Community Invited to Hospital's 75-Year Anniversary

VALLEY, Ala.—For three quarters of a century, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital has provided high-quality, compassionate health care to residents of Chambers County and surrounding areas. 

To commemorate the anniversary, East Alabama Health is inviting members of the community to attend a special open house ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 4-6 p.m. EST. Tours of the hospital, as well as light refreshments, will be provided during the open house. The hospital's address is 4800 48th St. in Valley, Alabama. 

“We are excited to celebrate our hospital’s 75-year anniversary, and we want to invite members of our community to join us in doing so,” said Greg Nichols, administrator of EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital. 

While the hospital has evolved over the past 75 years, one thing has remained constant: its commitment to providing patients with the best care possible. 

“We are committed to meeting the evolving health care needs of our community,” Nichols said. “By continually aligning our care options with the unique needs of those we serve, we ensure our patients have access to the resources and expertise they can rely on.”

What is now EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital began caring for the community as George H. Lanier Memorial Hospital on Jan. 18, 1950. The facility was the first in the nation to qualify for funding through the Hill-Burton Act, which provided grants and loans to build hospitals and other health facilities. The first baby born at the hospital, Billy Joe Stewart, arrived two days after the hospital opened. 

In February 2014, East Alabama Medical Center and Lanier Memorial affiliated, with the facility’s name changing to EAMC-Lanier. Today, the facility operates as a Rural Emergency Hospital, providing crucial access to emergency care, as well as key outpatient services such as diagnostic imaging, cardiac rehab, physical therapy, infusion services and more. 

Also located on the campus are the EAMC-Lanier Nursing Home and the EAMC-Lanier Ambulatory Surgery Center. The 103-bed nursing home offers residents skilled and intermediate nursing care, while the Ambulatory Surgery Center offers patients local access to outpatient and endoscopy procedures.

“Meeting the needs of our community is paramount to everything we do,” Nichols said. “As we celebrate 75 years, we look forward to caring for our community for many more years to come.” 

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About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital that is currently under construction to add 30 critical care beds. EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital provides emergency and outpatient services while its campus also features a nursing home and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,800 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org.