Huntsville Hospital
The Huntsville Hospital Health System is the third-largest publicly owned hospital system in the country and consists of 15 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient locations across northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Huntsville Hospital is the flagship campus of the Huntsville Hospital Health System. The 881-bed, public, not-for-profit hospital is the second largest in Alabama and provides care for patients in a 16-county service area.
Huntsville Hospital was named the top acute-care facility in North Alabama and the number two hospital in the state for 2024-25 by U.S. News & World Report. It was also recognized for 10 “High Performing” areas of excellence:
- Aortic valve surgery
- Colon cancer surgery
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Gynecological surgery
- Heart attack care
- Heart bypass surgery
- Heart failure care
- Hip replacement
- Knee replacement
- Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma
Recently, Huntsville Hospital began a $150 million expansion of its Madison Street Tower that will add 120 new private beds and convert 70 existing patient rooms from double occupancy to single occupancy. The project also includes a new Neuro Intensive Care Unit for neurosurgical and stroke patients, a new Emergency Department vehicle entrance and three floors of new acute medical care space. A Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit will also be added, thanks to a $10 million private gift. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children
Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, a member of the Huntsville Hospital Health System, is the only hospital in the region dedicated to women’s health and advanced pediatric health. The facility provides pediatric emergency services, pediatric intensive care, level three neonatal intensive care and pediatric surgery. It is one of only eight St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Affiliate Clinics in the nation, and the only one in Alabama. The hospital is also home to the F. Joseph Kelly Adult Intensive Care Unit, the Breast Center and a dedicated OB emergency program that is part of its Maternity Services department. Newsweek named Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children among “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals” for 2024.
Last year, the hospital announced that it has equipped all of its labor rooms with wireless fetal monitoring devices. The GE NOVii+ wireless monitoring system is a belt-free, battery-powered fetal monitor that allows mothers to move more freely around the delivery room.
Madison Hospital
Madison Hospital, part of the Huntsville Hospital Health System, opened in 2012 with 60 licensed beds and has since expanded to a 90-bed facility with a capacity of up to 200 beds. The hospital employs about 800 people.
Madison Hospital partnered with Madison City Schools and launched a workplace training and student ambassador program for the 2024-2025 academic year. The immersive, leadership-based program is designed to inspire high school students to pursue careers in a community hospital environment. The program includes leadership workshops and seminars, career panels with healthcare professionals, job-shadowing opportunities with different hospital departments and networking events.
Crestwood Medical Center
Crestwood Medical Center is a 180-bed full-service acute care hospital that offers surgical and diagnostic procedures. The facility has been named a Tier 1 Facility by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and has been recognized as an Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation by the American College of Cardiology, a Primary Stroke Center from The Joint Commission and American Heart Association, a Blue Distinction Center+ for Bariatric Surgery and Spine Surgery and a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence by the ALS Association. Other accolades include the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines for Heart Failure (Gold) and AFib (Gold).
Earlier this year, Crestwood announced plans to construct a new freestanding emergency department. The proposed 12,000-square-foot facility will provide 24/7 emergency care for residents in Madison and surrounding communities and be fully equipped with advanced imaging technology, on-site laboratory services and private treatment rooms for those needing a higher level of care than urgent care facilities offer. Crestwood opened its first freestanding emergency department in Harvest in 2024.
The hospital also recently expanded its ICU with the addition of 10 beds, a central nursing station and embedded workstations and renovated the north lobby.
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of North Alabama
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of North Alabama is an 85-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital for patients recovering from stroke, brain injury, hip fracture and other complex neurological and orthopedic conditions. The facility offers 24-hour nursing care as well as physical, occupational and speech therapies and features all private patient rooms, a therapy gym, in-house pharmacy, dialysis suite, courtyard, dining room and dayroom areas.
The hospital has earned Disease-Specific Care Certification from The Joint Commission for its stroke rehabilitation program and The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Disease-Specific Care Certification in brain injury, hip fracture and amputee rehabilitation. It also received the Stroke Center of Excellence award in 2024.
Department of Veterans Affairs, Birmingham VA Health Care System, Huntsville CBOC
This outpatient clinic is part of the Birmingham VA Health Care System and provides primary care and specialty health services, including mental health services, vision care, treatment for hearing loss and women’s health services.
Earlier this year, the Birmingham VA Health Care System offered a live demonstration at the Huntsville VA Clinic of robotic-assisted tools, including the Ion Robotic Bronchoscope, Cone Beam CT and Da Vinci Surgical System, that are used for early lung cancer detection and treatment. The Birmingham VA is preparing to launch a new tele-clinic at the Huntsville VA Clinic.
Unity Psychiatric Care, Huntsville
Unity Psychiatric Care in Huntsville, a division of American Health Partners, is a 20-bed hospital that offers comprehensive inpatient care for individuals aged 55 and older who are experiencing serious mental health symptoms or having a psychotic episode. The facility has achieved the Gold Seal of Approval by The Joint Commission.
This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
