Anniston, AL (April 7, 2026) – RMC Health System and the City of Anniston announced today that it has entered into an agreement to join Orlando Health, a private, not-for-profit healthcare system, following approval by the RMC Board of Directors and the City of Anniston City Council. The agreement, which is pending regulatory approvals and expected to close fall of this year, is designed to strengthen the future of healthcare in Northeast Alabama through new investments, expanded services, and access to the resources of a health system focused on culture and clinical excellence.
Regional Medical Center has served as a cornerstone of care for families in the region for decades. RMC’s leadership team has worked to strengthen the hospital, improve operations, expand services, and work to build a stronger future for healthcare in Northeast Alabama. While the hospital has the team and vision to achieve that goal, executing that strategy requires the scale, capital, and operational resources that a larger health system like Orlando Health can provide.
“Since joining RMC a little over a year ago, our leadership team has worked with the Board of Directors and our City of Anniston elected officials in developing a strategy to revitalize RMC as a true acute care referral center for our region,” said Keith Parrott, CEO. “Two of the things that excite us the most about this partnership with Orlando Health are their ability to amplify and accelerate our growth and improvement plans and their track record of success in multiple markets with similar situations to RMC’s.”
Under the agreement, RMC will become part of Orlando Health’s Alabama Region. All current employees will transition to Orlando Health on day one, with their existing titles, pay, and years of service honored.
Orlando Health is committed to investing significant resources to enhance RMC’s facilities, equipment, and technology. This initiative includes the implementation of an electronic health record system for medical records management. These investments are expected to support physician recruitment, expand specialty services, and improve access to care for patients throughout Northeast Alabama.
“We are excited to welcome RMC’s team members and physicians to Orlando Health,” said David Strong, president and CEO, Orlando Health. “Together, we look forward to investing in excellent services that will benefit the region, partnering with physicians, purposefully growing, and becoming the best place to work.”
Local leaders say the agreement represents an important step toward strengthening healthcare access for the region.
“Healthcare across rural America is changing, and communities everywhere are facing difficult decisions about how to sustain quality care for the future,” said Ciara Smith-Roston, Mayor of Anniston. “Our hospital has served this region for generations, and as stewards of this important community asset, our responsibility is to ensure it remains strong and sustainable for the long term. Strong healthcare is essential not only to public health, but also to economic growth and community confidence. Our priority has always been to protect the long-term healthcare needs of our citizens, and this step helps ensure that quality care will remain available in Anniston for generations to come.”
Orlando Health has a growing presence in Alabama following its 2024 acquisition of Baptist Health in Birmingham, with more than 1,700 licensed beds, 58 primary and specialty care clinics, 2,600 affiliated physicians, and more than 6,100 team members.
“This is an exciting opportunity to improve healthcare around Calhoun County and beyond,” said Bud Owsley, Chair of the Healthcare Authority of the City of Anniston. “We strongly believe that now is the right time and Orlando Health has the right vision and values to bring our hospital to the forefront of advancing medical care in the region.”
“We know trust is built over time,” Parrott continued. “This partnership is about ensuring that patients and families across Northeast Alabama continue to have access to excellent care close to home, today and for decades to come.”
All involved parties are committed to transparency throughout the process, and additional information will be shared with the community as it becomes available.
About Regional Medical Center
Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a regional hospital based in Anniston, Alabama, serving patients across Northeast Alabama. Guided by its mission to provide state-of-the-art healthcare with integrity, RMC is committed to clinical quality, patient experience, community impact, and compassionate care. RMC is one of the region’s largest employers, supported by more than 1,800 team members, 300+ volunteers, and more than 200 physicians across a broad range of specialties. The hospital is accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer and has earned Blue Distinction Center+ recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama for Orthopedic and Maternity Care. RMC was also the first Baby-Friendly designated birthing facility in Alabama and is recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $14 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States — including Florida and Alabama — and Puerto Rico. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida, the system provides a complete continuum of care across a network of medical centers and institutes, community and specialty hospitals, physician practices, urgent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare, and long-term and behavioral health care services. Founded more than 100 years ago, Orlando Health is dedicated to improving the health and the quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. The system provided nearly $2 billion in community impact in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 2024, the most recent period for which the information is available. For more information, visit orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
About City of Anniston
The City of Anniston serves as a regional hub for government, commerce, culture, and community life in Northeast Alabama. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Anniston was founded in 1872 as a private iron company town and officially opened to the public in 1883. Today, the city remains committed to expanding economic opportunity, enhancing public safety, revitalizing neighborhoods, and delivering transparent, responsive public service. The city is distinguished by assets including the Chief Ladiga Trail — Alabama’s first extended rails-to-trails project — the Anniston Museums and Gardens, the Anniston Regional Airport, the Anniston Army Depot, and the former Fort McClellan.