The Heartbeat Continues
For decades, Lawrence Medical Center (LMC) has been a cornerstone of healthcare in Moulton. As the hospital shifts its focus to outpatient care, the closure of inpatient and emergency services has left many employees reflecting on their experiences, their patients, and the bonds they’ve formed over the years. These are their stories—in their own words.
Sharon Pearson
"I have been at LMC for 39 years. I started in 1985, back when the hospital was full, and I have seen a lot over the years. I live in Wren, and having my job close to home has been a blessing. My mom lives with me, and my daughter and I have been able to make things work because of my schedule. With these changes, I don’t know what I’ll do. Finding care for my mom won’t be easy. But I do know this—LMC has been my home. I have met so many people, made lifelong friends, and cared for patients who felt like family. The CEO from Huntsville has been encouraging about helping us find jobs, and I appreciate that. But no matter where I go, I’ll never forget where I started."
Sara Montgomery
"I started my nursing career at LMC on the Med-Surg unit. I have lived in Moulton my whole life, and I wanted to serve my community. I left for a short time, thinking a bigger hospital would offer more, but I quickly realized I was wrong. I was overworked, understaffed, and I couldn’t give my patients the care they deserved. So, I came back to LMC. I became a House Supervisor and got to see how everything worked behind the scenes. I also saw just how many emergencies came through our ER. We didn’t work here for the pay—we worked here because we loved our patients, our community, and our coworkers. We fought for this hospital, but the community didn’t fight for us. That’s the hardest part. I still work PRN here, and I’ll be here as long as I’m allowed."
Alexandra Wright
"For almost seven years, I worked in the ER, helping to supervise and taking care of our community. Living in Hatton, having my job close to home meant everything. I’m fortunate that I have another job lined up, but if there’s ever another ER in Lawrence County, I’ll be the first one to put in my resume. This place shaped me into the nurse I am today, and I’ll never forget the people who helped me grow or the patients I cared for."
Aimee Beck
"My role at LMC is a staff nurse in the Emergency Department, and I also handled staff scheduling in the ER. I started in July 2010. My nursing career began on the Med-Surg floor, but I eventually moved to nights, then ICU, and later to the ER full-time. I remember April 27, 2011, when I was pulled to the ER to assist with tornado victims—I was less than a year into nursing, and I thought, ‘I could never do what these nurses do.’ But someone must have seen something in me because later that year, I was asked to join the ER full-time. Fourteen years later, it has been my home.
The closure impacts me in a different way—it’s not just about losing my job; I’m losing my hospital family and community. Many of us have been here our entire careers, and the thought of starting over is overwhelming. It’s not just medical staff affected—janitors, cafeteria workers, secretaries, and clerks are losing everything they’ve ever known. Some of them will have to commute longer distances, taking time away from their families.
Was this avoidable? I don’t know—I’m not in management. All rural hospitals are struggling. Reimbursement rates are low, and patient volumes have declined. When I started, we had multiple physicians admitting patients, a full Med-Surg floor, and an ICU. But over time, physicians left, inpatient numbers dropped, and COVID made everything worse. They tried swing beds, detox programs, and respite care to generate revenue. Maybe the biggest mistake was not being transparent with the community—this hospital was taxpayer-funded, and people had a right to know.
The staff was informed about the financial struggles toward the end of last year. For those of us who had been here long enough, it wasn’t a shock. We saw the decline. They tried to get a Certificate of Need or Rural Hospital Emergency designation, but both were denied. If the community had known, maybe we could have rallied together and pushed our representatives harder. We’ll never know.
The biggest concern is emergency care. Ambulances will be tied up longer, traveling to already crowded ERs where patients sometimes wait hours. If you’re in a true emergency, every minute matters, and now those critical minutes are doubled. It’s terrifying.
What needs to happen for healthcare services to return? We need to push our representatives to reclassify Lawrence County as rural so we can qualify for essential designations. My message to the community: Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to serve you all these years. This hospital was my home, and if an ER ever opens here again, you can bet I’ll be back."
The future of medical care in Lawrence County is uncertain, and what comes next remains unknown. But care is not confined to a building—it endures in those who serve, adapt, and push forward with resilience, dedication, and hope.
The heartbeat continues.
