University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System Names Janet Hadar as Next Chief Operating Officer

Janet Hadar, an experienced health care executive with over 20 years of leadership experience, has been appointed as the next chief operating officer of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System, effective January 12, 2026. Hadar joins UAB Health System from University of North Carolina Hospitals, where she led a regional portfolio of academic and community hospitals and achieved significant improvements in patient care, including a CMS 5-star rating and the development of a new 54-bed Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health hospital.

Key Takeaways:

• Janet Hadar brings over 20 years of health care experience to her new role as COO of UAB Health System, including leadership positions at University of North Carolina Hospitals.
• Hadar has a proven track record of improving patient care, including achieving a CMS 5-star rating and developing a new 54-bed Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health hospital.
• As COO, Hadar will oversee the operations of UAB Hospital and Ambulatory Services, UAB St. Vincent's, UAB Medical West, and related support services.
• Hadar has a background in leading clinical operations, ambulatory campuses, service lines, system integration, and community engagement projects.
• She will provide valuable operational guidance to the UAB Health System-managed hospitals across the state.
• Hadar's leadership experience includes senior vice president of Operations for the medical center and system hospitals at UNC Health and vice chair for Clinical Integration for the UNC Department of Medicine.
• Under her leadership, UNC Hospitals achieved improved rankings and expanded access to mental and behavioral health services.
• Hadar managed a portfolio of $1 billion in capital infrastructure investments to enhance and build new medical facilities.

Statistics:

• UAB Health System is the largest health system in Alabama, operating as a nearly $7.5 billion enterprise with 133 locations serving 67 counties in Alabama and beyond.
• The system now includes UAB Hospital, UAB St. Vincent's, UAB Medical West, Baptist Health in Montgomery, UAB Callahan Eye, and all associated sites of care of the owned and affiliated entities.
• With a workforce of over 30,000 physicians, health care professionals, and staff, UAB Health System provides care to almost 1.4 million unique patients.
• UAB promotes sustainable rural health care throughout the state by supporting associate hospitals like Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama, Russell Medical Center, Whitfield Regional Hospital, and John Paul Jones Hospital.

Sources:

• University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System
• University of North Carolina Hospitals
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System CEO Dawn Bulgarella