Ted Chapin has joined Chilton Medical Center as the hospital’s executive director.

Chapin comes to Clanton from North Carolina and has more than 30 years of hospital administration experience. In fact, he’s never worked in any other industry — starting in healthcare in 1973 as an orderly while in high school.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Appalachian State University and a master of public health policy and administration from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Though relatively new to Chilton County, Chapin said he quickly realized that the county, situated between Alabaster and Prattville, is growing.

“This community deserves a hospital, needs a hospital, and there are good people who work here,” he said.

Chapin hopes the hospital grows with the community. He said he envisions CMC growing services over time. He said the hospital needs a general surgeon, cardiologist, orthopedic surgeon and pulmonologist.

CMC has a license from the state health board for a nine-bed geriatric psych unit. Chapin said the hospital is pulling together plans for the unit.

He said renovations and other work will be done and the emergency department needs expanding eventually.

“You only get one first impression. We want to have a facility that is as appealing to the eye as we can,” Chapin said.

The emergency department currently sees between 1,000-1,200 patients a month, getting people in and out as quickly as possible with six rooms, he said.

“That’s just too small. We need more space in the emergency department,” Chapin said.

Outside of overseeing the hospital, Chapin said he plans to be active in the local community. Chapin, and his wife of 30 years, Sarah, an elementary school teacher, plan to purchase a house and completely move to Clanton in October.

They have two children, Heather, 28, who lives in Atlanta, and Will, 22, a student at The University of North Carolina, Charlotte.