We are entering a very different and difficult holiday season. The country is beginning its ninth month of the pandemic and COVID-19 fatigue is setting in – right when it can be the most dangerous. People are understandably weary. But COVID-19 positive cases are rising, and colder temperatures are making outdoor gatherings less appealing, removing…
We have all been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for much of this year. On this episode of Health Matters, Dr. Tom Weida, chief medical officer of University Medical Center, gives an update on where we are now in regard to COVID-19, and what we can expect in 2021. Your browser does not support the…
Social workers provide numerous services to those in need, identifying and addressing challenges in health, home life, employment and finances. This year, COVID-19 has impacted all of those areas. For many people, the virus has led to temporary or permanent job loss and, as a result, decreased access to health insurance, health care, food and…
For many people, the holiday season can be a time of stress, loneliness and grief. This year, feelings of anxiety and depression may be more prevalent because of COVID-19. People report that they are weary of the pandemic and that it is painful to have to abandon social rituals during the holidays, like family gatherings…
University Medical Center has been recertified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home in recognition of its commitment to place patients at the forefront of care while improving quality and lowering health care costs. “On behalf of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), thank you for your dedication to sustaining your Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition,” the…
Since August, University Medical Center has conducted COVID-19 testing for The University of Alabama campus. We haven’t stopped, and when the fall semester becomes the spring semester, we’ll still be testing. UMC is operated by the College of Community Health Science, which educates medical students and resident physicians, so we are well positioned to lead…
A hospitalist is a doctor who practices in the hospital – caring for patients from the time they are admitted to the time they are discharged. Hospitalist services are common across the U.S. and hospital medicine is now one of the country’s largest medical specialties. University Hospitalist Group was established by University Medical Center in…
Operation of The University of Alabama Brewer-Porch Children’s Center transitioned October 1 from the University’s College of Arts and Sciences to its College of Community Health Sciences. Brewer-Porch provides behavioral health care and educational services for children, adolescents and their families both locally and from across Alabama. The CCHS Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine…
Regular physical activity is important for good health. But for many people, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging to maintain an exercise regime. Medical experts said long periods of physical inactivity can worsen health and health conditions and can make fighting off a COVID-19 infection more difficult. It can also affect mental health.…
Adults with certain underlying and chronic medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes is one of them. Angela Hammond is a nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator at University Medical Center, and quality coordinator of UMC’s Diabetes Self-Management Education and…
