Baptist Health Princeton Hospital
Baptist Health Princeton Hospital', (originally Birmingham Baptist Hospital) is a 505-bed acute care hospital located at 701 Princeton Avenue near the intersection of Tuscaloosa Avenue, Princeton Parkway, and Lomb Avenue in West End.
The Birmingham Baptist Hospital was founded by the Birmingham Baptist Association in 1922 as the first campus of what grew into the Baptist Health System, which also operates Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega, Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster, and Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper. Samford University's Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing was founded as the nursing school of Baptist Hospital.
The hospital opened its second location, the Highland Avenue Baptist Hospital, when it purchased the former Gorgas Hospital Hotel next door to the Seale Harris Clinic on Highland Avenue at 23rd Street South in 1934. In 1948 the Birmingham Baptist Association turned the hospitals over to the Alabama Baptist Association, but they were returned to the local body two years later.
The original 130-bed hospital was modernized and expanded with a 120-bed "West End Unit", completed in 1952, at a cost of $810,000. A new hospital building was completed in February 1966, followed by an adjoining professional building. All three structures were designed by architect Lawrence Whitten.
In 1982 pioneering heart surgeon Donald Kahn came to Princeton Baptist from the University of Wisconsin to found the hospital's heart transplant program.
The hospital added a third professional office building in 1992. Beginning in 2003 the hospital invested $73 million in upgraded equipment and renovations to patient rooms. The Princeton BMC Healing Garden was constructed in 2005.
In 2006 Princeton Baptist constructed a $2 million parking garage on its campus. The Simon-Williamson Clinic constructed a $16 million practice building at the hospital in 2007. In 2008 the hospital embarked on a $75 million construction program, adding 90,000 square feet of new space and renovating 60,000 more square feet. New construction will include 14 operating rooms and six endoscopy suites as well as a new entrance and a waiting area for the cardiovascular services wing. Renovations will upgrade the hospitals chapel and recovery suites.
Brookwood Baptist Health closed the obstetrics department at Princeton Baptist in October 2023. In October 2024 Tenet Healthcare sold a majority interest in Brookwood Baptist Health to the nonprofit Orlando Health. The hospital took its present name in January 2025.
Chief executives
- Keith Parrott, 2008–2015
- Mike Rickman, 2023–
References
- "Proposed Sale of Highland Baptist Hospital Studied." (October 12, 1950) Florence Times Daily.
- "W. E. Baptist Hospital to have 250 beds after big expansion" (June 1951) The Birmingham News - via Birmingham Rewound
- Velasco, Anna (September 14, 2008) "Princeton plans major construction and renovation project in West End." The Birmingham News
- Underwood, Jerry (December 1, 2010) "Princeton Baptist says $57 million expansion project under way." The Birmingham News
- Thornton, William (August 28, 2023) "Princeton Baptist Medical Center names new CEO." AL.com
- Yurkanin, Amy (September 15, 2023) "Closures leave fast-growing Shelby County without labor and delivery services." AL.com
- Thornton, William (January 7, 2025) "5 Birmingham hospitals are rebranding today; Here’s what you need to know." AL.com
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External links
- Baptist Health Princeton Hospital at baptisthealthal.com