Donald Williamson, MD was placed as the president and chief executive officer of the Alabama Hospital Association. Based in Montgomery, the AlaHA is a statewide trade organization that represents more than 100 hospitals and numerous other healthcare providers across the state, assisting its members in effectively serving the healthcare needs of Alabama through advocacy, representation, education, and service. Dr. Williamson is a healthcare authority throughout the state, bringing to the position an unparalleled knowledge of Alabama health care, including critical issues such as RCO development and Medicaid expansion.
Before joining the AlaHA, Dr. Williamson served as the state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health for 23 years. In this capacity, he was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the department, as well as policy implementation and development. ADPH is a diversified service provider that coordinates public health efforts throughout the state, providing direct patient care, outbreak investigation and control, licensing and inspection of all healthcare facilities, administration of WIC and the state’s child health insurance program, a repository for vital records, and population and community health activities. ADPH has approximately 2,700 employees, with a total budget of $744 million. Dr. Williamson also chaired the state’s Medicaid Transition Task Force.
Previously, Dr. Williamson served as the director of the Bureau of Preventative Health Services and of the Division of Disease Control for the Alabama Department of Public Health, and as the state tuberculosis control officer for the Mississippi State Department of Public Health.
Dr. Williamson earned his bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Virginia Hospital and is board certified in that specialty. On a national level, Dr. Williamson has been part of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials as an executive committee member and as president. He has also been a member of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors of the Public Health Foundation, serving as a member of the Steering Committee on Access for the Uninsured of the National Academy for State Health Policy.
