After Lawrence Medical Center ended inpatient care in 2025, work is beginning on a new facility designed to keep more health services close to home for Lawrence County residents.
Huntsville Hospital Health System, Decatur Morgan Hospital, the Lawrence County Health Care Authority and community leaders broke ground Monday on the $14 million Lawrence Medical Center Outpatient Facility. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The 10,000-square-foot building at 15445 Alabama Highway 24 will offer extended-hours urgent care, CT and MRI scans, 3D mammography, lab services and respiratory therapy. It will also have a community room and space to support continued physician and provider recruitment. The 20-acre site leaves room for future expansion.
“This is about making sure patients and families can continue getting high-quality care close to home,” said Sam Dean, executive vice president of regional hospital operations for Huntsville Hospital Health System. “We are committed to Lawrence County for the long term, and this facility is one more way we are putting that commitment into action. It gives us the opportunity to better serve this community now while creating room to grow in the years ahead.”
The groundbreaking marks a milestone in a difficult transition for local health care. As 256 Today reported when the plan was announced in 2025, Lawrence Medical Center’s board decided to end inpatient care and close its emergency department while focusing its resources on outpatient services.
At the time, board chairman Gary Terry said more than 99% of the center’s encounters were outpatient visits, while fewer than five patients a day received inpatient care. Imaging, lab testing, urgent care and therapy have continued at the existing campus as a department of Decatur Morgan Hospital.
“We see every day how important it is for patients to have care available close to where they live and work,” said Kelli Powers, president of Decatur Morgan Hospital. “This new facility will offer expanded hours, advanced technology and more services in one location. It also strengthens our ability to recruit more physicians and providers to better care for our neighbors.”
Huntsville Hospital Health System is investing $14 million in construction and equipment. The project is expected to support up to 63 local jobs. Once the building opens, services at the current Lawrence Medical Center campus will move to the new location.
Under the agreement between the health care authority and Huntsville Hospital Health System, all health care tax revenue and locally generated health care revenue will stay in Lawrence County and be reinvested in local services and facilities, according to the health system.
“This is an important day for our community,” Terry said. “Our goal throughout this process has been to protect local access to sustainable healthcare and make sure the resources generated here continue to benefit the people who live here. This facility is a major investment in Lawrence County and an important step toward a stronger future for local healthcare.”
The planned urgent care and outpatient services will expand what residents can receive locally, though the facility is not described as restoring inpatient care or an emergency department.
“Our community has faced real challenges in maintaining local healthcare, and this project shows what can happen when people come together determined to find a path forward,” said state Rep. Ernie Yarbrough. “I’m grateful to everyone who has worked to make this investment possible and excited about what it means for families across our community.”
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
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