We face constant change these days. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us all with new circumstances, new uncertainties and new challenges. How we do our jobs, how we connect with co-workers, friends and loved ones, and how we provide health care have changed. Adaptability is the new normal. Considering the swiftness and scale of the…
Telemedicine is helping to bridge the gap between patients and physicians during COVID-19. University Medical Center has been offering telemedicine visits for patients since late March via Zoom, FaceTime and phone. The visits allow for the care and treatment of basic and urgent health needs without patients having to physically come to UMC to see…
These are definitely challenging times and almost everything about our daily lives looks different. Before COVID-19, people had their routines and schedules. Now, parents and children are dealing with major life disruptions, including school closures and social distancing, which has been difficult for everyone in the family. Parents are balancing remote work, home schooling their…
The official name for the virus that is causing the current pandemic is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19, as per the World Health Organization. CO stands for corona, VI for virus ad D for disease. Previously, this virus was referred to as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV. A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus…
As local and state restrictions ease throughout Alabama and stores, restaurants, gyms and salons begin to re-open, it is important that we don’t get complacent about COVID-19. We are still in uncharted territory. Science and history tells us that there is more to come. The nation’s top health experts have said it is important to…
The Alabama Department of Public Health has expanded its criteria for COVID-19 testing. The new testing criteria includes: Residents, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, of long-term care facilities where there is a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case in residents or staff. Hospitalized patients with symptoms. Health-care facility workers, workers in congregate living settings and first responders, with symptoms.…
Face masks have become the symbol of the fight against COVID-19. Health officials and experts recommend that people wear masks when they are out in public to help slow the spread of the virus. For the protection of its patients and employees, University Medical Center now requires people entering UMC facilities to wear their own…
Social workers are playing a vital role in the current crisis, helping to provide resources, assistance and mental health care to individuals and communities impacted by COVID-19. During this pandemic, many people find themselves in situations they’ve never faced before. Social distancing is the new norm for daily life. Schools have closed, leaving some at-risk…
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and during this COVID-19 pandemic, caring for our mental and emotional health has become especially important. At University Medical Center, taking care of our patients’ mental health has always been as important as taking care of their physical health. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, social distancing and isolation, we have…
To assist those in Tuscaloosa working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, University Medical Center is offering free mental health services to first responders and health-care providers. “First responders and health-care providers are often functioning at a high level of (stress), which may negatively impact their thinking and emotional responses to situations,” said…
