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Caroline Sullivan's experience with Alabama AHEC’s clinical rotation placements profoundly shaped her path as a nurse practitioner. While attending Samford University’s Nurse Practitioner program, Sullivan connected with a preceptor at Quality of Life Health Services through East Central Alabama AHEC. Originally, she wanted to become a nurse practitioner in private practice, but she soon found her focus shift. The experience revealed to her the stark realities underserved communities face, specifically uninsured Alabamians in rural areas. It was no longer "just a job." Sullivan came face-to-face with gaps in care. 

After a national search, Becky Reamey, Ph.D., has been promoted to Director of the Alabama AHEC Network.

Reamey first joined the Alabama Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network in late 2021, initially as the Associate Director and later as Interim Director. She has a deep passion for education, research, and workforce development. 

UAB celebrated Primary Care Week across campus October 4-11. Along with spotlighting the pivotal role primary care plays in our health care system, I am also thrilled to celebrate the people who pour their passion into primary care every day at UAB. 

The Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine is thrilled to announce a weeklong celebration of Primary Care Week from October 4-11, 2024. This event-packed week aims to educate physicians-in-training and students across the health spectrum on the pivotal role of primary care in the healthcare system. 

UAB and UAB Medicine employees without a primary care provider can now turn to two new Department of Family and Community Medicine physicians. Beginning September 16, an employee-only primary care clinic will offer routine care—including health screenings, vaccinations, and physical exams—as well as treat acute conditions.

In an effort to bolster the residency program and grow much-needed clinical support for the region, the Department of Family and Community Medicine on the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Birmingham campus will assume leadership of the UAB Selma Family Medicine Residency Program beginning October 1.

How can primary care help patients with physical disabilities, who also deal with type 2 diabetes and other chronic disease, best manage their health? A team spearheaded by the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine will soon be conducting a real-world trial comparing effectiveness of primary care-based telehealth options in hopes of answering that question so patients, physicians, and caregivers can make informed decisions about their care.

More than 90 runners, coaches, and athletic trainers from across the area recently gathered at UAB for the second annual Robert A. Ferguson Endowed Lecture Series: A Conference on Running Medicine.

UAB alumna Vonetta Flowers, the first African American to win gold at the Winter Olympics, headlined the event. Her moving keynote focused on her journey to overcome medical setbacks and transition from track to bobsled.

The Alabama Statewide AHEC Network is thrilled to announce the addition of three new centers: Alabama Black Belt AHEC, Alabama Delta AHEC, and Alabama Wiregrass AHEC. These centers replace the subawards with Southern Alabama AHEC, Southeastern Alabama AHEC, and West Central Alabama AHEC as the federally funded HRSA AHEC programs.

UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine has once again stepped onto the international stage in sports medicine by receiving a prestigious opportunity. The United States of America Women’s Lacrosse team has officially appointed Ian McKeag, MD, the director of the UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine fellowship program, as its new team sports medicine physician.

Family Medicine Clerkship Director Sameera Davuluri, MD, joins Hana Habchi, MD, at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Class of 2024 Student Awards Banquet. 

The Department of Family and Community Medicine awarded its annual G. Gayle Stephens, MD, Award for Excellence in Family Medicine to CU²RE graduate Hana Habchi, MD. A native of Madison, Ala., Habchi will soon begin her Family Medicine residency at the University of California in San Francisco.

The Cahaba+UAB Family Medicine Residency was one of only two programs nationwide to receive the American Association for Physician Leadership's (AAPL) prestigious 2024 Leape Ahead Award.

The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) is a student-led organization that empowers UAB medical students to learn more about the family medicine specialty. Sponsored by the Department of Family and Community Medicine, FMIG strives to cultivate interest in family medicine, aid in professional development, and serve our community.

Meet the FMIG executive leadership team: Ryland "Jake" Beede, Savannah Blackwell, Noah Blackwood, and Emma Pierce. They will collaborate with their departmental advisor on events to increase awareness and education in family medicine and primary care among their peers at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

Sumayah Abed, MD, Sameera Davuluri, MD, Adriene Fowler-Payne, Daniel Fijabi, MD, and Steven Brown, MD, at STFM's Annual Meeting. 

UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine faculty and staff traveled West to present at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Annual Meeting.

The fifth class of Primary Care Faculty Development Fellows celebrated graduation from the program on May 3 with a session that included presentations on their group projects, peer feedback, awards, and a keynote lecture.

More than 55 students considering health care careers gathered in March for a full day of educational workshops and hands-on opportunities at the Integrative Healthcare Summit organized by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA).

The UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine team will present at the 2024 American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md., from April 12 to April 17, 2024.

The UAB Highlands Family and Community Medicine Clinic now welcomes prenatal patients. In partnership with the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the clinic initiated Prenatal Care in January and saw its first patient in early February. The new service allows low-risk, pregnant people to receive the crucial care they need before giving birth.

Sixteen Family and Community Medicine team members are implementing crucial knowledge they gained from the 2024 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Conference on Medical Student Education in Atlanta. Likewise, attendees from across the country took home key takeaways from faculty, staff and students representing UAB's Department of Family and Community Medicine.

UAB's leading role in the world of sports medicine and research was spotlighted as hundreds gathered in Monaco for night one at the prestigious International Olympic Committee World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport, where Department of Family and Community Medicine Chair Irfan Asif, M.D., was tapped to deliver the opening keynote.