Russellville Hospital celebrates 50 years of care

RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville Hospital marked 50 years of service with a celebration Friday honoring its history, staff and continued commitment to caring for Franklin County residents.

CEO Chris Ware said the milestone highlights not just the passage of time but the hospital’s ability to evolve while staying rooted in community care.

The hospital recently received a facelift, including new stonework at the entrance and interior improvements designed to give the facility a modern, welcoming look.

“This week’s celebration is our way of honoring the hospital’s 50 years of service and showing how far we’ve come,” Ware said. “The current building was completed in 1975, but our history goes back more than half a century.”

He said the hospital’s past and future share the same foundation — a promise to provide consistent, quality care for the community.

“Times have changed. Leadership has changed. Ownership has changed,” Ware said. “But what hasn’t changed is the commitment to take care of patients in Russellville and Franklin County.”

The hospital offers a range of medical services from pain management and general surgery to orthopedics, plastic surgery and a new sleep center.

It also houses a 24-hour emergency department, intensive care unit, medical- surgical floor, radiology and a state-of-the-art CT scanner.

“We want people in this area to know they don’t have to go out of town to get the care they need,” Ware said. “You can get it right here at Russellville.”

Ware said the hospital’s staff is a key part of what sets it apart.

“We’re competing with other hospitals in the area for nurses, but the ones we have here want to be here,” he said. “They’re very passionate about taking care of patients in Russellville. Sure, they could go to bigger cities and make more money, but they’re dedicated to helping this hospital grow and maintain quality care.”

He said that dedication matters in emergencies, when traveling long distances for treatment could mean the difference between life and death.

“Our staff are here because they love taking care of patients — and they love Russellville,” Ware said.

Ware joined the hospital nearly two years ago and has spent 27 years in health care. He said several Russellville Hospital employees have served more than four decades.

“We have staff and providers who really care about our patients and their families,” he said. “Patients don’t have to come here. They can choose where they go, so our goal is to make sure that while they’re here, they get the best care possible — so they don’t want to go anywhere else.”

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, who represents Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District, commended the hospital for its decades of service and its continuing role in providing health care to rural residents.

Aderholt said the hospital stands as a cornerstone of the community and praised its ability to grow, adapt and expand services over the years. He noted the hospital’s origins in the 1950s and said the current facility, completed in 1975, marks its Golden Jubilee this year.

He spoke about the challenges facing rural hospitals nationwide, emphasizing the need to keep facilities like Russellville Hospital open.

“We’ve seen rural hospitals close time and time again throughout Alabama and across the country,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to preserve them.”

Aderholt said Congress recently approved funding measures to help sustain rural hospitals through what former President Trump called the “one big beautiful deal,” which includes millions of dollars designated for Alabama.

During the ceremony, Aderholt presented hospital leaders with an official statement he entered into the “Congressional Record” honoring Russellville Hospital’s milestone. The statement recognized Ware, Chief Operating Officer Danny Crow, Chief Financial Officer Shannon Hughes, Director of Nursing Alice Wahlberg and Director of Marketing Heath Daly.

Aderholt described the hospital as “a living example of resilience, growth and compassionate service,” and congratulated its leadership and staff on 50 years of continued care for Franklin County residents.

State Rep. Jamie Kiel also spoke during the ceremony, describing Russellville Hospital as both a vital health care provider and an essential economic driver for the community.

Kiel recalled learning soon after taking office in 2018 that the hospital was struggling to keep its lights on.

“They told me the electricity was about to be turned off because the bill hadn’t been paid,” he said. “It’s been a remarkable turnaround in the last six years.”

He credited Ware and Crow for leading the hospital’s renewal in both reputation and appearance.

Presenting a formal resolution from the Alabama Legislature, Kiel commended the hospital’s leadership and expressed appreciation for the facility’s ongoing role in Franklin County’s growth.

During his remarks, Ware said the hospital began as an idea in 1973 and came to fruition two years later, growing into a facility that has touched thousands of lives.

Calling Russellville Hospital “more than just a building,” Ware said it represents the compassion and dedication of generations of employees.

“It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” he said. “Here’s to the next 50 years as we continue to heal, inspire and serve this community with unwavering dedication and love.”

Among those recognized for service was Pam Taylor, a registered nurse who has worked at Russellville Hospital for 47 years and now serves in education and employee health.

Taylor’s connection to the hospital spans generations. Her mother, Lucille Cannon, was a nurse there the day the original facility was dedicated 50 years ago.

“I was a freshman in college when they built the new hospital next to the old one,” Taylor said. “I started as a registrar, not a nurse, and when the first computers were put in the hospital, I was the first one trained to register patients in the ER using a computer.”

Taylor later spent 23 years in the Emergency Department before moving into her current role.

“It’s like a second family,” she said. “I love helping people. Now I work directly with employees, keeping everyone up to date on training — skill days, ACLS and CPR.”

She said her ties to the hospital go beyond work. “I had all my children here,” Taylor said. “That’s very special. I use the hospital myself unless they don’t have the service I need.”

Taylor recalled a major milestone from 1982 when Russellville Hospital became the first in the area to host the Carraway Lifesaver helicopter. “That was definitely an event,” she said.