Celebrating Rural Health Day: Capital investments strengthen Florida’s rural health care delivery

Today marks National Rural Health Day, a time to recognize the vital role of rural health care providers across the Sunshine State.

From Blountstown and Perry to LaBelle and Palatka, rural communities across the state depend on their local hospital for high-quality care close to home. Rural hospitals and their clinics provide timely, accessible and expert emergency, inpatient, rehabilitation, primary and specialty care for babies, teens, adults and seniors.

More than 30 of our state’s counties are rural and about 11% of our residents call a rural area home.

In addition to essential health care providers, rural hospitals are pillars in their communities. Often the leading employers in the community, they are critical for supporting economic stability for Florida families and contributing to their community’s overall economic health.

“Florida’s 24 rural hospitals are essential to their communities’ health, economic stability and overall quality of life,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association (FHA). “Investments in our rural hospitals are investments in a healthy Florida.”

Here in Florida, we are fortunate that our state leaders recognize the essential roles of rural hospitals and meaningfully support them. Although the Legislature created the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement program in 1999, it existed without funding for many years. In 2023, the Legislature appropriated $10 million to the program and in 2024, it made that investment recurring to support the ongoing needs of rural hospitals to modernize and invest in the latest medical equipment, needed renovations and new facilities to effectively meet the health care needs of their communities.

When Hurricane Michael devastated Calhoun Liberty Hospital (CLH) in 2018, only 40% of the hospital’s original facility was in a safe condition to continue providing care to local families. Thanks to state support through the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Program, CLH is on the road to recovery.

“The devastation Calhoun Liberty Hospital experienced in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael was immense, but with the support of the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Legislature, we are on the path to recovery,” said Emily Brown, CEO of Calhoun Liberty Hospital. “We look forward to opening our new facility to continue serving our North Florida families with the local care they expect.”

Using funds from the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Program grant for capital expenses to replace the damaged facility, CLH will open a new, expanded facility in April 2025 that will create 25 new full-time and 19 part-time jobs in the first two years. Grant funds are also being used to purchase state-of-the-art X-Ray and CT scan machines.

Another rural hospital grant recipient, Jackson Hospital in Marianna, used funding from the grant to renovate buildings on the hospital’s campus to become administrative offices to have more space for hospital-level care at the hospital’s facility.

“Hospitals serving rural communities have a unique privilege to care for their neighbors, but they also experience unique challenges with payers that can threaten our financial viability. Thanks to the Florida Legislature’s support of rural hospitals, we have the means to invest in our health care facilities so we can continue innovating and advancing to meet the needs of our patients and communities,” said Brooke G. Donaldson, CEO of Jackson Hospital in Marianna and Chair of the FHA Rural Hospital Committee.

As we celebrate Rural Health Day today, we acknowledge the care Florida’s rural hospitals provide and their vital economic health role and express appreciation for the Legislature’s continued support. As we look ahead to the 2025 Legislative Session, the Florida Hospital Association is meeting and working with legislators to continue advocating for Florida’s rural hospitals.