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Ground Broken on New Lawrence Medical Center Outpatient Facility to Strengthen Care Close to Home

September 29, 2026 | Reading Time: 3 minutes

$14 million investment will bring extended-hours urgent care, advanced imaging, therapy and other outpatient services for Lawrence County

Huntsville Hospital Health System (HH Health), the Lawrence County Health Care Authority, Decatur Morgan Hospital and community leaders gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the new Lawrence Medical Center Outpatient Facility, a 10,000-square-foot project at 15445 Alabama Highway 24 in Moulton.

Ground was broken Monday, Sept., 28, on a new outpatient facility that will bring expanded healthcare services and technology closer to patients and families in Lawrence County.

Huntsville Hospital Health System (HH Health), the Lawrence County Health Care Authority, Decatur Morgan Hospital and community leaders gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the new Lawrence Medical Center Outpatient Facility, a 10,000-square-foot project at 15445 Alabama Highway 24 in Moulton.

Plans include extended-hours urgent care, advanced diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, respiratory therapy, and space to support continued physician and provider recruitment. The facility will include CT, MRI and 3D mammography technology, as well as a community room. The 20-acre site also provides 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 HH Health. “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.”

Lawrence Medical Center is operated by Decatur Morgan Hospital and is in affiliate of nonprofit, community-based Huntsville Hospital Health System. HH Health is investing $14 million in construction and equipment, and the project is expected to support up to 63 local jobs.

“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.”

Rendering of the future Lawrence Medical Center outpatient center

The groundbreaking marks the next step in the long-term affiliation between the Lawrence County Health Care Authority and HH Health and underscores the health system’s broader commitment to sustaining healthcare access in rural communities across North Alabama.

Lawrence Medical Center transitioned away from inpatient care in 2025. Outpatient services, including imaging, laboratory testing, urgent care and therapy, have continued as a department of Decatur Morgan Hospital while plans for the new facility moved forward.

“This is an important day for our community,” said Gary Terry, chairman of the Lawrence County Health Care Authority. “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.”

Under the agreement between the Health Care Authority and HH Health, 100 percent of healthcare tax revenues and locally generated healthcare revenue will stay in Lawrence County and be reinvested in local healthcare services and facilities. HH Health has also invested millions of additional dollars in Lawrence Medical Center since the affiliation began.

“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.”

HH Health also thanked Yarbrough, Mayor Ryan Jolly, the Lawrence County Commission and the Lawrence County Health Care Authority for their partnership in moving the project forward.

Once the new building opens, services currently provided at the existing Lawrence Medical Center campus will transition to the new location.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.