Helen Keller Hospital — Reviews, Complaints and Ratings

Helen Keller Hospital began in 1921 when the city of Sheffield and the Colbert County government pooled their resources to purchase the New Belmont Hospital, a two-story structure located at 300 E. 4th Street, Sheffield. The name was changed to “Colbert County Hospital” and had a bed capacity of about 25. The overwhelming demand for services at the new hospital prompted local politicians and physicians to consider expansion and relocation. The new hospital opened at its present location on September 17, 1927. The hospital featured three levels, 60 patient beds, a maternity room with sun porch, two operating rooms, an X-ray room, a lab, and doctors’ and nurses’ rooms. A nurses’ home, a tradition in the early 1900’s, was built in 1927 and was located next to the hospital. It housed 17 nurses. Several renovations and additions occurred throughout the years, including a four-story addition in 1960. This raised the bed capacity to 214 and added new surgery, maternity, emergency, pharmacy, radiology, and lab, which included pathology. Also in 1960, the Helen Keller Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary was formed. In 1979, Colbert County became Helen Keller Memorial Hospital, in honor of the courageous Tuscumbia resident. A dedication celebration marking the renaming was hosted in 1980.