Highlands Medical Center in Scottsboro, Ala., signed a letter of intent to join the nine-hospital Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital Health System effective Oct. 1, according to a June 23 news release.
Jackson County Health Care Authority, which oversees Highlands Medical Center, said the Scottsboro facility is the only remaining independent hospital left in North Alabama. Joining a system will help it fund capital improvements and realize cost savings through buying power, according to JCHCA.
"The increasingly complex and uncertain healthcare environment makes it more and more challenging for community owned non-profit hospitals like Highlands to flourish and grow," said Bob Matthews, chair of the JCHCA board.
When the transaction is complete, JCHCA will continue to exist as an advisory board, according to the news release.