The Alabama Hospital Association on Thursday recognized L. Keith Granger, a longtime AlaHA leader and advocate for hospital quality and patient safety, as one of the 2026 inductees into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.
Granger currently serves as an executive advisor for CHS. Over a distinguished career in hospital administration, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes across the state, AlaHA shared in its press release.
Before his current role, Granger served as the regional president for nine CHS facilities in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Granger served for eight years as president and CEO of Grandview Medical Center and, previously, for seventeen years as CEO of Flowers Hospital in Dothan, where he continues to serve as a trustee. He is widely respected for his collaborative leadership style and his ability to bring together hospital leaders around shared goals.
“Keith Granger’s influence on hospital care in Alabama cannot be overstated,” said AlaHA President and CEO Danne Howard. “His leadership, vision, and unwavering dedication to quality and patient safety have helped shape the work of the Alabama Hospital Association and improve care for countless Alabamians.”
In recognition of Granger’s lasting impact on hospitals across Alabama and the nation, Wayne T. Smith, chairman of the Board of Directors of Community Health Systems, Inc., offered his congratulations.
“Keith has been a force in the healthcare industry in Alabama and the national level and this is a much deserved recognition. CHS and our affiliated hospitals have been the fortunate beneficiaries of his profound impact as a leader of people, a champion of quality, and an advocate for all that’s right in healthcare. I extend my sincere and personal congratulations to Keith for his induction into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.”
Granger’s service to the Alabama Hospital Association spans decades. He previously served as chairman of the AlaHA Board of Trustees and is currently serving another term as a member-at-large on the AlaHA Board. In 2003, he received AlaHA’s Gold Medal of Excellence, the Association’s highest honor for achievement in hospital administration.
Most notably, the Association said Granger has been instrumental in advancing AlaHA’s quality and patient safety initiatives. He has chaired the Association’s Quality Task Force for more than 15 years, leading monthly meetings focused on best practices, performance improvement and patient safety that continue to have a lasting impact on hospital care statewide.
In addition to his AlaHA leadership, Granger has served on numerous local, state and national boards and spent several years as a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Board. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Founded in 1997, the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions and provided exemplary healthcare service in the state. Granger will be formally inducted during a ceremony on August 8 in Montgomery.
