After 45 years at NMMC, the ‘Hat Lady’ calls it a career
Margaret Hadley, longtime receptionist at Outpatient Rehab Services at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo's Longtown Medical Park, shows off her octopus hat on Feb. 7, 2023. Over the years, Hadley has collected and worn more than 60 colorful hats, earning her the affectionate moniker, "Hat Lady." Hadley will retire after 45 years at NMMC on Feb. 17.
Hadley keeps hats at her desk at Longtown Medical Park in Tupelo. She said she's going to give most of them away after she retires.
Wearing her octopus hat, one of her favorites, Hadley works at her desk at Longtown Medical Park in Tupelo on Feb. 7, 2023.
Wearing her octopus hat, one of her favorites, Hadley works at her desk at Longtown Medical Park in Tupelo on Feb. 7, 2023.
TUPELO — Next week, longtime North Mississippi Medical Center employee Margaret Hadley will hang up her hats. All of them.
After 27 years, Hadley — affectionately known as the “Hat Lady” — is preparing to retire as a receptionist/scheduler at the Outpatient Rehab Services of NMMC in Longtown Medical Park in Tupelo. Her last day is Friday, Feb. 17.
“I’m truly grateful for every person I’ve met, every co-worker that I worked with, and for every administrator I’ve ever served,” Hadley said of her long career with NMMC, which spans 45 years in total.
During that time, Hadley has become the face — and in many ways, the heart — of Outpatient Rehab Services. Among her many duties, Hadley answers phones, directs patients to designated areas, prepares patient charts, assists therapists and coworkers with daily tasks, does a lot of filing (A LOT of filing) and whatever else needs doing.
In other words, she wears many hats. Often, literally.
Donning her hats
At one point during her time at NMMC, Hadley owned over 60 hats. That’s how she came to be known as the “Hat Lady.”
As most do, Hadley’s hat collection started small.
“I received a funny homemade hat from a patient who went on vacation,” she said. “I would often wear the hat to work.”
The unusual hat apparently made an impression on patients, because they soon brought her more. And more. And even more than that.
“I began to receive hats from numerous patients,” she said. “I started to wear the hats daily, and shortly, I became known as the ‘Hat Lady.’”
The hats delighted patients and coworkers. Anyone who saw them.
“For the last 20-plus years, each person that has entered the Longtown Medical building has been greeted with the most infectious personality and a smile that brightened their day,” said physical therapist Ryan Clayton, who works with Hadley daily. “Margaret Hadley — the ‘Hat Lady’ — is the epitome of what we as human beings should strive to be: putting others before self and giving each person the ultimate patient experience.”
More than anything, Hadley hopes that, through her work, personality and dizzying array of hats, she’s made a difference to her patients.
“I hope I’ve helped many people during a difficult time in their lives,” she said. “I believe kindness shown is kindness received, and it’s been my goal to try to live that philosophy.”
How well has she succeeded? Seemingly, pretty well. She said she’s almost always bumping into people who know her.
“I think that’s a good thing,” she said.
A long and varied career
Hadley described her four-plus-decades at NMMC as varied and thoroughly enjoyable. The self-described “people person” is one of those priceless employees who helps an organization function smoothly by doing many vital jobs.
Of her many duties, Hadley said the one she enjoys most is meeting and greeting people. Patients, family members, coworkers — Hadley loves them all.
“I’ve always been a people person,” she said. “I love to share a smile.”
Of course, every job has his downsides, Hadley’s included. She said delivering bad news to a patient or their families has always been hard, and her years of experience on the job has done little to soften the task’s sharp edges.
Hadley joined the staff at NMMC not long after graduating Tupelo High School. She first took a job at the Bank of Mississippi, now Cadence Bank, but applied for a position at NMMC while on maternity leave.
NMMC responded almost immediately.
“I guess they were really looking hard for someone,” she said with a laugh.
The interview led to an 18-year role as a ward secretary in the pediatric section of the hospital before she took her current position.
Now, 45 years later, Hadley’s ready to spend less time working and more time with her family. That, and watching football.
As for the dozens of hats the “Hat Lady” has collected over the years:
“I’m giving them away,” she said. “I’m saving one or two, since my youngest grandson Eli loves my hats.”
Must run in the family.
