In Memoriam

In Memoriam During 2021, Forrest Health lost three heroes who had served our facility and our community. They were all special in their own way.

Wade Spruill 1948-2021

Wade Nelson Spruill, Jr., founder of emergency medical services and trauma systems in Mississippi, died January 10, 2021.

“Wade was a pioneer in the EMS world with over 50 years of experience. He was also a true friend who will be sorely missed,” said Andy Woodard, President and CEO, Forrest Health.

Spruill retired after 30 years with Mississippi State Department of Health and in 2000 became chief executive officer for AAA Ambulance Service, Mississippi’s first and longest-standing pre-hospital emergency care provider, jointly owned by Forrest General Hospital, Forrest County, and the City of Hattiesburg. He was instrumental in the development of the EMS Program in Jackson and went on to become the state’s longest-serving EMS director as he conceptualized and authored the original EMS Plan for Mississippi.

Richard Clark 1929-2021

Richard H. Clark, Jr., MD, Forrest General surgeon, the last surviving founder of Hattiesburg Clinic and one of the founders of the Southeast Mississippi Air Ambulance District (SEMAAD), died September 5, 2021.

Clark, and a group of men, recognized the need for an efficient emergency services system in south Mississippi, especially in rural areas. In 1970, the men formed SEMAAD. Clark served the organization for the next 25 years as offline medical director.

“He was a great man, and I will always be grateful for his vision and his guidance,” said Forrest Health Vice President, Millie Swan, who remembered Clark for his contributions to health care throughout the Hattiesburg community. “He will be terribly missed and never forgotten.”

Madalene Daniell 1954-2021

Madalene Daniell touched the lives of countless women and their babies during her 44 years overseeing Forrest General Hospital’s Spirit of Women’s “Fitness for Two” classes. Daniell passed away on August 5, 2021.

Through Madalene’s classes, she introduced ground-breaking concepts, cultivated relationships, and created memories for mothers and children alike.

“Words cannot truly express what Madalene meant to our Women and Children’s Services,” said Millie Swan, Forrest Health Vice President. “For the past 44 years, she touched so many lives. I can see her vivacious smile and hear her laughing now. She had such a gift that gave way beyond what she even realized. She was so loved and will never be forgotten.”

6 | FORREST HEALTH ANNUAL REPORT 2021