Category Newsletter


COVID-19 Pandemic Shows Importance, Relevance of Global Health

Global health needs to be coordinated, supported and sustained, with countries, multilateral organizations and academic institutions working in partnership on efforts that meet pressing needs and that benefit everyone. That’s according to Dr. Matt Dasco, associate professor of internal medicine at The University of Texas Medical Branch and director of Academic Partnerships for UTMB’s Center…


Accolades August 2020

The work and materials of Dr. Alan Blum, professor and Gerald Leon Wallace, MD, Endowed Chair of Family Medicine for the College of Community Health Sciences, was included in a recent article in the business magazine Fast Company to mark the 50th anniversary of the television cigarette advertising ban. Blum is also founder and director…


College Holds Orientation for Future Rural Physicians, Health Professionals

Eleven students studying to become physicians and other health-care professionals with plans to practice in rural Alabama communities attended an orientation session August 18 at the College of Community Health Sciences. The students comprise the current classes of the College’s Rural Medical Scholars Program and Rural Community Health Scholars Program. The orientation included an overview…


CCHS Faculty Member Named Director of UA’s Student Health Center

Dr. Karen Burgess, associate professor and chair of pediatrics for the College of Community Health Sciences, has been named executive director of The University of Alabama Student Health Center. She will also continue in her current role at CCHS as chair of the Department of Pediatrics. Burgess, who is also a practicing pediatrician at University…


Health Notes

Summer Food Safety Summer is a great time for outdoor picnics and barbecues, but it also brings a potential for food poisoning if those outdoor treats aren’t kept at a safe temperature. University Medical Center dietician Suzanne Henson said there are several ways to keep potential problems at bay, and she explains how to keep…


Accolades July 2020

Dr. Martha Crowther, associate dean for research for the College of Community Health Sciences, received the T.J. McCallum Gerodiversity Award. The award is given to a psychologist who advances clinical practice, training, research, advocacy and/or public policy for underrepresented older adults, including ethnic and racial minorities, women, sexual orientation minorities and older adults living with…


Chief Residents Selected for 2020–2021

The Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency Program has selected chief residents for the 2020-2021 academic year, and their areas of responsibility. The new chief residents are: Dr. Morgan Benefield for recruitment and conferences; Dr. Nathan Boles for schedules, policies and clinic; Dr. April Frater for hospital, committees, quality improvement and patient safety; and Dr. Melissa Smith…


Encephalopathy, MRIs and Thiamine Supplementation

An MRI is a helpful diagnostic tool for patients presenting with encephalopathy, which is damage or disease that affects the brain. For patients subsequently diagnosed with Marchiafava-Bignami Disease (MBD), thiamine supplementation can significantly reduce mortality. This was according to a case reported presented at the July Grand Rounds lecture provided by the College of Community…


43 Years: Dr. James Leeper

By Kaylin Bowen There is one lesson that life can teach no matter a person’s circumstance, opportunity, natural ability or twist of fortune. It lends itself to doctors, lawyers, teachers and chefs. It can be learned by young or old. It knows no gender or race, no social status nor family name. “The best advice…


Mission Moment:
College Provides COVID-19 Testing for UA Faculty, Staff

The College of Community Health Sciences oversaw COVID-19 testing in July of University of Alabama faculty and staff returning to campus for the fall semester. “The idea is to make sure that when students come back, that all of our faculty and staff have had testing,” said Dr. Richard Friend, dean of CCHS. “The University…