Sumter County Hospital

In 1908, a group of local women founded the Americus & Sumter County Hospital Association. Their efforts to generate community support and secure funding for a modern medical facility culminated in the dedication of the Sumter County Hospital in 1913. Situated in Americus, the hospital initially operated as a modest 27-bed facility with a single surgical room. In 1932, an annex was added, doubling its capacity to 55 beds.

During its early years, African American patients were treated in cramped and inadequate conditions in the basement near the boiler room. However, with the establishment of the Americus Colored Hospital in 1923, located in the northern part of the city, Sumter County Hospital became a fully segregated facility, exclusively serving white patients. The hospital continued to operate until 1952, when a new medical center was opened north of town.

In 1952, the Americus & Sumter County Hospital opened in the northeast part of Americus. Funded in part by the federal Hill-Burton Act, the hospital was prohibited from denying services based on race, leading to the closure of the Americus Colored Hospital. However, the act did not require desegregation, and the new, state-of-the-art facility maintained racially segregated wards.

In 1960, the hospital introduced the region’s first modern Emergency Department, marking a significant advancement in healthcare for southwest Georgia. By 1968, the Americus & Sumter County Hospital officially desegregated its patient wards, ending its practice of racial segregation.

Sometime between 1968 and 2000, the hospital was renamed Sumter Regional Hospital. In 2007, the 1950s facility was completely destroyed by a tornado, leaving the area without a functioning hospital. This gap in healthcare services lasted until the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center opened in 2013, restoring medical care to the community.