September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to promote awareness about and support for those affected by suicide. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2023, making it a leading cause of death. Warning signs include withdrawal, mood changes…
Maternity care is vanishing in rural Alabama resulting in maternity care deserts and increasing the state’s infant mortality rate, which is already above the national average, according to data presented at a College of Community Health Sciences academic lecture. More than a third of Alabama counties lack adequate obstetrics services, requiring expectant mothers to travel…
Staying active is one of the most important ways older adults can protect their health and independence, University Medical Center physicians told members of The University of Alabama’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at a recent Mini Medical School presentation. Mini Medical School is a collaborative program of UMC and OLLI that provides lectures by UMC…
University Medical Center physicians spoke about vaccines and other health topics during a September Mini Medical School presentation to members of The University of Alabama’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Drs. Jane and Tom Weida, family medicine physicians at UMC, led the “Ask the Docs” session, which allowed OLLI members to ask health-related questions. Mini Medical…
UMC-Livingston now provides childhood vaccines for measles, polio and pertussis (DTaP), through the Vaccines for Children Program. The program offers vaccines at no cost to reduce barriers to care and to help keep children healthy. The flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines will be available in October. UMC-Livingston provides primary health care to residents of Sumter…
Dr. David Chandran, a psychiatrist, joined the Betty Shirley Clinic at UMC in Tuscaloosa. He is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the College of Community Health Sciences and will teach the College’s medical students, resident physicians and fellows. CCHS operates UMC. Chandran earned his medical degree from…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, a time to recognize the role vaccines play in protecting public health. Vaccines help the body’s immune system produce antibodies that fight off harmful viruses and bacteria, preventing serious illness. Common vaccinations protect against flu, hepatitis a and b, measles, human papillomavirus (HPV), tuberculosis, smallpox and COVID-19. To learn…
Capstone Hospitalist Group provides hospital care for patients from admission through discharge at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa and Northport Medical Center. The group’s physicians and nurse practitioners care for patients after emergency room visits or doctor referrals, coordinate with patients’ primary-care doctors, and provide consultations. Capstone Hospitalist Group cared for 102,446 patients in…
Dr. William Brooks Burns, a psychiatrist, joined UMC in Tuscaloosa in its Betty Shirley Clinic where he will care for patients. He is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the College of Community Health Sciences and will teach the College’s medical students, resident physicians and fellows. CCHS operates…
University Medical Center partnered with the Birmingham-based Flourish Alabama to host Art and Healing: Stories of the Black Belt, a free community event open to the public to raise health awareness through storytelling and art. The Art and Healing event featured music, poetry performances, storytelling sessions where attendees could share their health journeys, and free…
