Community members, healthcare workers, and patients packed into the provided space at Campus 805 for a community forum / listening session on Friday, March 6 to voice concerns over Huntsville Hospital’s proposed acquisition of Crestwood Medical Center, warning that the merger could reduce competition, suppress wages, and limit access to care in one of the region’s fastest-growing areas.

The meeting was organized to gather public testimony about how the proposed consolidation could affect healthcare workers and patients across North Alabama.

“When decisions are being considered that could impact healthcare in our community, it’s important that people have a space to share their experiences,” said Angela Curry, founder of United Women of Color, which co-hosted the event with the North Alabama Area Labor Council.

If approved, the acquisition would place a significant share of the region’s hospital services under one system. Huntsville Hospital is already one of the largest employers in North Alabama outside Redstone Arsenal, and adding Crestwood’s roughly 1,000 employees would expand its footprint across multiple counties.

Several nurses argued the region’s healthcare workforce challenges are not driven by a shortage of trained professionals but by retention issues tied to wages and working conditions.

“We have the lowest-paid healthcare workers in the U.S.,” said Dana*, a registered nurse who said she has worked at both hospitals.

She described high patient loads and workplace burnout, noting that nurses previously secured raises after attending meetings of the hospital authority. Still, she said many workers worry about limited employment options if the merger moves forward.

“If you are burned and blacklisted from Huntsville Hospital systems, where are we going to go?” she said.

Another nurse, Amanda, said she has avoided working for Huntsville Hospital throughout her 11-year career. She said many healthcare workers living near Alabama’s borders commute to neighboring states in search of higher pay.

“In Alabama, healthcare workers can’t afford to live and work in our state because of Huntsville Hospital,” she said, while displaying a map of rural hospitals she said could face closure if healthcare consolidation continues.

Residents also shared personal stories about delays in care and limited provider options.

Candace, a physician and resident of Triana, Alabama, questioned who the hospital system would ultimately be accountable to if it becomes the dominant provider across several counties.

Photo: Iris Billiter of United Women of Color

She noted that the system has indicated Crestwood Medical Center would likely retain its existing branding after an acquisition, calling the approach “the illusion of choice.”

Other residents described difficulties finding primary care and specialty services. Guy, a pilot who recently relocated to the area, said it took eight months to secure a primary care physician, a delay he said affected his ability to maintain required medical certification.

A Huntsville resident identified as Elise described coordinating her partner’s medical care as a “second job,” citing disorganized systems, unexpected billing issues, and travel to specialists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment not available locally.

A longtime insurance agent named Glenn told attendees that disputes between the two hospitals date back decades. He cited past conflicts, including opposition to Crestwood’s plans to add a maternity ward in the 1990s and resistance to a proposed hospital facility in Madison, Alabama in 2002.

“At every turn, Huntsville Hospital has fought them, not as a community provider, just as a competitor,” he said.

Organizers said testimony from the listening session will be compiled into a report for community leaders and hospital administrators as discussions around the proposed acquisition continue.

For many attendees, the issue remains deeply personal.

“There are often times where I have to think about whether this career opportunity is worth the suffering my partner goes through,” Elise said. “I hate that I even have to think about it.”

* Last names have been withheld to protect privacy.