North Alabama Medical Center/North Alabama Shoals Hospital
North Alabama Medical Center opened its doors in 2018 as the replacement facility for Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence. North Alabama Medical Center serves as a regional facility with more than 200 physicians on staff, representing more than 42 specialty areas of medicine. The 263-bed facility offers the community’s only open-heart surgery site, a complete line of women’s and children’s services, and a complete line of medical and imaging services.
The hospital is very active in workforce development. Recently, it agreed to partner with Northwest Shoals Community College to provide more than 5,100 square feet of space at its Cloyd Boulevard campus to assist with health care education initiatives. This is after NWSCC was awarded a $1.3 million state grant aimed at addressing health care needs in four rural counties of northwest Alabama — Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale and Lawrence.
The Cloyd campus currently hosts NAMC’s Sleep Center, Wound Center, Outpatient Imaging and Center for Breast Health.
With the donated space, the college plans to launch a stand-alone Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program, increasing access to nursing education for students in the region. It will also provide dual enrollment pathways for LPN certification. Initiatives also include a non-credit health studies training center, offering specialized programs to meet the evolving needs of health care professionals.
North Alabama Medical Center accolades include Platinum Recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for educating and promoting organ donation awareness. In 2023, North Alabama Medical Center produced seven organ donor heroes and had 19 life-saving organs recovered from transplants. There were 20 bone and tissue donors, resulting in up to 2,000 recipients of an enhanced quality of life. NAMC also had 29 eye donors and 58 recipients of new sight.
NAMC’s Center for Women and Children offers obstetrics and gynecology care, as well as pediatrics, breast health and educational classes for new and expecting mothers.
Its sister facility, North Alabama Shoals Hospital in Muscle Shoals, was founded in 1968 by a group of physicians dedicated to serving residents of Colbert County. Today, the 178-bed, general acute care facility boasts private rooms for all patients as well as a 24-hour emergency department, medical and oncology services, medical/surgical inpatient units and an intensive care and short-stay surgery units. Shoals is also Joint Commission accredited, is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Tier 2 Hospital and has received a Blue Distinguished award in hip and knee replacements.
The American College of Cardiology recently recognized North Alabama Shoals Hospital for its expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. The hospital was recently awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.
Helen Keller Hospital
Helen Keller Hospital, in Sheffield, has 185 beds and 1,098 employees, one of Colbert County’s largest employers. It offers comprehensive services, including ambulance and ER, cardiac services, imaging, infusion, intensive care/progressive care, pediatrics, lab/pathology, outpatient surgery, rehab services/sports medicine, sleep disorders center, social services, surgery, a well care and fitness center and a women’s center.
It has served the community for more than 100 years, and continually updates services. The hospital just implemented a new EMR-Cerner system, which enables health care providers to share information more effectively and have the complete picture of a patient’s care.
The hospital is one of only two in Alabama to receive CMS Sepsis Recertification, and is a Blue Cross Designated Blue Distinction Center+ Knee and Hip Replacement, as well as the Healogics Center of Distinction Award for Keller Wound Healing Center.
The hospital recently renovated and updated one of its operating rooms. Also, the hospital updated its Da Vinci robot to Xi.
Red Bay Hospital, in Franklin County, also is part of the system.
This article appears in the October 2024 issue of Business Alabama.
