Huntsville Hospital Health System

Health System with 9 hospitals across 2 states

Health System Overview

Health SystemHuntsville Hospital Health System
Total Hospitals9
Commercial/Acute Hospitals9
Total Beds2112
Commercial/Acute Beds2112
HeadquartersHuntsville, AL
Websitehuntsvillehospital.org

Hospitals by Type

Acute Care Hospital
8 hospitals
89% of health system
Critical Access Hospital
1 hospitals
11% of health system

Teaching Status

11%
Teaching
Teaching Hospitals: 1
Non-Teaching Hospitals: 8
Teaching hospitals serve as educational institutions for medical professionals while providing patient care.

Hospital Locations

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO

Hospitals in this Health System

HospitalTypeBedsTeachingRecently Joined
DeKalb Regional Medical CenterAcute Care Hospital134NoYes
Helen Keller HospitalAcute Care Hospital185NoNo
Huntsville HospitalAcute Care Hospital881YesNo
Lawrence Medical CenterAcute Care Hospital 98NoYes
Highlands Medical CenterAcute Care Hospital170NoNo
Athens-Limestone HospitalAcute Care Hospital 71NoNo
Decatur Morgan Hospital - Decatur CampusAcute Care Hospital457NoNo
Red Bay HospitalCritical Access Hospital 25NoNo
Lincoln HospitalAcute Care Hospital 91NoYes

Recent News

Jun 17, 2025
UAB Health System is currently in a contract dispute with United Healthcare, a situation highlighted in recent news. In articles discussing this dispute, Huntsville Hospital Health System is mentioned as another regional healthcare provider that has experienced similar contract conflicts with UnitedHealthcare. This indicates that while Huntsville Hospital Health System is not currently in a *new* dispute in the past week, their previous disagreement and subsequent resolution with UnitedHealthcare is still relevant in the context of ongoing payer-provider negotiations in the state. The UAB dispute could potentially impact over 500,000 Alabamians relying on United insurance, and UAB has cited concerns regarding United's claims denials and payment practices, issues that can be common in such disputes and were likely factors in Huntsville Hospital Health System's previous negotiations with the same carrier. [9, 10, 11]
Jun 03, 2025
Huntsville Hospital has received a failing 'F' grade for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, a national non-profit organization. This grade is a significant drop from previous assessments. The hospital has challenged this finding, stating that the grade is based on incomplete information because the hospital chose not to complete the voluntary 353-page survey. According to the Leapfrog report, Huntsville Hospital scored in the highest tier ("Better Than Average") only once for not leaving objects in a patient's body after surgery. The hospital was rated "Average" in 12 categories and "Worse Than Average" in 16 categories. The hospital was not scored in three categories because it declined to participate in providing data for those areas. Thrive Alabama's CEO, Mary Elizabeth Marr, commented on the failing grade, noting that safety hazards can include less obvious issues like ensuring a clean environment and avoiding clutter in hallways. Despite this grade, Huntsville Hospital highlights its other recognitions, including being ranked by U.S. News as the second-best hospital in Alabama, being fully accredited by the Joint Commission, and being recognized by Forbes and Newsweek as a top workplace. [10, 12]
Jun 02, 2025
Huntsville Hospital and Madison Hospital, part of Huntsville Hospital Health System, are pushing back against the 'F' grades they received in the latest patient safety scores from The Leapfrog Group. The hospitals argue that the scores are not accurate because they did not report data to Leapfrog's biannual safety grade survey. According to the hospitals, Leapfrog chose to publish a rating with incomplete information, which they feel unfairly represents their safety and quality performance. They stated that while they would prefer staff focus on patient care, they will utilize significant resources in the future to complete Leapfrog's extensive survey to avoid such misleading scores. Leapfrog, however, maintains that a good grade is possible without their survey data and that the scores also incorporate measures from CMS, suggesting the hospitals may be performing poorly on some of those measures. [5, 20, 29, 32]
May 07, 2025
Nataki Edwards, a registered nurse with 23 years of experience at Huntsville Hospital, has been named the 2025 Registered Nurse of the Year. Edwards has provided care to thousands of patients across various units, including Mother Baby, Adult Intensive Care, and post-anesthesia care. This recognition highlights her dedication and long-standing service to patients at Huntsville Hospital. [6, 7]
May 05, 2025
Huntsville Hospital Health System released its 2025 Report to Our Communities. The report emphasizes the health system's role as a vital healthcare provider for a large population across northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. It highlights how the collaborative network of community hospitals within the system is working to advance sophisticated healthcare services in the region, demonstrating the ongoing commitment and impact of the health system. [3]

Executive Leadership

Jeff Samz

President & CEO

Under his leadership, Huntsville Hospital Health System has grown to include 14 hospitals and dozens of ambulatory locations. He leads the senior management team and is accountable for the overall direction of the system.

Tracy Doughty, RN

Executive Vice President of Madison County Operations

Sam Dean

Executive Vice President of Regional Hospital Operations

Clinton Carter

Chief Financial Officer

Robert Chappell, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Rick Corn

Chief Information Officer

Joe Campbell

Chief Legal Counsel

Rudy Hornsby

Senior Vice President of Facilities & Support Services

Allison Ross

Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

Jon Howell

President of Emergency Medical Services

Jennifer Holly

Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Burr Ingram

Vice President of Communications & Marketing