Over the years HealthActions has welcomed a slew of PT alumni as employees and PT students for clinicals in their clinics. That tradition continues today as they have five UAB alumni on staff working at various locations across southern Alabama.

To their credit, HealthActions is thriving in mostly rural settings, where disparities in health care are greater. Their clinics, located in Grove Hill, Jackson, Monroeville, Thomasville and Troy, are known in the community for providing excellent results and known among PT students and young practitioners for providing excellent learning opportunities.

For the past three decades, Whitehead has stayed connected with UAB PT and continues to work with those connected to UAB because of the importance placed on leadership development by both parties. Whitehead, who is an Ex-Officio member of the School of Health Professions’ Dean’s Advisory Board, requires everyone with HealthActions to read “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey.

Whitehead calls Covey’s book the foundation for development of leaders. This past winner of the UAB Department of Physical Therapy’s Alumni Leadership Award says she sees UAB PT students who are ready for that foundation and that development. And that is a big reason why she continues the proud tradition of past UAB graduates mentoring and developing the future generations of UAB graduates.

“We like working with UAB graduates because they appreciate our treatment paradigm and they demonstrate the drive and initiative to become excellent clinicians,” said Whitehead. “We also stay attuned to UAB's Physical Therapy culture because UAB alumni are knowledgeable in basic science and movement science, which are key to succeeding as a PT and key to succeeding at HealthActions.”

Whitehead went on to say that HealthActions views the treatment of individuals holistically and that their therapists want to be the patients’ therapists over their entire lifespan.

“As healthcare professionals, we feel a sense of responsibility for our patients’ health and for the health of the community as a whole,” said Whitehead.