Lakeland Community Hospital Receives $490K Investment to Strengthen Rural Health Care
RURAL HEALTH INVESTMENTS STRENGTHEN ACCESS AT LAKELAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Haleyville, Ala. (Sept. 10, 2026) – For families across Winston County and northwest Alabama, having a hospital close to home means access to emergency care, testing, treatment and other essential services without leaving their community.
Leaders gathered at Lakeland Community Hospital Thursday to recognize new investments aimed at strengthening that access and supporting the future of rural healthcare in the region.
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Thomas J. Engels joined Lakeland, community and Huntsville Hospital Health System (HH Health) leaders for a Rural Healthcare Champions Recognition Event, which highlighted initiatives supporting rural hospitals and the people they serve.
Lakeland recently received $490,800 through the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program to implement telehealth technology and establish a non-emergency transportation program for rural patients. The investment will create new ways for patients to connect with needed care while helping reduce transportation and travel barriers that can make accessing care more difficult in rural communities.
The event also recognized the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program, a new federal initiative administered through HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and designed to help eligible rural hospitals maintain healthcare providers and essential services.
“Having played an active role in advancing this program in my position as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, I am excited to join Administrator Engels in announcing these awards and seeing these resources reach the rural hospitals who need them most, said Congressman Robert Aderholt. “It’s of course extra special to be making this announcement in my hometown of Haleyville and at my hometown hospital, Lakeland.
“President Trump and his Administration have made strengthening rural healthcare a priority, and I’m proud to have worked with them to advance this important effort. Rural hospitals are essential to the health and well-being of our communities, and I look forward to seeing this investment help ensure Alabamians and rural citizens across the country can continue to receive quality healthcare close to home.”
For Lakeland, the investments provide additional support to continue meeting the needs of Winston County.
“We are incredibly grateful for this investment in Lakeland and, more importantly, in the people and communities we serve,” said Cherie E. Sibley, president and CEO of Lakeland Community Hospital. “We are grateful to Congressman Aderholt, Administrator Engels and all of the leaders who understand what a hometown hospital means to a rural community. These investments give us new tools to reach patients while supporting the essential care our neighbors rely on every day.”
Lakeland is a 25-bed critical access hospital and the only hospital in Winston County.
“Lakeland is not only essential to the health of our community, it is also an important part of Winston County’s economy,” said Roger Hayes, chairman of the Health Care Authority of Haleyville and Winston County. “The hospital provides jobs, supports local families, and contributes to the strength and stability of our community. That is why continued investment in Lakeland matters far beyond the hospital walls.”
Sustaining rural hospitals requires more than one solution. Programs like these can address specific barriers to care, while ongoing local support, strong community leadership and regional partnerships remain essential to long-term stability.
“Having strong healthcare close to home makes a difference for every community, and that is especially true in rural areas,” said Jeff Samz, president and CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System. “Lakeland matters to Haleyville, to Winston County and to families across this region. We appreciate Congressman Aderholt’s leadership, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger’s support of rural healthcare, Administrator Engels’ commitment, and the local leaders who continue to stand behind Lakeland. When all of those partners come together, we have a better opportunity to keep important care accessible.”
Congressman Aderholt, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, helped secure and advance the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program through the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process.
The Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program is Alabama’s implementation of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. Lakeland’s $490,800 award was included in the state’s first round of rural health grants, announced in August.
Lakeland remains locally owned and governed by the Health Care Authority of Haleyville and Winston County. In July, the hospital entered into a two-year strategic affiliation with HH Health to strengthen local access and support Lakeland’s long-term stability. Through the affiliation, HH Health provides financial support, strategic guidance and resources while Lakeland maintains its local leadership, day-to-day operations and community focus.
Together, these investments and partnerships are helping Lakeland reach more patients, maintain essential services, and remain a strong local hospital for the communities that depend on it.
About Lakeland Community Hospital
Lakeland Community Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Haleyville, Ala., serving patients and families across Winston County and northwest Alabama. As the only hospital in Winston County, Lakeland provides local access to essential healthcare services, including emergency care, diagnostics, general medical care, rehabilitation and senior care services. Lakeland is locally owned by the Health Care Authority of Haleyville and Winston County and is affiliated with Huntsville Hospital Health System through a strategic agreement designed to strengthen local healthcare access and support the hospital’s long-term sustainability.
About Huntsville Hospital Health System
Huntsville Hospital Health System is a comprehensive network of community, nonprofit hospitals that serves as the premier provider of services and the healthcare safety net for more than 1.5 million people in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. HH Health includes hospitals and related facilities in Huntsville, Madison, Athens, Decatur, Boaz, Fort Payne, Guntersville, Moulton, Red Bay, Sheffield, Scottsboro, and Fayetteville, Tenn. Total employment of Huntsville Hospital Health System is more than 21,000. For more information, visit hh.health.