There are people who maintain sobriety without ever setting foot in the halls of AA. Those people have the strength and the knowledge of their life-and-death relationship with alcohol. They are few and far between, but they do exist. Reaching out and talking to others about his alcoholism is huge. Finding a therapist probably wouldn't be a bad idea to work out those underlying issues, but AA is not the be-all-end-all of sobriety. Plenty of active A's attend meetings. If your husband feels that it's not right for him but has that fire burning in him to never drink again, I fully believe he can do it.
I will note that I'm saying this because he really appears to be doing this FOR HIMSELF. If he was saying he was doing it for you or the family, I'd tell you to get the hospital's number on your speed-dial because it won't last. Sobriety entered into for anyone or anything other than the A themselves will crash and burn.