Norton Healthcare is a Kentucky healthcare system with more than 40 clinics and hospitals in and around Louisville, Kentucky. The hospital and health care system is the Louisville area's second-largest private employer, located at more than 140 locations throughout Greater Louisville, and Southern Indiana. The Louisville-based system includes six hospitals, one being in Madison, Indiana, (with ongoing expansion into Southern Indiana), and with 1,993 licensed beds, eight outpatient centers, 18 Norton Immediate Care Centers, over 14,500 employees, over 1,500 employed medical providers, and approximately 2,000 total physicians on its medical staff.
What is now known as the predecessor to Norton Healthcare originally started with the actions of the Home Mission Society of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Mary Louise Sutton Norton led this group to create the John N. Norton Memorial Infirmary in 1886, which was named in honor of her late husband. The hospital system has had multiple influences from religious groups over the years, including the Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, and the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian communities, all of which were dedicated to promoting the idea of health and medical care for the sick and less fortunate.
Also of note is Norton Children's Hospital, which opened in 1892 as Children's Free Hospital. The 267-bed hospital serves as the primary pediatric teaching facility for the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
The system's most notable locations are five acute care hospitals located within Metro Louisville:
Norton Healthcare provides services through numerous Immediate Care Centers throughout the greater Louisville area, as well as a Norton Prompt Care clinic inside the KFC Yum! Center. Additionally, Norton Healthcare is expanding its footprint, and services outside of Louisville; Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Bowling Green.
In March 2025, Norton Healthcare announced a $40 million purchase of 156 acres in Louisville's east end, which sits on either side of the intersection of Tucker Station Road, S. Pope Lick Road, Bluegrass Parkway and Lakefront Place near the Papa Johns Waterfall Park. In June, Norton announced its plans for the property, which include building a new pediatric care campus on more than 150 acres that will include Norton's second dedicated children's hospital. A Norton spokesperson said the results of listening sessions will help shape the scope and cost of the project, which could reach a billion dollars.
In April 2025, Norton Healthcare announced that community donations have exceeded its goal, one year early, with over $200 million for Norton Healthcare and Norton Children's âÂÂJust Imagineâ campaign.
In October 2025, Norton Healthcare announced a $3.5 million project, towards the opening of new multipurpose athletic fields, in the summer of 2026, at the Norton Healthcare & Learning Center campus in West Louisville.
In Southern Indiana:
According to Business First of Louisville, Norton Healthcare is the Louisville area's third largest employer, with more than 17,000 employees. Norton Healthcare employs some 4,000 nurses and has nearly 2,000 affiliated physicians. Additionally, Norton Healthcare has programs in place to support nursing students attending both public and private universities in Kentucky and Indiana. The Norton Healthcare Scholar Program is designed for nursing students to cover the cost of tuition, books, and room and board.
In 2004, Norton Healthcare built a 30,000-square-foot, Norton Health Science Center, on the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville. On November 9, 2023, Bellarmine University and Norton Healthcare announced the nation's first fellowship in neurologic physical therapy (PT).
When compared with other healthcare providers in Louisville, Norton Healthcare is the market share leader in five major areas. This includes 46% of all inpatient admissions, 61% of all births, 53% of all emergency department visits, 41% of all outpatient visits, and 50% of total surgeries.