Month May 2016


Mini Med School series with OLLI continues

There are times patients might ask their doctors for medications and tests that might not be necessary and that could cause harm, according to Dr. Ray Brignac, a family medicine physician who practices at University Medical Center-Northport, which is operated by the College. During a lecture that was part of the College’s Mini Medical School…


Coordinator of UA-Pickens County Partnership joins College

Wilamena Hopkins has joined the College of Community Health Sciences as the project coordinator for the UA-Pickens County Partnership, an effort that seeks to provide sustainable health care for the rural county and “real world” training for UA students. The partnership of UA and Pickens County and its medical center will allow students in medicine,…


Faculty joins Institute for Rural Health Research, Community and Rural Medicine

Dr. Mercedes Morales-Alemán has joined the College of Community Health Sciences as an assistant professor in the Department of Community and Rural Medicine and the Institute for Rural Health Research. Morales-Alemán researches health disparities and health promotion among Latino populations in the southeastern United States through a community-based participatory lens. She received her bachelor’s degree…


Medical students honored, presented awards at convocation

Thirty-one medical students were honored at the College of Community Health Sciences’ Senior Convocation on Friday, May 13, at the Tuscaloosa River Market. The students, now physicians, are beginning their residency training in programs across 11 states. See the full coverage of Senior Convocation, including photos, a list of graduates and awards, here. The students…


College co-hosts training for clinicians who prescribe opioid medications

As the use of prescription pain-killing opioids, and problems associated with their use, has increased, clinicians now have the difficult task of balancing patient pain relief with the need to prevent adverse outcomes. That was the theme of an opioid prescribing training session for clinicians held May 12 at The University of Alabama. The session…


Twentieth class of Rural Medical Scholars graduates

The Rural Medical Scholars Program at The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences celebrated a milestone at its convocation in May – the 20th anniversary of the program, which is designed for rural Alabama students who want to become physicians and practice in rural communities. “We are celebrating our 20 years, and recognizing students…


Carroll certified in geriatric pharmacy

Dana Carroll, PharmD, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Community Health Sciences’ Department of Family Medicine, earned certification as a geriatric pharmacist from the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy. The CCGO, a nonprofit organization created by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, offers a voluntary certification program for pharmacists, with a focus…


College partner receives UA community engagement award

A Pickens County community organization and partner of the College of Community Health Sciences at The University of Alabama received a community engagement award from UA. Buddy Kirk, Patti Presley-Fuller and Alan Harper, leaders of Friends of the Hospital in Pickens County, were awarded an Outstanding Community Partner-Initiated Engagement Effort Award last month. Kirk is…


UA Matters: Effects of Chronic Stress

Some side effects of stress, like a headache, can be felt immediately. But too much stress over time can wreak havoc on the body. Some chronic health conditions can be attributed to long-term stress, said The University of Alabama’s Dr. Harriet Myers. Here are a few chronic side effects from long-term stress…


Training by UA Professors Helps Head Start Program Win Recognition

A Head Start program in Hale County that is the beneficiary of a grant to faculty at The University of Alabama has received recognition from a national organization. At the 12th International PATHS Conference in Chicago, the Hale County Head Start center was recognized as a PATHS Model School. The Hale County Head Start is…