Huntsville Hospital System

The Huntsville Hospital Health System (also known as Huntsville Hospital) is a public, not-for-profit hospital organization consisting of several sites and buildings, originating in the downtown area of Huntsville, Alabama. The Huntsville Hospital Health System has evolved and now either owns or works with several other hospitals in Alabama. It has around 20,000 employees, 2,000 nurses and 650 physicians.

The hospital has no official ties to any college or university. It is only used for clinical rotations by students from the UAB School of Medicine, their family practice residency program, and local nursing, medical laboratory science, and pharmacy students.

1895 – A small infirmary is opened on Mill Street. The Infirmary was the result of the United Charities of Huntsville, a group dedicated to helping the sick and needy. The rent was $12.50 per month.

1904 – The Infirmary moves to a new location. The house had previously been owned by Mollie Teal, who left the home to the city. 112 patients were treated in the Infirmary during the year.

1916 – The city appeals to the State Health Department for help after typhoid fever devastates the community. Dr. Carl Grote Sr., later to become known as the patriarch of Huntsville Hospital, answers the call.

1918 – An outbreak of Spanish Flu ravishes Huntsville. Almost 400 people died of the disease in less than four months. Dedication to their jobs became deadly when only four doctors in Madison County escaped the disease.

1925 – A campaign is begun by Dr. Carl Grote, Sr., to raise funds for a new hospital. In an outpouring of public sentiment, most of the money was raised by private donations. Property was donated by Harry Rhett, Sr.

1926 – A modern hospital, the first of its kind in the Tennessee Valley, is built. The name is officially changed from the Huntsville Infirmary to Huntsville Hospital. The first baby was delivered at Huntsville Hospital on June 11, 1926.