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MUSCLE SHOALS – North Alabama Shoals Hospital leaders received approval from the State Health Planning and Development Agency’s Certificate of Need Review Board this past Wednesday to move forward with their behavioral health expansion project. The initiative will include the creation of a 16-bed adolescent psychiatry unit and the addition of eight (8) adult psychiatric beds, enhancing services for patients in the Shoals and surrounding communities.
The new program will provide specialized psychiatric care for adolescents and will increase access to adult psychiatric services in the region.
“This expansion will have a meaningful impact on the patients and communities we serve in northwest Alabama, furthering our mission to make our community healthier,” said Braxton Holloway, Chief Operating Officer of North Alabama Shoals Hospital.
In June, North Alabama Shoals Hospital officially submitted a Certificate of Need (CON) application to proceed with a planned renovation, which is expected to be completed and operational by late 2025. The project will involve construction improvements in three areas, including the relocation of the hospital’s two existing psychiatric units, while ensuring continuous patient care operations throughout the process.
The new psychiatric units are designed to meet the growing demand for mental health services in the region. These units will provide beds for local patients as well as transfer requests from hospitals across Alabama and neighboring states. With the expansion, the hospital will be able to better serve a broader range of patients through a comprehensive behavioral health service line that includes geriatric, adult, and soon, adolescent psychiatric units.
“This new program is an important addition to our healthcare offerings,” said Mike Howard, market president and chief executive officer at North Alabama Medical Center and North Alabama Shoals Hospital. “It will complement our existing geriatric and acute psychiatric programs, providing essential mental health services to a broader population in the region.”
Currently, the nearest facility offering adolescent psychiatric beds is located in Decatur, Alabama, but that program is often at capacity and unable to meet the increasing demand for services. The addition of the adolescent psychiatric unit at North Alabama Shoals Hospital will provide much-needed resources and support for patients and their families, helping to address the gap in mental health care for adolescents in the region.
The new unit will enhance the hospital’s ability to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to individuals facing behavioral health challenges.
North Alabama Shoals Hospital remains committed to expanding its services to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
For more information about North Alabama Shoals Hospital’s mental health services, visit www.ShoalsHospital.com.
Media Release/Shane Herrmann/Director of Communications and Marketing/North Alabama Medical Center
