Floyd Cherokee Medical Center: Atrium Health Floyd Community Hospital in Centre, AL

Floyd Cherokee Medical Center is a not-for-profit community hospital located at 400 Northwood Drive in Centre, Alabama, serving the more than 25,000 residents of Cherokee County and visitors to nearby Weiss Lake. Established in 1957, the hospital operates as part of the Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic network and is owned by the Cherokee County Healthcare Authority. The facility provides 24-hour emergency care alongside a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services including surgical care, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, drug and alcohol detox, and sleep disorder treatment.

Overview and Facility Details

Floyd Cherokee Medical Center is a 60-bed acute care hospital nestled in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Alabama, positioned at the geographic center of the triangle formed by Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga.

The hospital operates under the management of Floyd Medical and is a member of Atrium Health Floyd, a regional health system that became part of Atrium Health in October 2021 following a strategic combination with the Charlotte, North Carolina-based multi-hospital system. Floyd Cherokee Medical Center holds membership in the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) and serves Cherokee County through both its main campus and a Rural Health Clinic. Patients can access the MyAtriumHealth digital portal for secure messaging with providers, test results, and appointment management.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, critical access and community hospitals like Floyd Cherokee Medical Center are the primary healthcare infrastructure for rural populations, and their continued operation is essential for timely emergency care in areas where major medical centers are more than an hour away. The hospital is licensed under Alabama Department of Public Health oversight and accepts Medicare and Medicaid in addition to major commercial insurance plans.

History

Floyd Cherokee Medical Center was established in 1957 to address the hospitalization and healthcare needs of Cherokee County residents, growing over nearly seven decades into a full-service community hospital with specialty programs and system-level affiliations.

The hospital’s management relationship with Floyd Medical deepened over time. Floyd opened a new Urgent Care Center in Centre in 2011 and added emergency medical services to Cherokee County as part of an expanded regional care commitment. Floyd Medical formally assumed management of Cherokee Medical Center in the second half of the 2010s decade, bringing additional specialist access, telehealth infrastructure, and system-wide clinical protocols to the Centre campus.

In July 2021, Floyd finalized its strategic combination with Atrium Health, and the system was renamed Atrium Health Floyd in October 2021. In 2024, Atrium Health Floyd merged with Harbin Clinic to form Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, extending primary care, specialty care, and urgent care across northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Cherokee Medical Center is now fully integrated into this regional network, giving patients access to the broader Atrium Health system’s specialist referral pipeline while receiving local care in Centre.

Medical Services and Specialties

Floyd Cherokee Medical Center offers a broad spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services including 24-hour emergency care, surgical services, full diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, drug and alcohol detox, and a certified sleep disorder center.

The imaging department operates CT, dual-energy CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, 3D mammography, digital mammography, and a diagnostic radioisotope facility, providing comprehensive radiological support for both outpatient evaluation and emergency care. Laboratory services include histopathology, clinical lab testing, and point-of-care diagnostics. The hospital’s pharmacy, nutritional services team, and respiratory therapy department support both inpatient and post-acute care needs.

Specialty services available at or through Floyd Cherokee Medical Center include gastroenterology, general surgery, ophthalmology, neurological services, non-invasive cardiac assessment, geriatric services, and an urgent care center. Northeast Orthopedics (NEO) provides on-site orthopedic care at the Cherokee campus every Wednesday. The hospital also maintains a Stroke Center designation and offers telehealth services to connect patients with off-site specialists when in-person visits are not feasible. According to the American Stroke Association, certified stroke centers reduce time-to-treatment and improve patient outcomes in communities where neurological specialists may not be locally available.

Rehabilitation, Detox, and Sleep Services

Floyd Cherokee Medical Center operates a post-acute swing bed rehabilitation program, an inpatient drug and alcohol detox program, and a Sleep Disorder Center, addressing the long-term and behavioral health needs of Cherokee County residents.

The swing bed program allows patients transitioning out of acute hospital care to receive skilled nursing and rehabilitation services in the same hospital setting, avoiding the need for transfer to a separate facility. Outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy are available for patients recovering from injury, surgery, or neurological conditions. The hospital’s tobacco treatment and cessation program rounds out its preventive health and substance support offerings.

The inpatient drug and alcohol detox and treatment program serves patients requiring medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization. The Sleep Disorder Center evaluates and treats conditions including sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and parasomnias using overnight polysomnography and follow-up care pathways. These programs position Floyd Cherokee Medical Center as a comprehensive behavioral and chronic condition resource for a rural county with limited access to standalone specialty clinics.

Patients in the broader Alabama and northwest Georgia region seeking comparable community hospital services may also review Bates County Memorial Hospital for rural acute care, or Carle Richland Memorial Hospital, another critical access community hospital model serving a rural population.

Community Role and Patient Experience

Floyd Cherokee Medical Center serves as the primary acute care hospital for Cherokee County’s more than 25,000 residents and the regional recreational community that gathers at Weiss Lake, one of Alabama’s largest lakes.

The hospital is supported by a volunteer program and chaplaincy and pastoral care services, reflecting its deep community roots in Centre. A patient representative service handles care coordination and advocacy needs for patients and families navigating the healthcare system. The facility’s integration into the Atrium Health Floyd network provides patients with access to higher-level specialist referrals at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia, and across the Atrium Health enterprise including facilities in Charlotte and throughout the Southeast.

The hospital accepts Medicare and Medicaid and works with most major commercial insurance plans. Financial assistance and billing support are available through the Atrium Health Floyd billing department, accessible via the MyAtriumHealth portal or by contacting the hospital directly at (256) 927-5531. Language assistance services are available free of charge during hospital visits in multiple languages including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, and others through Atrium Health’s interpreter network.