstown was unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday.
Calhoun Liberty is a keystone hospital, meaning it's the only facility for 30 miles. Hurricane Michael damaged the previous building in 2018, leaving it operating at a reduced capacity for years. The new construction cost $47 million and was funded via federal and state money.
Calhoun Liberty CEO Emily Brown said the facility will provide stable health care access to people in her rural community.
"It's built to withstand 180-mph wind. It's got a 1,000-kilowatt generator. And so, the infrastructure is built to last, but it's also built to for expansion. The hospital is built to be able to add a second floor," she said.
Murray Baker, the hospital's medical director, said the facility brings a new CT scanner, X-ray suite and other services that weren't available at the old hospital.
"We have the lighting we need, the equipment, availability that we need, the organization we need, will make things faster and more organized," he said.
Rece Mears, a lifetime Calhoun County resident, joined a tour of the facility Thursday. He said he and his wife were forced to travel to Tallahassee, 50 miles to the east, for doctor's visits and hopes that will change with the new hospital.
"I think it'll work out real good for my family and all the community," he said.
The construction comes as health care needs in the Panhandle are expected to expand over the next 10 to 15 years due to a population that is growing and aging.
State Rep. Shane Abbott, R-DeFuniak Springs, helped advocate for funding for the hospital. He thinks continued attention and investment in rural health care is needed.
"I'm excited about what we can continue to do to develop rural health care, not just in the hospital setting, but through providers and other services, and try to get the whole gauntlet of health care available to those that live in rural areas," he said.
The hospital still needs to go through final inspections but it is expected to open for patient care by mid-August.
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