Ala. Code
Code of Alabama

Ala. Code § 22-21-20 (2026)

Definitions.

✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section JustiaAla. Code CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

(1) HOSPITALS. General and specialized hospitals, including ancillary services; independent clinical laboratories; rehabilitation centers; ambulatory surgical treatment facilities for patients not requiring hospitalization; end stage renal disease treatment and transplant centers, including free-standing hemodialysis units; abortion or reproductive health centers; hospices; health maintenance organizations; and other related health care institutions when such institution is primarily engaged in offering to the public generally, facilities and services for the diagnosis and/or treatment of injury, deformity, disease, surgical or obstetrical care. Also included within the term are long term care facilities such as, but not limited to, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, assisted living facilities, and specialty care assisted living facilities rising to the level of intermediate care. The term “hospitals” relates to health care institutions and shall not include the private offices of physicians or dentists, whether in individual, group, professional corporation or professional association practice. This section shall not apply to county or district health departments.

(2) PERSON. The term includes individuals, partnerships, corporations, and associations.

(Acts 1975, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 140, p. 382, §1; Acts 1979, No. 79-798, p. 1461; Act 1991, No. 91-548, p. 1010, §1; Act 2001-1058, 4th Sp. Sess., p. 1044, §1.)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1985–2026 · leading case: Clements v. Dr. John Alvan Stewart, P.C., 595 So. 2d 858 (Ala. 1992).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Clements v. Dr. John Alvan Stewart, P.C., 595 So. 2d 858 (Ala. 1992). · cites it 2× “Likewise, a "health care provider," as defined by § 6-5-542(1) ("A medical practitioner, dental practitioner, medical institution, physician, dentist, hospital," and those other health care providers described in § 6-5-481 and Ala.Code 1975, § 22-21-20), is not an individual or…”
Rosemont, Inc. v. Marshall, 481 So. 2d 1126 (Ala. 1985). “" The following is included within the definition of "hospital" in § 22-21-20: "Longterm care facilities such as, but not limited to, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities.”
Bowden Ex Rel. Bowden v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 124 F. Supp. 2d 1228 (M.D. Ala. 2000). “Code § 22-21-20(1) (1975), *1240 may not deny stabilizing emergency care to any indigent person without valid cause.”
Brown v. Williamson, 134 F. Supp. 2d 1286 (M.D. Ala. 2001). “Code §§ 22-21-20 through 22-21-33. Defendant Williamson is Alabama’s State Health Officer.”
Dr. Scott Harris, in his Off. capacity as the State Health Officer v. Oasis Fam. Birthing Ctr., LLC, Dr. Heather Skanes, Alabama Birth Ctr., Dr. Yashica Robinson, Alabama Affiliate of the Am. Coll. of Nurse-Midwives, Jo Crawford, & Tracie Stone (Ala. Civ. App. 2026). · cites it 19× “Code 1975, § 22-21-20 et seq. Section 22-21-20(1), Ala.”
Quality Living, Inc. v. State Dep't of Pub. Health, 711 So. 2d 1021 (Ala. Civ. App. 1997). · cites it 2× “Pursuant to Ala.Code 1975, §§ 22-21-20 through -33, the Department is a governmental entity or branch of the State of Alabama that is required to license and to regulate a broad array of health care facilities, including ALFs, for the *1023 purpose of ensuring safe and adequate…”
Tucker v. State Dep't of Pub. Health, 650 So. 2d 910 (Ala. Civ. App. 1994). · cites it 8× ““Hospital” is defined by § 22-21-20 to include abortion or reproductive health centers.”
Huntsville Senior Servs., LLC v. Alabama Dep't of Pub. Health (N.D. Ala. 2022). · cites it 3× “CODE § 22-21-20. To be clear, though the statutory definition of “hospital” expressly includes ALFs but not ILs, the list of facilities is non-exhaustive and does not expressly exclude ILs from its scope.”
Ex parte Triad of Alabama, LLC, d/b/a Flowers Hosp. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS (In re: Voncille Askew & Don Askew v. Triad of Alabama, LLC, d/b/a Flowers Hosp.) (Houston Circuit Court: CV-22-900177) (Ala. 2024). · cites it 2× “The reference to § 22-21-21 in § 6-5-481(7) appears to be a typographical error; it further appears that the correct reference should be to § 22-21-20(1), Ala. Code 1975. Section 22-21-20(1) defines hospitals as "[g]eneral and specialized hospitals.”
Cash v. LIFESouth Cmty. Blood Centers, Inc. (M.D. Ala. 2019). · cites it 2× “Specifically, LifeSouth argues that AMLA explicitly relies on the definition of hospital found in Ala. Code §§ 22-21-20 (1) and 22- 21-21, which address the licensing of hospitals and other health care institutions in the state and include in the definition of hospitals…”
Adams v. Huntsville Hosp. (N.D. Ala. 2020). · cites it 2× “Huntsville Hospital is clearly a hospital as defined by Ala. Code § 22-21-20 , and as applied to the Alabama Medical Liability Act by Ala.”
— Ala. Code § 22-21-20(1) — 3 cases
Bowden Ex Rel. Bowden v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 124 F. Supp. 2d 1228 (M.D. Ala. 2000). “Code § 22-21-20(1) (1975), *1240 may not deny stabilizing emergency care to any indigent person without valid cause.”
Dr. Scott Harris, in his Off. capacity as the State Health Officer v. Oasis Fam. Birthing Ctr., LLC, Dr. Heather Skanes, Alabama Birth Ctr., Dr. Yashica Robinson, Alabama Affiliate of the Am. Coll. of Nurse-Midwives, Jo Crawford, & Tracie Stone (Ala. Civ. App. 2026). “Code 1975, § 22-21-20 et seq. Section 22-21-20(1), Ala.”
Ex parte Triad of Alabama, LLC, d/b/a Flowers Hosp. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS (In re: Voncille Askew & Don Askew v. Triad of Alabama, LLC, d/b/a Flowers Hosp.) (Houston Circuit Court: CV-22-900177) (Ala. 2024). “The reference to § 22-21-21 in § 6-5-481(7) appears to be a typographical error; it further appears that the correct reference should be to § 22-21-20(1), Ala. Code 1975. Section 22-21-20(1) defines hospitals as "[g]eneral and specialized hospitals.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.