Despite what romantic comedies might say, a skipped heartbeat is not cause for celebration. A rapid or irregular heartbeat can indicate atrial fibrillation, or AFib. It can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications, said Dr. Brett Bentley, assistant professor of family medicine and sports medicine at the College of Community Health…

Almost 10% of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, and while there is not concrete scientific evidence of how much sleep humans need it is evident that not getting enough can be detrimental to overall health, said Dr. Brittney Anderson. Anderson, assistant professor of family, internal and rural medicine at…

The active bacteria cultures living in the intestines may not sound appealing, but they have a large impact on daily life and digestive health. Meghan Busky, master’s student of nutrition sciences, spoke at The University of Alabama’s OLLI program on behalf of the College of Community Health Sciences’ Mini Medical School. Busky partnered with her…

Bella Valentini  Reproductive health disparities, such as maternal mortality and morbidity rates, are significantly higher for women of color compared to white women. Dr. Madeline Sutton, medical epidemiologist and board-certified OB/GYN and assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, said that health care providers need to understand historical contexts to better modern medicine and to…

Dr. Gregg Bell, assistant professor of community medicine and population health, was elected vice chair of the National Steering Committee of the Census Bureau’s State Data Center Network. Bell was elected to a second three-year term on the steering committee in January. The University of Alabama Institute for Rural Health Research, where Bell is a…

In partnership with Reach Out and Read, University Medical Center is seeking to increase the availability of books to its pediatric patient population and their families in West Alabama. The goal is to provide a new book to each child between the ages of 6 months to 5 years old during their well-child visits. Bama…

Challenging people to eat healthy and exercise is the goal of the 6th Annual Brussels Sprout Challenge, hosted by University Medical Center as part of the American Heart Association’s West Alabama Heart Walk scheduled for Saturday, March 7, in downtown Tuscaloosa. UMC is operated by The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Partnering…

“Our alumni are incredibly important to us. We want them always to be a part of the CCHS community,” said Dr. Richard Friend, dean of The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. To that end, plans are underway for a UA Family Medicine Residency Reunion Weekend August 28-30, 2020, in Tuscaloosa. The event…

When a patient comes into the clinic complaining of being short of breath during exercise, one of the diagnoses that should be screened for is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, said Dr. Russ Guin, a sports medicine fellow at the College of Community Health Sciences. Guin also cares for patients at University Medical Center, which the College operates.…

The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences faculty and staff took part in the first Suicide Prevention Network of Alabama conference at Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Feb. 21. The College partnered with the Alabama Department of Mental Health Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Alabama Suicide Prevention…