The Huntsville Hospital system will move forward with its $150 million expansion plans, which include additional beds, more private rooms for patients and two new intensive care units. AL.com reports the Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board unanimously approved the initiative at its meeting Wednesday. Huntsville Hospital CEO Jeff Samz said in a statement that the extra capacity will help them decrease wait times in the Emergency Department and end double occupancy rooms.
United Healthcare announced that it has reached a new multi-year agreement with the Huntsville Hospital Health System. United says the deal will allow the system’s hospitals to stay in network with the insurer. Last month, the hospital announced plans to end its relationship with the insurer saying it had sent a notice of termination to the company. WHNT TV reports the new agreement affects all the hospitals in the Huntsville Hospital Health System.
Alabama continues to have one of the nation’s highest rates of babies being born too early, according to a recent report by March of Dimes. The annual report, which looks at preterm births and other maternal health outcomes, again gave Alabama an F grade. The state ranked 49th of 52 in the rankings, which include Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. AL.com reports The state’s preterm birth rate was 12.9% in 2023, according to the report. The national average is 10.4%. The report also found a high maternal mortality rate in Alabama - 38.6 deaths per 100,000 births. That’s significantly higher than the national average of 23.2 deaths.
Travelers on Alabama’s roadways can expect higher traffic volumes as the holiday season begins. For the safety of the traveling public and construction crews, the Alabama Department of Transportation will have no temporary lane closures from Wednesday, Nov. 27th at noon through midnight Sunday, Dec. 1st. Motorists planning their holiday travel route can find Alabama traffic and road condition information, including live traffic camera feeds at ALGOtraffic.com or by downloading the ALGO Traffic app.
The city of Huntsville garnered a spot on Run.com’s list of “America’s Best Trail Running Towns.” That’s due to large trail systems that offer a wide range in difficulty as well as its active running community. AL.com reports that among the runs named as the best were the 6.4-mile Mountain Mist Loop, the 2.5-mile North Plateau Loop and the 3.3-mile South Plateau Loop within Monte Sano State Park, due to their mix of terrain and scenic views.
Huntsville was recently ranked eighth in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Places to Retire list. AL.com reports the site primarily looked at happiness of local residents, housing affordability, tax rates and health care quality. The city received an overall score of 6.8, coming very close to the overall score of 7.0 of the number one city, Naples, Fla.
Huntsville Animal Services has dozens of certified turkey tasters eager to spend the long holiday weekend with you and weigh in on the quality of your feast or just stare at you while you cook. In a news item from the city, Animal Services Director John Fischer says that for their dogs, even a few days in a home can make a huge difference by decreasing their anxiety, ultimately increasing their adoptability. To become a foster parent, you must first complete an application. Fostering parties must be 21 years of age or older and provide proof of identification. If you lease/rent, landlord approval is required prior to fostering a pet. More information is at HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal and on the shelter’s Facebook page.
The Huntsville City Council invites homeowners put their holiday spirit on display by participating in the Deck the Districts holiday light competition. The contest is open across all five districts. To participate, you’ll need to complete the online entry form and submit photos of the holiday displays WHNT TV reports City Council staff will judge entries the week of Dec. 9, with winners announced during the City Council meeting on Dec. 19. Each district winner will get a special prize and a festive yard sign.