UAB is launching an initiative to expand access to primary care in Alabama, using a $5.25-million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to create an Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program that will work to recruit and support health-care professionals in all 67 Alabama counties.
One analogy for AHEC is the agriculture extension office, with agents posted throughout the state. They don’t raise crops, but they do provide expertise, advice and resources to farmers.
AHECs work in a similar fashion, providing services and programs for physicians and other health-care professionals working with rural populations. The Alabama AHEC will work with UAB’s health-profession schools and training programs to encourage graduates to consider careers in primary care in a rural area.
The program will create five regional centers comprising all Alabama counties. Each AHEC will work to boost the numbers of practicing health-care professionals in its area and develop programs to overcome barriers to care in those target populations.
The five regional centers will be located at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Quality of Life Health Center in Gadsden, Maude Whately Health Center in Greensboro, Central Alabama Veteran’s Health Care System in Tuskegee and Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton.
Crestwood CNO Receives Excellence in Leadership Award
Martha Walls, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Crestwood Medical Center, has been honored with the Excellence in Leadership Award by Community Health Systems, a corporation with 134 hospitals . The Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes hospital leaders who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to quality healthcare and operational excellence.
Walls has been in nursing since 1975 and at Crestwood since 1999, where she opened Crestwood Maternity Center, and was instrumental in the development of Crestwood’s Bariatric and Robotic-Assisted Surgery programs, as well as in setting standards that contributed to honors that Crestwood’s Chest Pain Center, Stroke Center, and Hip & Knee surgical program have received.
She received the Nursing Lamplighter Award from the Alabama League for Nursing in 2011 and the Women Honoring Women Health & Human Services Award in 2004.
Hodge Joins Bradley Arant Health Care Practice
Leigh Anne Hodge, previously a partner with Balch & Bingham, is the 15th attorney to join the Health Care practice at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in the past nine months.
Hodge counsels health care clients on a range of matters, including medical malpractice, ERISA litigation, class actions, disputes between physicians and health care providers regarding reimbursement and quality of care issues, insurance disputes, arbitration, insurance fraud, any willing provider laws, and constitutional and statutory challenges to legislation and regulation. She has considerable experience defending Medicare Advantage Plans in actions filed by beneficiaries alleging fraud by agents during the enrollment process.
A practicing nurse before attending law school, Hodge holds a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law and a B.S. from the University of Alabama. She is the Treasurer of the American Inns of Court in Birmingham; a member of the Health Law Section of the Alabama Bar; and a member of the Executive Committee of the Autism and Behavioral Health Center in Birmingham. She previously served as an adjunct professor of health law transactions at Cumberland School of Law.
Renowned blood-cancer specialist joins UAB
Harry Erba, MD, PhD, has joined the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology as the new director of hematologic malignancies and a senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center experimental therapeutics program.
Erba is highly respected in the field of hematologic malignancies. He has served on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Practice Guidelines committees for acute myeloid and chronic myeloid leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloid growth factors and was appointed to the NCCN Board of Producers in 2007 and 2008. He is an executive officer of SWOG, a leading cancer research network.
Erba has led numerous clinical trials and played major roles in the development of several new drugs. In addition to 47 peer-reviewed publications, he has authored five book chapters.
After attending Yale University, Erba received his medical and doctoral degrees from Stanford University and completed his internship and residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. Following a fellowship in hematology/oncology, he joined the Harvard Medical School faculty for three years until he moved to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he was an associate professor.
Erba was named University of Michigan Teacher of the Year in the Division of Hematology/Oncology for four consecutive years. In 2004, he was given the Outstanding Clinician Award by the dean of the University of Michigan Medical School and earlier this year was made an inaugural member of the League of Clinical Excellence at the University of Michigan.
Townsend Joins Birmingham Heart
Jacob Townsend, MD has joined Birmingham Heart Clinic.
Townsend completed his interventional cardiology and general cardiology fellowships at the Medical University of South Carolina. He studied internal medicine at UAB, where he also served as the Chief Medical Resident.
Townsend earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. He is board certified in internal medicine, general cardiology, and interventional cardiology.
Waldrop Joins Andrews Sports Medicine
Norman Waldrop, III, MD, who specializes in foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery, has joined Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. Waldrop works with sports injuries, arthroscopy, along with traumatic and post-traumatic conditions of the foot and ankle.
Waldrop has presented research at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society annual national meetings.
Waldrop earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from the University of Virginia before earning his medical degree from UAB. He then completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina where he developed an interest for foot and ankle. Following residency, he completed a one-year fellowship in foot and ankle orthopaedic surgery at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.
Cotter Earns Physician Executive MBA
Clement P. Cotter, Jr., MD, is a board certified plastic & reconstructive surgeon who serves as Chief of Surgery at Shelby Baptist Medical Center, has recently graduated from Auburn University’s Physician Executive MBA program.
Cotter also serves as a Trustee for the Baptist Health System where he chairs the System’s Quality and Mission Committee. He is a graduate of UAB School of Medicine and has his undergraduate degree in chemistry and physical anthropology from the University of Alabama.
St. Vincent’s St. Clair Opens Advanced Wound Center
St. Vincent’s St. Clair held a ribbon cutting ceremony in August for the new Advanced Wound Center, an outpatient program that focuses on chronic and non-healing wounds. Using advanced treatment modalities and a case management model, the staff works in partnership with physicians, nurses, and multiple medical disciplines to help patients improve the quality of their lives.
James West, MD, FACS is the Medical Director of the new center. West, a general surgeon, is certified in wound care. Phillip Hadley, Jr., is the program director for the center.
Evan Ray Named President of Rural Hospital Operations for St. Vincent’s Health System
St. Vincent’s Health System has appointed Evan Ray, FACHE, as President and Chief Operating Officer of Rural Hospital Operations.
Ray previously served as the COO of East Cooper Regional Medical Center in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. His accomplishments there included the completion of a $175 million replacement facility, the acquisition of outpatient imaging centers and a hyperbaric medicine facility. Prior to joining Cooper, he served as Vice President of Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa and as Assistant Administrator for Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster.
He earned Masters’ Degrees in Health Administration and Business Administration from UAB, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mississippi State University.
Ray has served as a board member with the Boys & Girls Clubs, as the United Way campaign committee chairman, a board member of the Wings of Hope, and a governing board member of the YMCA Birmingham
Baugh Joins Baptist Health
Zelia Baugh has been named Executive Director for Psychiatric Services for Baptist Health System (BHS). In this position, Baugh will oversee all psychiatric services at the System’s four hospitals (Princeton, Shelby, Walker and Citizens Baptist Medical Centers).
Baugh joins BHS after serving as Commissioner of Mental Health for the State of Alabama since January 2011. She served on the Governor’s State Mental Health Board of Trustees from 2008-2012. Baugh holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Sociology from Birmingham- Southern College and a Master of Social Work from The University of Alabama.
“I am proud to be a part of Baptist Health System and to be able to work within an organization committed to treating people with psychiatric illnesses,” Baugh said.
TeleRecovery Purchases MedConcepts
TeleRecovery Collection Services recently MedConcepts, LLC. MedConcepts provides early out collection services for medical practices and small hospitals by working directly in the clients practice management system. The company contacts past due patients on behalf of their clients through an out bound call center. In addition, the company can receive inbound collection and statement calls, provide skip trace and bad address correction, and mail multiple collection letters to patients. With the acquisition, TeleRecovery can offer a full range of collection service from the early out phrase, usually at 60 days, all the way through 3rd party service and legal filings.
Rodrigo Valderrama, MD Joins Trinity Endocrinology and Diabetes Center
Rodrigo Valderrama, MD, has joined Trinity Endocrinology and Diabetes Center at Trinity Medical Center. He is board certified in internal medicine and in endocrinology and diabetes.
Valderrama received his medical degree from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a Fellowship in endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Michigan.
From 2005-2008, Valderrama served as an associate professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Prior to joining Trinity, Valderrama spent four years in practice in Shelby County.
Valderrama is a member of the American Endocrine Society, American Diabetes Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
Sanders Selected for AACN-Wharton Executive Leadership Program
Nena Sanders, dean of Samford University’s Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, is one of 37 nurse educators in the United States to be selected to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Wharton Executive Leadership Program.
The prepares nursing leaders to address issues around leading change, influencing and galvanizing a diverse set of stakeholders and building strategic relationships in highly volatile environments.
“I am honored to be a part of such a dynamic group of leaders in nursing education and I look forward to sharing this experience with these experts in the field of nursing,” said Sanders.
Sanders is one of two deans from Alabama participating in the program. Debra Davis, dean of the University of South Alabama College of Nursing, also is a member of the class.
