Property in downtown Birmingham, especially adjacent to UAB’s campus, doesn’t become available very often.

Many parts of the UAB Highlands campus have been remodeled and updated with modern technology, ensuring that health-care providers have the equipment and instrumentation needed to aid in patient care, says Bo Cofield, associate vice president and chief operating officer of the facility.

UAB Health System has worked fervently to restore what is now UAB Highlands in the two-plus years since its acquisition says Bo Cofield, associate vice president and chief operating officer of UAB Highlands. Many parts of the Highlands campus have been remodeled and updated with modern technology, ensuring that health-care providers have the equipment and instrumentation needed to aid in patient care.

Cofield recently discussed some of the clinical coverage, technology and history of Highlands with the UAB Reporter.

Q: How has the transition from HealthSouth to UAB worked for you so far?
A: Very well. Many committed staff members stayed on with UAB after we acquired the hospital, and we’ve obviously added many more as our volume has grown. Our focus on quality and safety, patient satisfaction and fiscal responsibility has been embraced by our staff, our medical and surgical faculty and the community that seeks care here. As we keep growing, those we serve can expect a continuing commitment along these lines.

Q. How many clinics are available at UAB Highlands, and what are some of the clinics and services available?
A. The Medical Office Building attached to UAB Highlands houses seven outpatient clinics: The Workplace, the UAB Orthopedic Surgery clinic, UAB’s Gynecologic Oncology clinic, a newly established UAB Rheumatology clinic, a community-based ENT clinic and two community-based Ophthalmology clinics.

Q. What are some of the technologies available to patients at Highlands?
A. UAB Highlands has added several technologies to the campus since its acquisition. The most important for our patients is the ability to view lab results, radiology images, clinic notes and other important patient-specific information that are part of the UAB Health System electronic information system and medical record.

Q. What kind of care does Highlands’ Emergency Department provide?
A. High-quality, compassionate and efficient care. Our physicians are the same as those who provide service at University Hospital, but our clinical focus is on lower acuity services like minor lacerations, sports injuries, orthopedic injuries and general medicine patients.

While we’re not always as busy as some other emergency departments in the city, our volume is growing to the point where some patients do have to wait for a room.

Q. What kind of feedback are you getting from patients on the quality of care provided at Highlands?
A. The feedback we are receiving is largely positive. The UAB focus on providing quality healthcare to those we serve is our unwavering commitment to the community. As our volume grows, we will do everything we can to make sure our already high patient satisfaction scores remain so.

Q. What things do you hope to see happen to enhance UAB Highlands’ commitment to quality care and growth in the coming years?
A. First, we need to continue to grow our volume in many areas – especially those already well established on this campus like Orthopedics.

As we grow, we will continue to make facility and technology investments that will improve our integration with the rest of the UAB Health System by adding new imaging modalities, updated surgical capabilities and compassionate medical services.