Becky Reamey, Ph.D.The Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program announces the appointment of Rebecca A. Reamey, Ph.D., to fill the position of Associate Director upon the retirement of Glenda Stanley. Reamey joins Alabama AHEC at an auspicious time as the organization transitions back to normal operations after many months spent in COVID-19 relief. It has been a period of great growth in terms of increased outreach and potential for the development and fostering of diverse partnerships upon which Alabama AHEC hopes to capitalize in the coming months.
“Alabama AHEC is a valuable part of the state and the mission of UAB. It plays a pivotal role in creating a future pipeline of healthcare professionals that will ultimately address some of the major healthcare issues found in our state,” said Irfan M. Asif, M.D., professor and chair, UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine, and associate dean for primary care and rural health in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. “We are honored to have Dr. Reamey join the team in her new leadership role. She brings a wealth of experience and a passion for education and research.”
Reamey holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from The University of Alabama, with an emphasis on student development with interest in leadership and workforce development. Her postdoctoral appointment was at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships in the Division of Community Affairs at UA. In addition, she holds a Master’s degree in Communication Management from UAB. With more than 18 years of experience in curriculum design, program management, leadership development and teaching, her research interests focus on program evaluation and outcomes.
For the last four years, Reamey has worked to improve health outcomes and research throughout the Deep South as the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Training Academy co-director. Through the development of training initiatives, she has helped to ensure that the next generation of healthcare researchers gain the skills needed to lead teams, conduct research, write grants and develop careers as researchers. As part of her role, Reamey helped to establish the Family Medicine Faculty Development Fellowship, leading the scholarship and research modules.
As the Deputy Director of the Center of Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education, Reamey has been able to connect outcomes researchers to form interdisciplinary research teams and facilitate educational opportunities regarding outcomes research methods. In addition, she currently serves as an assistant professor in Infectious Diseases where she has participated in various COVID-19 projects that include the Alabama Comet/RADx-Up grant that, in turn, partners with Alabama AHEC and the COVID-19 Collaborative Outcomes Research Enterprise (CORE).
As a native of Alabama and member of the Blackburn Institute, Reamey has great familiarity with the adverse conditions facing our state, and the diverse nuances to consider in addressing those conditions, as relates to public health, accessibility to care, and health education in Alabama’s rural and underserved communities.
On behalf of the Alabama AHEC leadership, its staff from the Program Office and five regional centers, network and community partners, and the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine, we welcome Dr. Reamey to her new appointment and expect great developments in the coming months because of the broad and unique experience she possesses.
Written by Allison Abney