It eventually became known by many in the Laurinburg community as 'Dr. Richardson's Hospital'

The year was 1946 and Scotland Memorial Hospital was opening at the deactivated military air-base in Maxton.

After the Maxton military base closed in 1945, community leaders successfully petitioned the federal government to get a hospital in the area. Community leaders then went to Philadelphia to pursue surgeons Dr. James J. Richardson and Dr. F. Simmons Patterson to come to the area.

The Scotland Memorial Hospital honored those first two surgeons from the original Scotland Memorial Hospital on Thursday by hanging a plaque in the outpatient corridor where surgical patients, visitors, and hospital staff can view it.

The hospital posthumously honored doctors Richardson and Patterson for their hard work in getting Scotland Memorial off the ground.

Greg Wood, President and CEO of Scotland Memorial presented the plaque to Penny Richardson the widow of Dr. James J. Richardson.

"When doctors Richardson and Patterson arrived in Laurinburg, they were the only two board certified surgeons from Charlotte to Wilmington," said Marketing Coordinator, Karen Gainey.

Penny Richardson well remembers those early days in her late husband's career.

"When Richard and I first got to Laurinburg in 1946, the people of Laurinburg made us feel so welcomed," she said.

The Richardsons and Pattersons lived at the airbase when they first got to the area, Penny Richardson said.

"It was a different world back then," she said. "We had no heat or telephone, not even a lock on our door."

"But the air-base was a great place to live, raise a family and provide medical care," she said.

She explained, when patients needed emergency surgery, an orderly would go knock on their window and the two doctors would start the process of performing surgery.

Penny Richardson said her husband never wanted to be anything but a surgeon.

"He certainly didn't enter medicine for the money," she said. "His patients were his focus, night or day, it didn't make any difference when he was called."

Penny said Dr. Richardson never turned anyone down regardless the ability to pay or race.

The surgeons and their families later moved from the air-base to homes in Laurinburg.

"An office was built by the two physicians on Covington Street which eventually became the Laurinburg Surgical Clinic and now houses several Scotland County offices," Gainey said.

Dr. Richardson practiced 26 years in Laurinburg, leaving in 1972 when his health caused him not to be able to perform surgery, while Patterson practiced in Laurinburg until around 1952, later relocating to practice in New Bern.

"Your family along the Patterson's started us here and we appreciate everything they did when they started here," Wood said to Penny during the short ceremony.

"Those two fine surgeons helped our hospital get off to a wonderful start and saved many live during their service to our community, Wood said. "It was past time to recognize them," he said.

Penny Richardson thanked the hospital for honoring her late husband and his fellow counterpart.

"I think its a wonderful honor for two wonderful men," she said. "They both worked night and day to get this hospital off the ground."