Tuscaloosa County offers a more comprehensive range of medical and health care options than any other community of comparable size and population in the Southeast.

Under local ownership and leadership for more than 85 years, the DCH Health System has continually evolved to offer advanced caring to West Alabama. DCH operates two hospitals in Tuscaloosa County, DCH Regional Medical Center and Northport Medical Center.

DCH Regional Medical Center, one of the state’s largest hospitals, operates specialty units for pediatrics, orthopedics, cancer and cardiology, as well as the region’s most advanced trauma center and intensive care units. Physicians use many of the latest surgical techniques that require less recovery time, including microsurgery, laser surgery and laparoscopic surgery.

The da Vinci Surgical System was recently added, which combines computer and robotic technologies to create a new category of surgical treatment – robot-assisted surgery. It allows specially trained surgeons to use small incisions to introduce miniaturized instruments and a high-definition 3D camera into the patient’s body. The precision of the da Vinci system makes it possible to treat a broader range of conditions using the minimally invasive approach.

From the introduction of open-heart surgery in West Alabama in 1978 to today’s procedures that can dissolve blood clots without surgery, physicians offer patients many of the latest advances in cardiovascular care.

DCH Cancer Center offers the latest in radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as a pharmacy and lab, all under one roof. It has formed a regional affiliation with MD Anderson Physicians Network, which is a supporting organization of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world's most respected leaders in cancer care. Other services available at DCH Regional Medical Center include DCH Home Health Agency and a Bloodless Medicine and Surgery program.

Northport Medical Center, part of the DCH Health System since 1992, offers several specialty services, in addition to the full range of inpatient and outpatient services you expect from a community hospital.

DCH Rehabilitation Pavilion uses the latest advances in rehabilitative care to help patients with spinal cord injuries, head injuries, strokes or other neurological or orthopedic disorders return to independence. North Harbor Pavilion offers inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services for adult and geriatric patients.

West Alabama is fortunate to have two excellent facilities that offer both family-oriented childbirth and intensive care for critically ill newborns. The Women’s Center at DCH Regional Medical Center offers rooms decorated in a homelike atmosphere, and two-room suites and private accommodations are available. At the Women’s Pavilion at Northport Medical Center, a mother can stay in the same comfortable, well equipped room from the time she arrives until the day she goes home. Both hospitals feature neonatal intensive care units.

The HealthSouth Medical Plaza offers a number of services on an outpatient basis. Among these are imaging services in MRI and CT scans, as well as X-ray and fluoroscopy. It also provides a full range of physical and occupational therapy and sports medicine. Also included in the complex is the HealthSouth Surgical Center, which was established in 1985 and is the area’s first outpatient surgery center.

The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (TVAMC) is situated on a beautiful campus of 125 acres with 25 major buildings. TVAMC provides primary care, long-term health care and mental health care services to eligible Veterans in the VA Southeast Network. The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center provides access to secondary and tertiary care services.

Indian Rivers Mental Health Center helps those with mental and substance abuse problems. It offers outpatient and partial hospitalization/day treatment services.

Bryce Hospital was established in 1861. It is responsible for the provision of regional inpatient psychiatric services for adults. It also provides inpatient services for adolescents serving the entire state. It offers a full range of programs including: short-term and extended care; dealing with mental illness complicated by substance abuse; developmental needs of adolescents; specialized care for the elderly, and vocational, social and physical rehab programs.

The Stallings Center is the home of the Rural Infant Stimulation Environment Program or RISE. A nationally known model for early intervention with children with multiple disabilities, RISE offers comprehensive services and education for students who benefit from occupational, physical and speech therapy.

The Maude W. Whatley Health Service is an urban-based primary care organization that offers comprehensive, economical health care services with an emphasis on preventive medical care and health education. Furnished with modern medical, lab and pharmacy equipment, it focuses on primary care needs of citizens—nutrition, prenatal care, internal medicine, and family care.

University Medical Center (UMC) is a multi-specialty health care provider serving West Alabama in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry, Occupational Medicine, Nutrition Therapy, Social Services and Sports Medicine. The center also offers lab, X-ray services and evening hours.

UMC was created to provide training opportunities for medical students and residents who are studying at the University of Alabama.