Sandral Hullett
Sandral Hullett (born 1946; died March 22, 2024 in Tuscaloosa) was the CEO of Jefferson Health System/Cooper Green Mercy Hospital and former chair of the board of directors for the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems.
Hullet was the oldest of three siblings born to Ransom and Annie Wright Hullett. She was raised in Hudson City, which was later annexed into Birmingham's Inglenook neighborhood. She attended Carver High School and went on to complete a bachelor of science in biology at Alabama A&M University.
After graduating, she worked as a researcher for Pfizer and at Columbia University. She then entered medical school at Medical College of Pennsylvania and later earned a master's degree in Public Health from UAB. For over 22 years, Hullett worked in rural healthcare, serving as a physician and, since 1976, as director for the non-profit Family HealthCare of Alabama in Eutaw which oversees 24 primary healthcare facilities.
Dr Hullett has participated extensively in research, clinical trials, and community outreach. She has co-authored several nationally published articles on health care issues among rural primary care communities. She serves as project director and principal investigator for several grants funded by the National Cancer Institute; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the Kellogg Foundation; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and the Ford Foundation. She is a member of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Institute of Medicine; the National Academy of Sciences; Intercultural Cancer Council; the Steering Committee for the Alabama Partnership for Cancer Control in Underserved Populations; the Advisory Committee for the Minority Medical Education Program; the Institute of Medicine Committee on Environmental Justice; and the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Changing Market, Managed Care, and the Future Viability of Safety Net Providers. She was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2000. She was also a trustee of the University of Alabama System for 19 years.
In 2001 she was named interim director of Cooper Green Hospital (now Cooper Green Mercy Hospital) and now heads the Jefferson Health System which includes Cooper Green Mercy and Jefferson Outpatient Care. In 2003 she was appointed to the Jefferson Metropolitan Health Care Authority by Jefferson County Commission president Larry Langford. The authority was put in charge of all County health operations in 2004 and Hullett acted as CEO for the entire system. After Langford resigned to become Mayor of Birmingham in 2007 the authority ceased holding meetings. Financial reviews found numerous undocumented payments which Hullett had approved and she was asked to justify them, which she was able to do only in part.
In 2009 Hullett was named "Businessperson of the Year" by the Birmingham Business Journal.
Hullett enjoyed collecting and repairing watches in her spare time. She died at Hospice of West Alabama in Tuscaloosa in March 2024. She was buried at Jefferson Memorial Gardens.
Awards
- National Rural Health Association, "Rural Practitioner of the Year", 1988
- National Association of Community Health Centers, "Clinical Recognition Award for Education and Training", 1993
- Leadership Alabama, "Distinguished Leadership Award" , 1996
- National Black Churches Family Council, "Rural Leadership Image Award", 1998
- UAB School of Public Health, "Public Health Hero Award", 2000
- National Medical Fellowship, 2001
- Birmingham Business Journal, "Who’s Who in Health Care", 2002
- Rutgers University, " Lifetime Achievement of Women in Health Care", 2002
- Alabama Academy of Honor, 2002
- Cahaba Girl Scout Council, "Woman of Distinction", 2003
- American Medical Women's Association "Local Legends Award", 2004
- Birmingham Business Journal Businessperson of the Year, 2009
References
- Velasco, Anna (July 3, 2006) "Cooper Green CEO leads national public hospitals group." The Birmingham News
- Whigham-Désir, Marjorie & Candace Waller. (August 2001) "The Doctors Are In: Here's a selection of america's leading black physicians." BlackEnterprise.com - accessed July 3, 2006
- "Dr. Sandral Hullett" (October 2006) Birmingham Magazine. Vol. 46, No. 10. p. 173
- Wright, Barnett (March 27, 2008) "Still no documentation for $238,838 in payments." The Birmingham News
- Cooper, Lauren B. (December 25, 2009) "Businessperson of the Year: Dr. Sandral Hullett." Birmingham Business Journal
- Wright, Barnett (March 28, 2024) "Dr. Sandral Hullett, Former CEO of Birmingham’s Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, Dies at 78." The Birmingham Times
External links
- Sandral Hullett at the Alabama Academy of Honor