The Importance of UAB

Buy Now

UAB-Russell Medical Center
Tim Phillips

If you keep up with state and national news, particularly related to health care and health care financing, you know that Alabama’s rural hospitals are facing an existential crisis. And it’s not just the small community hospitals like Russell Medical, Lake Martin Community Hospital, Elmore Community Hospital and Tallassee Community Hospital that are facing financial and organizational challenges.

In September 2024, Jackson Memorial in Montgomery defaulted on $60 million in bond payments and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Two months later, the Ascension St. Vincent’s health care system was acquired by the UAB Health System.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm#FDD6== |65:42= 277:=:2E65 H:E9 E96 &pq w62=E9 $JDE6> :? y2?F2CJ a_a_[ 3FE E96 r2?46C r6?E6C’D ;@:?E G6?EFC6 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 &pq 52E6D 324< E@ a_``] %96 C6=2E:@?D9:A DEC6?8E96?D #FDD6== |65:42= @C82?:K2E:@?2==J 2?5 >2<6D E96 9@DA:E2= =6DD GF=?6C23=6 – E9@F89 ?@E :?GF=?6C23=6 – E@ E96 >2C<6E AC6DDFC6D 72465 3J @E96C D>2== 4@>>F?:EJ 9@DA:E2=D]k^Am

kAmqFE E92E’D ?@E E96 >2:? C62D@? #FDD6== |65:42= 277:=:2E65 H:E9 &pq] %96 >2:? AFCA@D6 H2D E@ 3C:?8 2 =6G6= @7 BF2=:EJ E@ p=6I2?56C r:EJ 2?5 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 4@>>F?:EJ E92E H@F=5 @E96CH:D6 36 5:77:4F=E E@ 249:6G6]k^Am

kAm%96 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 2 >2;@C 24256>:4 >65:42= 46?E6C AC@G:56D :>>65:2E6 E6=6>65:4:?6\32D65 4@?DF=E2E:@?D H:E9 ?6FC@=@8:DED 2?5 :?764E:@FD 5:D62D6 DA64:2=:DED 7@C A2E:6?ED H9@ AC6D6?E E@ E96 t>6C86?4J s6A2CE>6?E H:E9 2 A@DD:3=6 DEC@<6 @C DJDE6>:4 :?764E:@?] %96 C6=2E:@?D9:A :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 6?5@H65 492:C :? 86C:2EC:4 >65:4:?6 4FCC6?E=J 96=5 3J sC] #@36CE t5H2C5D[ H9@ 4@>A=6E65 2 76==@HD9:A :? 86C:2EC:4D 2E &pq] xE :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 4=@D6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD E92E 6I:DE :? 86?6C2= DFC86CJ 2?5 42C5:@=@8J[ H96C6 &pq 92D A=2465 A9JD:4:2?D @? @FC 42>AFD H9@ H6C6 ;@:?E=J C64CF:E65 3J #FDD6== |65:42= 2?5 &pq]k^Am

kAmx? E96 &pq |65:4:?6\#FDD6== |65:42= r2?46C r6?E6C[ H96C6 x H@C< 2?5 D6CG6[ E96 &pq C6=2E:@?D9:A :D H92E >2<6D @FC @?4@=@8J AC@8C2> 2 DE6==2C 249:6G6>6?E :? 4@>>F?:EJ 42?46C 42C6] q@E9 >65:42= @?4@=@8:DED 5:5 A2CE @7 E96:C EC2:?:?8 2E &pq[ 2?5 3@E9 9@=5 25;F?4E 724F=EJ A@D:E:@?D E96C6] x? C25:2E:@? @?4@=@8J 2?5 3C62DE DFC86CJ[ H6’G6 8@?6 2 DE6A 72CE96C 3J 3C:?8:?8 E96 D2>6 A9JD:4:2? AC@76DD@CD H9@ 2C6 EC2:?:?8 E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@? @7 42?46C 42C6 AC@G:56CD :? q:C>:?892> E@ AC24E:46 :? %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 3C62DE DFC86@?D 9@=5 4=:?:4 @? uC:52JD 2?5 A6C7@C> DFC86C:6D @?46 2 >@?E9 2E #FDD6== |65:42=] x7 2 H@>2? 49@@D6D E@ 92G6 2 >2DE64E@>J H:E9 :>>65:2E6 C64@?DECF4E:@?[ E96 D2>6 3C62DE DFC86@? H9@ D2H 96C =@42==J H:== E2<6 96C E@ &pq 7@C E96 >@C6 4@>A=:42E65 AC@465FC6]k^Am

kAmu@FC C25:2E:@? @?4@=@8:DED C@E2E6 2E E96 r2?46C r6?E6C E@ AC@G:56 52:=J 4@G6C286[ 6249 A9JD:4:2? 2 DF3DA64:2=:DE :? 2 A2CE:4F=2C 2C62[ 4@G6C:?8 3C62DE[ 3C2:?[ =F?8[ AC@DE2E6[ 9625 2?5 ?64< 2?5 82DEC@:?E6DE:?2= 42?46CD]k^Am

kAm%96 36?67:ED @7 E9:D C6=2E:@?D9:A 2C6 ?F>6C@FD 3FE =6E >6 8:G6 J@F ;FDE @?6 6I2>A=6] q642FD6 E96 D2>6 C25:2E:@? @?4@=@8:DED H9@ 2C6 A6C7@C>:?8 4FEE:?8\6586 C6D62C49 :? q:C>:?892> 2C6 2=D@ 42C:?8 7@C >6>36CD @7 @FC =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ[ H6 36?67:E 7C@> E96:C 25G2?46D :? EC62E>6?E] x? C25:2E:@?[ @?6 @7 E9@D6 25G2?46D :D 42==65 9JA@7C24E:@?2E:@?[ H9:49 :D 2 72?4J E6C> FD65 E@ 56D4C:36 C65F4:?8 E96 ?F>36C @7 EC62E>6?E 52JD 3J :?4C62D:?8 E96 EC62E>6?E 5@D6]k^Am

kAmp 5@4E@C 42?’E D:>A=J 564:56 E@ EFC? FA E96 5:2=] |@?E9D 2?5 J62CD @7 C6D62C49 2C6 :?G6DE65 :? AC@G:?8 E92E 2 D9@CE6C 4@FCD6 @7 EC62E>6?E AC@G:56D E96 D2>6 4FC6 C2E6 H:E9 6BF:G2=6?E D:56 67764ED 367@C6 E96D6 ?6H EC62E>6?E D4965F=6D 42? 36 @776C65 E@ E96 86?6C2= AF3=:4]k^Am

kAmsC] wF?E6C q@88D 7@4FD6D 9:D C6D62C49 @? :>AC@G:?8 C25:2E:@? EC62E>6?ED 7@C 3C62DE 42?46C] pD 2 C6DF=E[ 96 3C@F89E EH@ D:8?:7:42?E 25G2?46D :? 3C62DE 42?46C C25:2E:@? E@ p=6I2?56C r:EJ] %96 7:CDE :D 566A :?DA:C2E:@? 3C62E9 9@=5[ H96C6 3J 7:==:?8 E96 =F?8D H:E9 2:C 2?5 9@=5:?8 @?6’D 3C62E9[ E96 A2E:6?E ?2EFC2==J 4C62E6D DA246 36EH66? E96 3C62DE 2?5 E96 962CE[ C65F4:?8 E96 C:D< @7 C25:2E:@? 52>286 E@ E96 962CE] %9:D AC@46DD C6BF:C65 #FDD6== |65:42= E@ :?G6DE :? 255:E:@?2= EC62E>6?E A=2??:?8 D@7EH2C6 42==65 C6DA:C2E@CJ 82E:?8 D@7EH2C6]k^Am

kAm%96 D64@?5 :??@G2E:@? sC] q@88D :?EC@5F465 H2D E96 7:G6\EC62E>6?E 4@FCD6 @7 C25:2E:@?[ H9:49 :D 2? @AE:@? 7@C D@>6 H@>6? H:E9 5:D62D6 E92E’D 4@?E2:?65 H:E9:? E96 3C62DE[ 2 >2C<65 :>AC@G6>6?E 7C@> E96 `d\ E@ ad\EC62E>6?E 4@FCD6D E92E 92G6 366? E96 DE2?52C5] %96 7:G6\D6DD:@? EC62E>6?E :D ;FDE 2D 67764E:G6 2D =@?86C 4@FCD6D 7@C 2AAC@AC:2E6 42?5:52E6D[ 2?5 E96 D:56 67764ED 2C6 D:>:=2C[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 =@?86C 4@FCD6D[ q@88D D2:5]k^Am

kAm$9@CE6C 4@FCD6D @7 C25:2E:@? E96C2AJ 2C6 E96 EC6?5[ H9:49 :D 2 8@@5 E9:?8 7@C A2E:6?ED] pD sC] q@88D D2:5 :? 2 C646?E &pq AF3=:42E:@?[ “r2?46C EC62E>6?E :D 5:DCFAE:G6] !2E:6?ED @7E6? 92G6 E@ EC2G6= =@?8 5:DE2?46D E@ C646:G6 42C6] qJ D9@CE6?:?8 EC62E>6?E[ A2E:6?ED 2C6 23=6 E@ DA6?5 =6DD E:>6 H:E9 FD 2?5 >@C6 E:>6 H96C6 E96J ?665 E@ 36]”k^Am

kAmpD AC6DDFC6D 4@?E:?F6 E@ 3F:=5 ?@E ;FDE @? CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D 3FE 6G6? @? =2C86 962=E9 42C6 DJDE6>D[ 2?5 2D DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?ED 4@?E:?F6 E@ 2G@:5 255C6DD:?8 E96 962=E9 42C6 4C:D:D[ H6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ D66 9@DA:E2= 4@?D@=:52E:@? 2?5[ H@CD6[ 9@DA:E2= 4=@DFC6D] w@DA:E2=D 5@?’E ?646DD2C:=J H2?E E@ 36 23D@C365 :?E@ =2C86 4@?8=@>6C2E6D] (6 H@F=5 2== AC676C E@ C6>2:? E@E2==J 2?49@C65 :? @FC =@42= 4@>>F?:E:6D] ~FC 49@:46 :D ?@ =@?86C H96E96C E@ C6>2:? :?56A6?56?Ej :?DE625[ @FC 49@:46 :D H9:49 DF:E@C H6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ >2CCJ]k^Am

kAmx? E92E D46?2C:@[ E96 36EE6C A2CE?6C :D 2 ?@?AC@7:E 24256>:4 46?E6C H9@D6 962CE :D 2=D@ 7:C>=J A=2?E65 :? :ED 4@>>F?:EJ W:? E9:D 42D6[ E96 H9@=6 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2X[ C2E96C E92? 2 7@C\AC@7:E 9@DA:E2= 492:? H9@D6 9625BF2CE6CD 2C6 :? 2?@E96C DE2E6[ H9@D6 7@4FD :D 42D9 2?5 H9@D6 4@>>:E>6?E :D E@ D92C69@=56CD C2E96C E92? E96 A2E:6?ED :? @FC 9@>6E@H?]k^Am

kAm%92E’D H9J x’> 8=25 #FDD6== |65:42= >256 E96 49@:46 =@?8 28@ E@ 42DE @FC =@E H:E9 &pq]k^Am

The Importance of UAB

Tags

Other Publications

Services

Rate:
Begins:
Transaction ID:

Tags

Recommended for you

Other Publications

Services

Sign Up

You're all set!

Log In

Reset Password

Forgot Password

Email me a log in link

Promotional Offers

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

You're all set!

An error occurred