MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. — The North Alabama Shoals Hospital has approval from 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 adult psychiatric beds.
The new program will provide specialized psychiatric care for adolescents and 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, the hospital submitted a Certificate of Need application to proceed with the planned renovation, which is expected to be completed by late 2025. The project will include the relocation of the hospital's two existing psychiatric units 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. They will provide beds for local patients as well as transfer requests from hospitals across Alabama and neighboring states. With this expansion, the hospital will be able to provide comprehensive behavioral health services through geriatric, adult and 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 in Decatur, but that program is often at capacity and unable to meet the increasing demand for services.
