County Hospital

For decades, this rural county hospital in Alabama has provided a comprehensive range of services, including inpatient and outpatient care, therapy, imaging, laboratory testing, and emergency services. When it opened, the hospital had dozens of beds and was one of the largest employers in the area, employing hundreds of people. The facility was a vital local resource as many residents relied on it for routine care and services that otherwise required a long drive to larger cities. Over time, like many rural hospitals, the facility faced serious financial pressures. According to a 2020 report, the main issues the hospital faced included a decrease in patient volume, a high percentage of uninsured patients, and reduced federal funding, which combined to make operations unsustainable.

When the facility closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital leaders expressed deep sorrow and concern. The closure resulted not only in the loss of hundreds of jobs but also in the loss of the county’s only hospital, leaving residents without nearby emergency or 24-hour inpatient care. Hospital officials left the facility intact, holding onto hope that it would one day reopen.

Since the closure, local emergency services have become increasingly strained. Ambulance coverage has been reduced to a single unit serving the entire county, leading to longer response times and serious health consequences during emergencies. Community leaders have voiced outrage over the closure, which many believed would be temporary. Now, more than five years later, the cost to update and reopen the facility is estimated to be in the millions. Without adequate funding, the building remains idle, and with each passing year, the cost and difficulty of reopening continue to grow.

Thank you for reading. Please share the blog with your friends. I appreciate your support. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For more amazing, abandoned places, check out my photography books.