Category Newsletter


UMC Spotlight: Caring for West Alabama

University Medical Center’s new clinic in Livingston is UMC’s sixth location and represents another step forward in its mission to bring primary health care services to West Alabama communities. Together, the UMC clinics form the largest community medical practice in the region with more than 150,000 annual patient visits. University Medical Center in Tuscaloosa is…


UMC Opens Livingston Location

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University Medical Center opened a clinic in Livingston July 25 that will provide primary health care services to the Sumter County community. UMC is operated by The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Dr. Richard Friend, dean of the UA College of Community Health Sciences, said access to primary health…


The Health Matters Podcast – Gyn Surgery with Dr. Sachin Shenoy

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. Gynecologic surgeries used to be major operations that left patients with large incisions and long…


Health Notes

As summer begins drawing to a close, many people are taking trips and vacations. Dr. Tom Weida, chief medical officer with University Medical Center, said travelers should continue to consider COVID-19 precautions when planning their trips. Learn More. Rural hospitals provide essential health care to rural communities, but when they close, residents must travel farther…


Heat and Hydration

Drinking enough fluids is one of the most important things you can do to prevent heat illness, and water is generally sufficient for hydration. Dehydration, a primary contributor to heat exhaustion, occurs when people lose more fluid from the body than they take in. When this happens, the body doesn’t have enough water and other…


Long COVID

Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as post-COVID conditions or long COVID. The conditions can last weeks, months or years. Post-COVID conditions are found more often in people who had severe COVID-19 illness. People who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and…


Deans Message

A Message from Dr. Richard Friend, Dean of the College of Community Health Sciences Unfortunately, COVID-19 numbers are on the rise again. While we are hopeful that this spike is short lived, we are seeing a significant number of COVID-19 positive cases in Tuscaloosa and statewide. Positive COVID-19 cases are also spiking in many parts…


A Message from Dr. Richard Friend, Dean of the College of Community Health Sciences

About this time every year, a new group of doctors joins The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency Program – and our team of physicians at University Medical Center. These interns, as they are called in the first year of the three-year residency, are medical school graduates seeking additional education and training so that…


Health Notes

Health Matters is an award-winning weekly television series broadcast on WVUA-23 that features University Medical Center physicians and providers who raise awareness of important health issues and bring relevant and timely health information to the public. Health Matters airs on WVUA-23 on Wednesdays at 5 pm and Sundays at 10 pm. Segments are also posted…


UMC Spotlight – Family Medicine Obstetricians

Family medicine physicians often choose to incorporate obstetrics into their practices so they can better serve their patients. This is particularly helpful in rural and medically underserved areas, where the nearest obstetrician might be counties away. Dr. Connie Leeper is a family medicine obstetrician with University Medical Center. She said FMOBs, as they are called,…