Communities across the U.S. are experiencing the effects of a nationwide physician shortage, and Madison County is no exception.

Huntsville Hospital Health System brings medical students, residents, and physicians to work in Madison County and the surrounding region, addressing the shortage by expanding available care.

“Primary care shortage is not just a Huntsville issue; it’s a national issue, especially in rural areas,” said Robert Chappell, MD, Designated Institutional Official for the Graduate Medical Education Program and Physician Executive Advisor at Huntsville Hospital. “Huntsville [faces shortages] because of extreme growth in Madison County over the last few years.”

The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) estimates a 2026 national shortage of over 96,000 physicians across multiple regions and specialties.

By 2038, NCHWA predicts an overall shortage of 141,160 physicians nationwide, including 70,610 primary care physicians. There’s also a shortage of cardiologists, OB-GYNs, anesthesiologists and nephrologists. Across the healthcare workforce, other sectors facing shortages include allied health, behavioral health, nursing and oral health.

Rural communities feel the shortage acutely. According to data from The Medicus Firm, just 9.3% of U.S. physicians practice in small towns and rural areas. Of that percentage, 14% of rural doctors are over age 60 and 4.3% are under age 40.

AMN Healthcare anticipates that individuals from the Baby Boomer generation will represent roughly one-fifth of the domestic population by 2030. Concurrently, a significant cohort of medical practitioners aged 65 and older are projected to reach retirement age, a transition that likely intensifies existing pressures on the clinical workforce.

Aging Americans are at higher risk for chronic illnesses. Research published in Frontiers in Public Health projects an increase in chronic diseases across the U.S. adult population ages 50 and older. That demographic is estimated to rise by 61.11% to 221.13 million by 2050. Among Americans aged 50 and older, 142.66 million are estimated to be diagnosed with at least one chronic disease by 2050.

Huntsville Hospital addresses provider shortages across North Alabama, southern Tennessee

The Huntsville Hospital Health System is taking a multifaceted approach to addressing local provider shortages. One way they’re tackling the issue is through aggressive recruitment of employed physicians. Josh Hewiett, Senior Vice President of Physician Services at Huntsville Hospital, leads local recruitment efforts and collaborates with other recruiters across the health system.

“We’re aggressively recruiting to keep up with the growth in the area,” Hewiett said. “We’re feeling what everyone in the nation is feeling, but at an even greater clip because of our rapid growth.”

Hewiett and his team recruit physicians to Madison County. In 2026, his team recruited 52 new doctors. These physicians are employed by the Huntsville Hospital Health System and practice in Huntsville Hospital clinics, at Huntsville Hospital and at Madison Hospital.

Hewiett’s team takes a comprehensive approach to recruiting, communicating directly with physicians and working with third-party companies to bring in candidates, too. Beyond Madison County, the entire Huntsville Hospital Health System has recruiting specialists who work to attract physicians to system clinics and hospitals across North Alabama and southern Tennessee. Each hospital in the health system has its own recruiter that focuses on their specific community, but all work collaboratively.

“We’re making a tremendous investment into recruiting new providers here,” Hewiett said. “We identify the greatest needs and limitations in care, and we try to bring care to those communities.”

According to Hewiett, there’s always a time gap between the time a physician is recruited and the time they begin working in the area. Right now, his team is working to recruit doctors who will start work in the area next summer and fall. The focus is on building a pipeline rather than bringing doctors to the area immediately.

“Right now, with the demand for physicians in the entire country, I’m interviewing people not just for 2027, but for 2028,” said Hewiett.

Hewiett said he’s already in talks with specialty physicians set to graduate in 2029.

From Hewiett’s standpoint, traditional primary care, pediatrics and OB-GYN services are the most in demand regionally. His team aggressively recruits primary care physicians. Between August and November 2026, six new primary care doctors will begin work in Madison County.

Graduate education provides greater access to care

Huntsville Hospital Health System also provides Madison County and surrounding areas with greater access to care through residency programs.

According to Dr. Chappell, Alabama has two public medical schools: the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of South Alabama in Mobile. There are also two private medical schools in the state: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) in Dothan and Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in Auburn.

After completing the first two years of medical school, students complete clinical rotations at hospitals and other health care facilities, including Huntsville Hospital and Crestwood Medical Center. When they’ve completed medical school, graduates have the opportunity to continue their training at one of the local residencies.

“Huntsville Hospital has residencies in family medicine, internal medicine and psychiatry,” Dr. Chappell said. “Crestwood has residencies in family medicine and internal medicine. We’re setting up residencies in Decatur Morgan Hospital and Marshall Medical Centers in family medicine, so there will be quite a few additions to the workforce with these physicians.”

After residency, Dr. Chappell said some of the internal medicine residents will go on to do fellowships in specialties such as cardiology, pulmonology and infectious disease. Some may return to North Alabama to practice after completing fellowships.

Dr. Chappell said Huntsville Hospital currently has 36 family medicine residents and 27 internal medicine residents. When the psychiatry residency program is full, it will have 24 residents. Crestwood Medical Center has 25 family medicine residents and 36 internal medicine residents.

Physician Finder matches local patients with the care they need

In addition to leading recruitment, Hewiett oversees Huntsville Hospital’s Physician Finder program. Patients seeking a physician, whether a primary care provider or a specialist, can receive assistance finding the right provider. Hewiett’s team also offers care coordination.

For more information on this program, visit https://hhcorporatecare.org/services/care-coordination/.