Following in his footsteps: Sarah McFall joins Hartselle Family Medicine

Photos by Rachel Howard 

Sarah McFall’s recent addition to the team at Hartselle Family Medicine marks a significant moment not only in her professional journey but also in the ongoing legacy built by her father, Dr. Alan Walker. With nearly 40 years of experience as a trusted physician in the community, Dr. Walker has helped shape the practice with a commitment to both excellence in care and a strong sense of empathy. Now, Sarah is stepping into her own role as a nurse practitioner, bringing with her a passion for helping others, a deep connection to the community and a desire to continue in her father’s footsteps.  

For Sarah, the decision to pursue a career in healthcare was shaped early on by her father’s example. “My dad is the main reason I pursued a career in healthcare. I remember when I was a little girl, and I loved going up to the office and up to the hospital,” she said. “I sat up there and looked at all their books. I remember the dermatology book the best because it was gross, but I loved it.” 

Sarah recalls a time when, with permission, her father let her watch him stitch a wound. She looks back on this experience and others like it as pivotal moments that guided her toward a career in medicine.   

Her connection to and interest in healthcare extended beyond childhood curiosity. Sarah’s path to becoming a nurse practitioner was paved with hard work and personal sacrifice. During her journey to earn her master’s degree and family nurse practitioner certification, she faced the challenges of balancing her studies with the demands of family life. She and her husband Tad welcomed a son while Sarah pursued her dream.  

“In my second semester, I rushed to finish my preceptor hours for school in the second week of October and then I had my baby the first of November,” she said. Three weeks postpartum, Sarah took and passed her final exam.   

“I fully believe The Lord directed all of this,” she said. “My husband and my mother-in-law and my mom especially helped me so much through this journey, and I truly could not have done it without them. I think becoming a mom while also going to school was probably the hardest part. We also lost loved ones and said goodbye to our family dog, Luna. So, navigating postpartum and grief and motherhood while doing school was a lot, but we made it.”  

Joining Hartselle Family Medicine is a momentous occasion for Sarah. The opportunity to work alongside her father and the team at the clinic feels like the fulfillment of a lifelong aspiration.  

“Personally and professionally, it means the world to me. I really have wanted to be like my dad for as long as I can remember. I remember him coming to my school for career day, and I remember how proud I felt that he was my dad, and thinking how one day I would be like him. I had a few detours in college where I pursued other options, but it seemed like all the detours would never sit right, and I just always would reset and come back to this. It is a surreal feeling, and I am so incredibly grateful. The HFM team is the best of the best, and I am super lucky I got to join them.” 

Continuing a legacy  

For Sarah, following in her father’s footsteps means carrying forward the values that have shaped his practice for decades—values of trust, empathy and a patient-centered approach to care.  

“I believe my dad has built a legacy of trust and empathy and he practices medicine with evidence-based research but also great faith,” she said. “I do not see many doctors going to do home visits and going to the hospital to visit their patients. He has always been someone that people call in situations even outside of work, and he is always willing to help in any way he can. And people love him. I have grown up as ‘Dr. Walker’s daughter’ and then the next statements would be people always telling me about how great he is and how he listened to them and really helped them get through their health problems but also how he was a calming presence for them.” 

Sarah said she is inspired by her father’s steadiness, calmness and ability to offer hope in times of uncertainty. She hopes to emulate those qualities throughout her career.  

“I hope I can be like him and help be the calm in people’s dark times while also pointing them to Christ,” she added. “The healthcare field is so delicate. You see people at their lowest more than you would think, and he does a good job of putting people at ease and letting medicine work, but he also knows how to give people hope in the Lord. I hope I can carry that on.” 

A personal connection 

Sarah’s connection to Hartselle Family Medicine also runs deep. She spent her teenage years working at the clinic, and many of the patients she sees today have known her since childhood. “I am a new nurse practitioner, so I have a lot to learn, but this clinic is a part of who I am.”  Some of the patients that I have already seen as a provider watched me grow and have known my family since before I was born. I grew up working at the clinic on Pine Street starting in my early teens.  

Care with compassion 

Sarah’s approach to patient care is guided by empathy and the belief that every patient deserves to be treated as an individual, not just a diagnosis. Her experience as an ER nurse deepened her understanding of the fragility of life and the importance of seeing the whole person.  

“In nursing school, they always tell you to look at patients like they are your loved ones, so I try to do that. I try to think about how I would feel in their shoes. If I can help even one person be healthier and feel better, if I can help people live and I mean actually live for themselves but also for their children and extended family I will feel that I have done my job well and made a difference,” she said.  

Community ties  

Sarah’s sense of duty to her hometown is evident in her desire to strengthen the practice’s connection to the community. “I hope I can be like all the providers that are at HFM now and the ones that came before me. They love this community, and they serve its people with selflessness. I love my small town of Hartselle and all the people who raised me and made me who I am. I am so thankful for all of the people that stepped up and kept my family afloat when both of my parents were sick and battling really scary prognoses. This community has given a lot to my family, so I would love to try and give back.” 

With her dedication to providing holistic, patient-centered care, Sarah said she hopes to make a lasting impact at Hartselle Family Medicine and in the lives of the people she serves.