HB446 Alabama 2018 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Randall Shedd
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2018
Title: Health care, Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center, created, within Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, staffing and reporting requirements, rural administrative residency program, created
Summary: HB 446 would create the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to help rural hospitals with staffing, reporting, and a rural administrative residency program, at little or no cost to those hospitals.
What This Bill Does
It establishes a new center at UAB aimed at making rural hospitals more viable and capable of delivering high-quality care. The center would hire staff, provide technical assistance, and help with developing global payments for participating hospitals. It requires annual reports to the Legislature, the State Finance Director, and the Medicaid Commissioner detailing finances, quality, access, and health outcomes. It also creates a rural administrative residency program and identifies areas where the center can support hospitals, prioritizing those in the global budget model.

Who It Affects
Eligible rural hospitals in Alabama (nonprofit or public) that would receive staff support, technical assistance, and other help at no or minimal cost to improve finances, quality, access, and health outcomes.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham as host, along with participating hospital management teams/boards and rural health administration residents who staff the center, participate in the residency program, and contribute to annual reporting.

Key Provisions
Creates the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center within the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Defines eligible hospitals as nonprofit or public rural hospitals and defines rural areas for the center's work.
Requires the center to hire staff, provide technical assistance, support the Alabama Rural Hospital Global Budget Board, and help develop global payments.
Requires annual reporting to the Legislature, State Finance Director, and Medicaid Commissioner on finances, management/board satisfaction, quality, access, and health outcomes.
Establishes a rural administrative residency program with funding pursuit, in collaboration with UAB's Graduate Program in Health Administration.
Authorizes the center to provide support in areas such as compliance, coding, purchasing/supply chain, quality, strategic planning, provider recruitment, cost reporting, insurance, and other relevant areas, with priority for hospitals in the global budget model.
Implementation is contingent on approval by UAB and available funds appropriated by the Governor or Legislature.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: University of Alabama--Birmingham