Tom Shufflebarger Shares the Magic of Children’s of Alabama

President Jeff Stone and Rotarian Craft O’Neal with Tom Shufflebarger

This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Tom Shufflebarger, President and CEO of Children’s of Alabama. Shufflebarger highlighted the hospital’s vital role as the state’s only provider of many specialized pediatric services, caring for patients from every corner of Alabama and beyond. He offered a glimpse of the current patient flow, with approximately 290 inpatients, 1,200 outpatient visits, and 120 scheduled surgeries. Emphasizing the hospital’s strong partnership with UAB, Shufflebarger detailed how this collaboration advances pediatric care, education, and research. He discussed key challenges such as Medicaid reimbursement gaps, workforce retention, and the growing acuity of patients, as well as recent expansions in behavioral health, NICU, and intensive care services. Shufflebarger underscored the critical importance of community support, including Rotary contributions to the hospital’s critical care transport program, which ensures that children across the state receive timely, life-saving treatment.

Bio for Tom Shufflebarger

Tom Shufflebarger is President and Chief Executive Officer for Children’s of Alabama. He is responsible for all aspects of the operation and care provided by the State’s only freestanding pediatric hospital.

Shufflebarger is an honors graduate of Duke University where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Master of Business Administration. He joined Children’s of Alabama in 1992, having previously served as budget director and director of physician recruitment and development for Brookwood Medical Center.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and currently serves as a Trustee of the Alabama Chapter of the American Hospital Association. Active in numerous community organizations, he has served in volunteer leadership roles with the American Red Cross, The United Way of Central Alabama, Magic Moments, the Lakeshore Foundation, Canterbury United Methodist Church, and the Hoover City Schools.

A resident of Hoover, Shufflebarger and his wife, Ellen, have two daughters. In his leisure time, he enjoys most any outdoor activity.