MUSCLE SHOALS – The Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency’s Certificate of Need Review Board approved the North Alabama Shoals Hospital plan to expand its behavioral health services by 24 beds.
The initiative will include the creation of a 16-bed adolescent psychiatry unit and the addition of eight adult psychiatric beds, enhancing services for patients in the Shoals and surrounding communities.
“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, the hospital 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 include construction improvements in three areas, while ensuring continuous patient care throughout the process.
The new units are designed to meet the growing demand for mental health services in the region. The expansion will provide beds for local patients as well as transfer requests from hospitals across Alabama and neighboring states.
With this addition, North Alabama Shoals will be able to serve a broader range of patients through a 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 facility nearest the Shoals that offers adolescent psychiatric beds is in Decatur, but that program is often at capacity and unable to meet increasing demand. The addition of the adolescent psychiatric unit at North Alabama Shoals Hospital will help address the gap in mental health care for adolescents in the region.
