The Alabama Department of Public Health shut down Chilton Medical Center in Clanton on Monday, leaving 150 employees wondering about their jobs and residents without a hospital in their county.

CMC officials still have an opportunity to present a plan for the hospital’s future on Nov. 8 in Montgomery, but Monday’s closure made clear the stark reality.

“It’s a tragedy,” state Health Officer Dr. Don Williamson said. “Every time one closes, it creates a gap in health care access and it creates a problem for citizens in the community. It’s truly, truly unfortunate.”

Williamson and others in his department worked closely with hospital officials for weeks, tracking patient care and finances. He said the closure was the result of the hospital being unable to make payroll.