This year, nine Family and Community Medicine employees celebrate a combined 145 years of service to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. That includes three staff members with 20 years or more, respectively — Patient Encounter Specialist Annia Johnson O’Neal, Information Systems Specialist III Jeff James and Patient Services Coordinator Jerry Chamblish. They were all recognized recently at a service awards ceremony for their commitment to UAB.
For Annia Johnson O’Neal, dedication works both ways.
“I feel like a valued employee here at UAB. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been here as long as I have,” O’Neal said.
When O’Neal first star
Annia Johnson O'Nealted her journey at the university, Bill Clinton was months from becoming the 42nd U.S. president, U.S. News and World Report ranked UAB the number one up and coming U.S. university, and the school’s students and faculty were looking forward to taking off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday for the first time.
O’Neal was out of work, looking for a job and, based on her values, UAB was an appealing option.
“I chose UAB because of its great reputation for caring for its patients, its patients’ families, its visitors and employees,” said O’Neal.
As a patient encounter specialist, O’Neal is the first person patients meet along their medical journey. She handles the front desk, handles the front desk, greeting each patient who arrives to see a provider. Annia checks in the patient, verifies insurance and collects a co-pay. She is also the last person patients see before they leave the clinic, since she also schedules return appointments and checks patients out.
O’Neal says she has grown in her role over the last 30 years, “by meeting and learning to communicate with people of all different backgrounds.” She says she progressed as an employee by expanding her skillset and committing to work as a team player.
“Ann has always been the calm and most confident person,” said her colleague Janice Jeter. “She is also a very sweet person…who tries to help with any problems.”
Known for her love of sweets and shopping, and her devotion to family, O’Neal is well liked among her Family and Community Medicine peers. She says the most rewarding part about working at UAB is the impact she can make in the lives of others.
“Even though I don’t participate in direct patient care, I get to participate with caring for patients,” said Annia.
FCM employee Jeff James does not work directly with patients, but faculty and staff agree they would be lost without his knowledge and know-how. They say his problem-solving skills allow them to do their jobs more effectively. James addresses emergency computer crises for Family and Community Medicine employees on the third floor of CH20 as well as those in Student Health. This is in addition to his many other duties, which include setting up computers for each new, department employee— on site and remotely.
“Jeff is resourceful, proactive, and reliable in setting up new employees and existing employees,” said Portia Jackson. “There is no computer task too hard for Jeff James, and I would like to say, ‘thanks, Jeff, for all you do!”
For 25 years, James has provided critical technical support to UAB employees. His truck is one of the first to arrive, each day, and one of the last to leave. What’s more, his colleagues say his never-ending positivity makes him a delight to work with, and a cherished member of the team.
“Awesome guy!!” said Sharon McChesney.
Jeff James“Jeff James is invaluable to this department,” echoed Nancy Powell.
Employees say they treasure James’ humble, can-do attitude, his patience and his willingness to help.
“[He] has a unique way of making complex situations simple and understandable,” said Ryan Outman.
In addition to the time and attention Jeff devotes to each individual in Family and Community Medicine, his peers say he genuinely cares about the department, as a whole, and what he can do to help the team.
“The department is lucky to have him,” said McChesney.
McChesney remembers asking Jeff for help before her first day in Family and Community Medicine.
“I emailed him with questions and concerns about personal emails and files I wanted to transfer,” she explained. “He did not hesitate to help me with that and assured me it would not be a problem.”
Yet, whenever a problem does arise, Jeff “always helps!”
“He even helps me with personal things—dead battery and Jeff comes to the rescue!” McChesney said.
“Jeff is truly an incredible resource for our department,” said Caroline Newman. “He is constantly looking for ways to improve how we operate and the technology we use, and he is just a great person to work with. I am so glad to have him on the team.”
Also described as a “go-to man,” Jerry Chamblish’s peers say he knows a lot about a lot.
“He can tell you about cars and gets really excited about it!” said one longtime coworker. “He has a really sharp eye for construction work, especially carpentry” and “boy, does he have a green thumb!”
On the clock, Chamblish handles referrals for multiple providers, including insurance authorizations. He also assists patients referred to specialty physicians in other offices.
Celebrating 20 years of service to the university, coworkers say Chamblish is humble. They admire his “very sweet and concerning personality.”
Jerry Chamblish“Jerry has always been dedicated and loyal to whatever project he has,” said Jeter. “[He is] very helpful and will stick with you until the end with anything that has to be done.”
Three other employees are commemorating 15 years at the university, including UAB Student Health Service Director, Alabama AHEC Executive Director and Associate Professor Michael Faircloth, Ph.D., FCM Executive Administrator Ryan Outman and Assistant Professor Earl Salser, M.D., director of the Cahaba-UAB Family Medicine Residency Highlands Track.
Faircloth says he joined the ranks because of his experience at UAB as a student.
“[I] had a wonderful experience at the institution,” said Faircloth. I wanted to be at an institution that set the standard for Academic Medical Centers.”
Over the course of his tenure at the university, Faircloth says the collaborative culture and long-lasting relationships he developed are some of the most rewarding aspects of the job, plus, the success of the UAB Student Health Center.
“The many positive impacts on our students, possible through outstanding support from leadership and by being surrounded by those who practice excellence in all they do,” Faircloth explained.
Ryan Outman began his career at UAB in 2007 as a project coordinator. Before accepting his current role, he acted as division administrator for the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Since his arrival at Family and Community Medicine in 2020, Ryan Outman has been working towards his goal of “building the premiere Department of Family and Community Medicine with [a] fabulous team.” He agrees the university’s “collaborative spirit” is one of its most attractive qualities and says “working with early career investigators and all kinds of learners” has been the most rewarding part of his 15 years as a UAB employee.
Earl Salser, MD, has devoted/ dedicated much of his UAB career to promoting primary care development at the Heersink School of Medicine. Recognized for excellence in patient care and repeatedly named one of Alabama’s Top Doctors (B Metro Magazine), Salser also dedicates much of his time to educating the next generation of primary care physicians. As Clerkship Director for Birmingham’s Family medicine campus, Billy helps to connect students with community medicine physician preceptors. He also works to mentor residents as the director of the Cahaba-UAB Family Medicine Residency Highlands Track. Salser is actively involved in treating patients in underserved populations.
The university also recognizes Director of the Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Becky Reamey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Sameera Davuluri, M.D., and Shyla K. Fields, MBA, the director of the Office of Identity, Inclusion and Collective Conscience, for their service to the department. Reamey celebrates five years with UAB, while both Davuluri and Fields celebrate 10.
“I remember… thinking I was way in over my head with academic medicine and research,” said Reamey. “It was like another language to me.”
Reamey recalls her first days as a full-time employee with the university. A teacher, intermittently, for more than a decade, she says she made the decision to return full-time after her children started elementary school. Reamey says “an intriguing opportunity” led her down a new path at UAB— with the CCTS Training Academy and Scientific Community for Outcomes Researchers.
“The opportunities at UAB are endless,” said Reamey. “I also think the professional development opportunities are excellent for employees.”
She says she enjoys working with FCM and looks forward to what she and the department can achieve in the future.
“The most rewarding part of working here has been witnessing others hit their milestones, receive notice of funding for a grant I helped with, and generally seeing the impact of my small part in a bigger picture,” Reamey explained. “The jobs I have held have put me in a position to be able to do this. At UAB, specifically, the success of a researcher or community-engaged activity may have an exponential impact and that is the reward – making a difference.”
Though her primary focus is adult and preventative care, Davuluri practices all aspects of family medicine. She also dedicates much of her time to teaching the next generation of physicians through her work in the Comprehensive Urban and Rural Experience Longitudinal Primary Care Pipeline program.
Serving the underserved is a common theme among DFCM employees.
For Shyla K. Fields, it is a passion and she found it at UAB.
“[I] got a temp job as the director’s administrator at the UAB 1917 Clinic, where I connected to my passion, purpose and community for health advocacy and education,” Fields reflected.
She says working with patients living with HIV has been one of the most rewarding parts of her 10-year journey at the university. “Additionally, seeing how patients achieve optimal health care in specialty care makes me realize that, if the same type of funding and resources were provided for all health care in western medicine, optimal health care for all would be actualized,” said Fields.
She is constantly working to develop diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence initiatives for faculty, staff and students, including educational modules and engaging, monthly, in-person meetings.
“I hope to continue to be a change agent for quality and equitable care for all,” Fields said.
While employees received recognition for their years of service this year, they reached their milestone at the end of the last fiscal year, Oct. 1, 2022.