Dr. Hudson: “Hope is on the horizon…”

Crestwood Medical Center Remains Steadfast in Service to North Alabama

By Pam Hudson, MD, Chief Executive Officer

Crestwood Medical Center

I write today with hope for the future and gratitude for the resilience of our provider team at Crestwood Medical Center. The pandemic has demonstrated how interconnected we all are, the impact each one of us can have and the benefit of working together for a common cause. We care deeply about our community and remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver safe, quality healthcare services.

The arc of life is always present in a hospital, but its frailty has been very clear this past year. Tens of thousands of patients received the medical care they needed thanks to our physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, lab techs, housekeepers, food service workers, and other providers who have worked tirelessly to maintain a safe environment. Our family of caregivers put aside their personal fears and concerns and came to help every single day, with bravery and courage.

In 2020, more than 1,200 babies took their first breaths here in our Maternity Center and we celebrated with their moms.  More than 34,000 walked away in better shape than when they came in to our Emergency Department.  Almost 22,000 left our facility with less pain following a joint replacement, a heart beating in rhythm after receiving a pacemaker or more blood flow after a cardiac cath, or a smile of relief when their screening mammogram or colonoscopy was clear.

With pride and relief we cheered hundreds of patients who left for home after beating COVID-19. But there have been times of sadness too, as our caregivers helped patients transition at the end of life and comforted the loved ones who grieve for their loss.

Helping people get well and live healthier is rewarding work, and we are grateful for the trust every patient places in us. And we feel the support of the community as they’ve extended thanks and encouragement through prayers, notes, artwork, signs, meals and more.

Led by a local administration and board of community leaders and physicians, we are putting our resources toward increased medical services, facilities and technologies that are important to our patients, including our newly expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with 10 private rooms for our smallest patients. So far this year, we have added two new labor/delivery/recovery suites and completed a refurbishment of our Maternity Center. We also completed a new 10-bed gynecology surgery suite and new post-partum rooms. Many of our physicians are now offering telemedicine, making it easier than ever to see a doctor from the comfort of home.

We value our relationship with the Tennessee Valley. The more than $14 million in taxes we paid last year support critical infrastructure such as first responders, schools, and roads. Wages and benefits for our provider team generate buying power for local goods and services and help drive the local economy. And we deliver care for our most vulnerable residents, last year providing more than $119 million of charity and uncompensated care.

Hope is on the horizon as COVID-19 vaccinations continue – please get the vaccine if you have not done so already. Keep up the safe practices – wear a mask or face covering, maintain social distancing and regularly wash your hands. By following these simple guidelines, we can do extraordinary things.

Pam Hudson, MD

Chief Executive Officer

Crestwood Medical Center