Category: Newsletter


The Health Matters Podcast – Dr. Pamela Payne Foster

The Health Matters Podcast is a series created in collaboration with WVUA-23 and Alabama Public Radio that features University Medical Center physicians and providers who bring awareness of important health issues and relevant and timely health information to the public. Vaccines are made to help protect and prepare the body to fight against various infections.…


Need to Know

Free flu shots will be available in various locations on different dates and times around the UA campus until mid-November. Visit https://cchs.ua.edu/flushot/ for more information. University Medical Center in Tuscaloosa is offering COVID-19 bivalent vaccines for patients by appointment. Call (205) 348-1471 and leave your name, date of birth and a way for UMC to…


Dean’s Message

We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the College of Community Health Sciences this year. As part of our celebration, we recognize the vital role that University Medical Center has played in the College’s growth and success. Together, CCHS and UMC have educated and placed family medicine physicians into practice throughout Alabama, with a focus on…


Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States. There were 264,121 new cases of breast cancer reported in the U.S. in 2019, the latest year that data is available, and 42,280 women died of this cancer. In Alabama, 4,100 cases of breast cancer were reported in 2019. Warning signs…


October is ADHD Awareness Month

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors and might be overly active. The causes and risk factors for ADHD are unknown, but current research shows that genetics plays an important role.…


The Health Matters Podcast – Dr. Marisa Giggie

The Health Matters Podcast is a series created in collaboration with WVUA-23 and Alabama Public Radio that features University Medical Center physicians and providers who bring awareness of important health issues and relevant and timely health information to the public. Being a teenager is hard, and technology has made that even more complicated. While social…


Free Flu Shots Available on Campus This Fall

Faculty, staff and students can help protect themselves this flu season with free flu shots on campus Sept. 8 through mid-November. As part of The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences’ annual flu shot campaign, nurses from University Medical Center, Student Health Center and Pharmacy, and Capstone College of Nursing will administer vaccines…


Caring for West Alabama: Guin gives back to rural communities

Dr. Jacob Guin is a family medicine physician who cares for patients at University Medical Center clinics in Tuscaloosa and Carrollton, Ala. Originally from Coker, Ala., Guin grew up shadowing doctors in rural communities in West Alabama, including Drs. Julia Boothe in Reform and John Brandon in Gordo. “I always said whenever I finished med…


Dean’s Message

COVID-19 seems to be settling down, with fewer positive cases and hospitalizations in Alabama, but that doesn’t mean we can relax just yet. It is still important for people to get vaccinated and boosted against the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August authorized updated (bivalent) COVID-19 booster shots for people who are…


The importance of flu shots

Flu can mean a few days of feeling bad and missing work, school or family events, or it can result in potentially more serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart…