Rural Revitalization: The CMS Community Health Access and Rural Transformation Model

Union County is in the heart of North Central Florida, nestled among bucolic farms, vast timberlands, and trucking industry command centers. The smallest county in Florida, Union County is also by some measures one of the poorest in the nation.¹ Lake Butler, Florida serves as the county seat, and at the top of Main Street in Lake Butler is Lake Butler Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital and lifeline for the town’s 2,000 residents and those in surrounding areas. With the only emergency department and CT scanner in the region, swing beds to help inpatients transition back to life at home, and an affiliated family and pediatric practice, Lake Butler Hospital is an indispensable healthcare resource to the community it serves.