UAB Hospital, the flagship hospital of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System, is now the fifth-largest hospital in the nation, rising three spots from 2025, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. UAB Hospital has 1,400 beds.
“When UAB’s capacity expands in any area of our mission, so does the positive impact we have on improving and saving lives,” UAB President Ray Watts said. “Earning a place among the nation’s largest five hospitals is a proud moment for UAB Hospital. It reflects the unwavering support of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees and the outstanding leadership of UAB Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella, as well as the caliber of our faculty and staff across UAB Medicine who are responsible for and share in this success.”
In 2025, UAB Hospital cared for a record 929,021 unique patients.
“UAB Hospital is the only hospital in Alabama designated as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, which reflects the extraordinary level of care patients receive here,” Bulgarella said. “Our dedicated and talented providers cared for more patients last year than ever before, and our strategic growth means that—this year and into the future—we will be able to serve even more patients with the world-class care we offer. Becoming the fifth-largest hospital in the country is meaningful because it means we touch more lives.”
UAB Hospital also ranked first in Alabama on Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2026 list. The hospital was also included in Newsweek’s World’s Best Specialized Hospitals for 2026, with cardiology ranked No. 105 globally and cardiac surgery ranked No. 142.
UAB Medicine was again named one of the nation’s leaders in the use of information technology in health care by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. UAB Hospital and UAB Medicine’s acute and ambulatory clinics achieved Level 8 status in CHIME’s 2025 Digital Health Most Wired survey.
UAB recently opened a $156.7 million inpatient rehabilitation pavilion with 134 patient beds.
“With sweeping views, cutting-edge therapy gyms and 134 patient beds, UAB’s new $156.7 million inpatient rehabilitation pavilion is transforming recovery for Alabamians and patients across the region,” UAB Hospital said.
The facility includes indoor and outdoor therapy spaces, a rooftop garden, a terrain park, a simulated streetscape and advanced equipment such as overhead lifts, robotic devices, virtual-reality gait systems and a multisensory room for patients with brain injuries. It also features therapy gyms with city views, private treatment areas, family spaces, outdoor terraces, convenient patient drop-off and support from Topgun, UAB’s facility dog.
UAB Medicine is also undertaking a $73 million expansion of its Emergency Department, supported by $50 million from the state of Alabama. The project will add 59 exam rooms to address growing demand.
When the expansion was announced, Governor Kay Ivey said, “This significant expansion is an investment in vital public services for our state. I’m proud to support allocation of funds to help address the critical need for more emergency services and look forward to working with UAB further to make a positive impact on the welfare of our state.”
In addition to its Adult Level 1 Trauma Center, UAB operates a Comprehensive Transplant Institute that houses the state’s leading organ transplant program. The program uses robotic-assisted kidney transplants and participates in the National Kidney Registry.
Cancer care is provided through the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, Alabama’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
The hospital is also home to a Level 4 Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which provided lifesaving care to the Guinness World Records title holders for the most premature quadruplets.
