March – City and County governments purchase former boarding house on 4th Street and open Colbert County Hospital
1927
Original hospital moves to new red brick building
Three levels with 60 patient beds, a maternity room with a sunporch, two operating rooms, X-ray room, lab, doctors’ and nurses’ rooms
1954
Three-story wing was added, raising bed capacity to 82. Later increasing demands for more space forced the hospital to convert waiting areas into patient rooms, increasing the number of beds to 100. The hospital operated at 101% capacity after the 1954 completion.
1960
Louise Isbell Ashe, Sheffield resident, organizes volunteer auxiliary of pink ladies and candy stripers
New addition raised bed capacity to 214 and added new surgery, maternity, emergency, pharmacy and radiology facilities. New laboratory included a department of Pathology
Physical Therapy department opened and was furnished by the Muscle Shoals District Service League
1970
Further expansion resulted in a new lobby, business office, gift shop, pharmacy and enlarged laboratory facility
HKH saw many firsts for the Shoals area, including North Alabama’s first IV therapy team and one of the first outpatient eye surgeries
1979
Name of hospital changes to Helen Keller Hospital in honor of the great lady of courage, who was born in nearby Tuscumbia
1100 Professional Office building is completed
1982
Major renovation and construction adds four-story patient tower to hospital with 12 CCU and SICU rooms, new ER, and surgery suites
Helen Keller Hospital begins the area’s first and only hospital-based ambulance service providing non-emergent patient transport and 911 responder
1987
Helen Keller Hospital becomes first hospital in Shoals area to offer labor -delivery-recovery birthing concept
Adult Chemical Dependency and Psychiatric unit is added. Unit is named the Restore Center but later renamed The Sullivan Center after Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher
Hellen Keller becomes first hospital in Colbert County to offer MRI services
1990
Hospital’s emphasis further shifts to prevention and wellness. Ladies First, New Beginnings, Wellcare, KellerMed and Sleep Disorders Centers started
Cardiac Cath Lab opens
Red Bay Hospital in Franklin County purchased (33 bed facility)
1993
New physician office building opens housing over 20 practices
1994
Keller Wellcare Center opens with Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. (Now in its new 10,000 sq. ft. location)
1996
Plans underway for major renovation of hospital’s emergency room, radiology, outpatient and OB services
Helen Keller celebrates its 75th Anniversary
1999
March – Newly renovated “Women’s Center” opens with LDRP capabilities and three times larger nursery with larger viewing area for families
ER increases from 9 to 18 beds with dedicated trauma rooms equipped with in-room x-ray capabilities
July 12, 1999 - Newly renovated Day Patient Center opens with capability of performing over 2,300 procedures on an out-patient basis
2009
Keller Outpatient Surgery Pavilion opened
2010
DaVinci Surgery Robot was purchased
Keller Imaging Center Opened
2014
Lease with Huntsville Hospital Health System – 40 Years
2019
ER Renovation from 18 to 22 rooms, new waiting room
Wound Care Center opened with 2 hyperbaric chambers
