Alabama ranks first in the nation in prevalence of diabetes. Many underserved or underinsured citizens in the Birmingham community suffer from this disease without access to care. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing Providing Access to Healthcare (PATH) Clinic , which has
been providing high-quality care in an interprofessional clinical setting since 2012, has moved to a new home on the UAB campus.The PATH clinic, in partnership with UAB Medicine, serves patients recently discharged from UAB Hospital. It is now located in the Medical Towers building (1717 11th Avenue South), a few blocks west of Five Points South, and is open one day each week, Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with plans to open a second clinic day in October.
Formerly located at M-POWER Ministries in the suburb of Avondale, the clinic was funded through a three-year, $1.4 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant. When the grant concluded over the summer, UAB Medicine continued its partnership with the school for the clinic, largely due to positive patient outcomes and proven cost savings.
The PATH clinic employs a variety of health care professionals, including nurse practitioners, physicians, dieticians, optometrists and social workers to provide the complete spectrum of care for patients living with diabetes. In addition, students in each discipline have the opportunity to become involved through coursework or clinical placements.
The move not only provides added convenience for patients, it also provides much needed space for clinicians.
“Our new space is much larger and allows our various professionals to really practice together in an interprofessional model,” said Associate Dean Cynthia Selleck, PhD, RN, FAAN.
