Explore UAB

When Jeremy Pritchett first visited the family medicine clinic at UAB Medicine’s Hoover location, he was thinking mostly about his kidneys. He had just had a kidney stone and Sumayah Abed, M.D., a practitioner at the Hoover clinic and assistant professor in UAB’s Department of Family and Community Medicine, was running follow-up tests. 

On Tuesday, Irfan Asif, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and associate dean for primary care and rural health in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, joined other health care leaders to discuss strategies for improving access to health care in the United States. 

The holiday season can be full of tradition, time with loved ones, and space to rest and look forward to a new year. The season may also bring up feelings of loss, stress, and exhaustion. 

Happy Holidays from the Department of Family and Community Medicine!

Michael Faircloth, M.D.Michael Faircloth, M.D., grew up in a small, rural town in Alabama. His brother was born with Down syndrome and the care he received, even in a town with few resources, inspired Faircloth to put his interest in science to use in service of others: he decided to go to medical school to become a family medicine physician. 

The Department of Family and Community Medicine has won several awards in 2021 for provider and clinical excellence. We are proud to honor the outstanding work of our teams across our clinics. 

When they look toward their future in medicine, UAB Heersink School of Medicine students Carla Brown and Ellie Pitchford both envision practicing medicine in rural communities similar to the ones that shaped them. 

One in 10 Americans has diabetes and more than 88 million have prediabetes. With an often-irreversible diagnosis and lasting health implications, diabetes is a disease that can be prevented with the right strategies and support. For National Diabetes Awareness Month, two providers in the Department of Family and Community Medicine are sharing tips on how to prevent diabetes altogether. 

In mid-October, 25 medical students gathered for a Special Topics course teaching procedures that could become a frequent feature of their lives if they go into family medicine. 

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. 

Fall sports are in full swing in Birmingham, and UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine fellows Matthew Miesch, M.D., and Christian Muller, D.O., are in the middle of it all, whether courtside in Bartow Arena, on the sidelines at high school football games or at the ice rink with the Birmingham Bulls. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), use of telehealth visits increased 50% at the beginning of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that many providers offer care, and it has created new ways for patients to connect with care teams from their homes. 

Claire Wilson, MS2At the same time that the world was reckoning with widespread outcry after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and dealing with the growing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Claire Wilson was experiencing a number of changes in her personal life. During her first year of medical school, a stressful and stretching time by itself, Wilson was managing family challenges and working through her own reactions to COVID-19 as an emerging medical provider and the racial injustice conversations happening around her as a multiracial woman. 

Student athletes are back and ready for a new season and the Sports and Exercise Medicine fellows at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are ready to provide the care they need. 

Glenda Stanley, MA, Associate Director of the Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program retired in October. Stanley has served the National AHEC Organization for over 20 years. 

Tiffani Maycock, D.O.Two faculty members from the UAB Selma Family Medicine Residency Program were promoted to associate professor in August 2021. Tiffani Maycock, D.O., residency program director, and Maria Oquendo, M.D., both received the promotion based on their achievements in resident education and patient care in Selma. 

Among the hidden costs of the COVID-19 pandemic is an alarming rise in domestic violence and intimate partner violence, a form of domestic violence in sexual and romantic relationships with devastating effects that can ripple across generations. 

Erin DeLaney, M.D. Debbie and Johnny Scogin have been UAB Family Medicine patients since the mid-1980s. The Scogins were patients of Robert E. Kynerd, M.D., for 20 years, once he retired he referred them to Erin DeLaney, M.D., a family medicine physician, vice-chair for clinical affairs and quality, assistant professor and medical director for the Department of Family and Community at UAB Medicine-Highlands. 

The American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation’s Center for the History of Family Medicine is accepting applicants for their 2021 essay contest. Essays must center on the history of family medicine but can include creative elements. Winners of the national contest can win up to $1,000 for their essay, and the Department of Family and Community Medicine is offering additional prizes for UAB applicants to encourage participation. 

The Comprehensive Urban Underserved and Rural Experience (CU²RE) program has received a supplemental award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for $5.2 million.