Williamson, West Virginia Life in central Appalachia requires a resolute spirit, and Loretta Simon is an optimist.

Simon served as both head nurse and chief operating officer of Williamson Memorial Hospital until it closed its doors, just past 1 a.m. on April 21, 2020. The 76-bed hospital—the staff of which was known as “Your Friends on the Hill”—had been struggling financially. There were potential buyers, but the pandemic temporarily derailed that process.

“Things happen for a reason,” Simon says. Lessons have been learned with the closure, perhaps the most critical of which is that rural hospitals must leverage the full resources of their communities in order to survive.

Fortunately, Williamson Memorial is a survivor. It’s now scheduled to reopen, most likely in the fall, and Simon