A new seven-hospital collaborative will bring shared specialty care, mental health support and faster stroke care closer to home across Northwest Florida

PERRY, Fla., (Monday, Aug. 17, 2026) – Doctors’ Memorial Hospital (DMH) is a proud partner in a new regional collaborative awarded nearly $11.2 million in Year 1 funding through Florida’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The program is administered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The five-year Specialty & Acute Care Bundle connects seven independent rural hospitals to shared specialty care, technology and coordination.

The collaborative brings together Calhoun Liberty Hospital, Doctors Memorial Hospital (Bonifay), Doctors’ Memorial Hospital (Perry), George E. Weems Memorial Hospital (Apalachicola), Jackson Hospital (Marianna), Madison County Memorial Hospital and Northwest Florida Community Hospital (Chipley). Together, the partner hospitals serve residents across Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Walton and Washington counties.

For DMH patients, the program means access to more care without leaving Taylor County. Patients will be able to connect with heart, cancer and neurology specialists through video visits, and reach expanded mental health counseling by telehealth. Stroke patients will get emergency specialist care within minutes, with fast transfer when needed. Shared technology will link hospital records, so care teams can work together faster. Work will phase in over the program’s first year as DMH and its partner hospitals reach readiness; specific service start dates for DMH will be shared as they’re confirmed.

“Our partnership with other rural hospitals gives Taylor County access to specialty care and technology no single small hospital could build alone,” said Ashley Biddy, CEO of Doctors’ Memorial Hospital. “Whether it’s a stroke patient who needs a specialist fast or a family who needs a cardiologist without a long drive, this initiative is what makes that possible.”