CCHS 2018 Annual Report

2018

REPORT Transforming Patient Care

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

THE JOURNEY TO

transforming patient care University Medical Center has

been on a journey.

In 2015, the College of Community Health Sciences, which operates UMC, made a decision to transform how patient care is delivered at the multi-specialty practice, the largest in West Alabama with locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport and Demopolis and nearly 145,000 annual patient visits.

The goal was to expand what we do – not to focus solely on the care and treatment of patients but rather to get them healthy and keep them healthy. It required a transition from the healthcare system’s traditional volumebased model of providing care to a patientcentered and value-based model of care.

It has been a game changer.

The transformation has enabled UMC to 2

deliver comprehensive and patient-centered care that is proactive in providing preventive, wellness and chronic illness care, and that is evidence-based and data-driven.

Today, we are among the leaders in medical practice transformation, ranking in the top 100 practices nationwide of the 23,000 working toward practice transformation, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which began efforts several years ago to move medical practices to alternative payment models.

Along our journey, important goals and milestones have been reached, and we expect more innovations to come.

We started by building UMC into a PatientCentered Medical Home (PCMH). The PCMH model provides care that is patient-centered, accessible, comprehensive, coordinated and

continuous, and that focuses on quality and safety. The model uses a care delivery team, led by a primary care physician, that delivers integrated chronic illness and preventive care with the patient at the center of the health care experience.

It is not a place, but rather a philosophy of providing care – and a gradual move away from the US healthcare system’s current provision of poorly coordinated episodic care.

In December 2017, UMC’s Tuscaloosa location was recognized as a PCMH by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Level 3 PCMH recognition, the highest, was received for the family medicine clinics and Level 2 for the pediatric clinic.

UMC-Northport was recently recognized as a PCMH by the NCQA under new guidelines that don’t distinguish levels.

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

"It is not a place, but rather a philosophy of providing care – and a gradual move away from the US healthcare system’s current provision of poorly coordinated episodic care. " The recognition means UMC has met benchmarks in various categories: enhancing access to care and continuity of care; planning and managing care; tracking and coordinating care; identifying and managing patient populations; and measuring and improving performance.

For patients, this translates into reminders about their chronic and preventive care needs, regular screenings, after-hours care and the availability of multiple channels of communications, including web-based portals for patients to request appointments, prescription refills and access laboratory results.

Once PCMH recognition was obtained, we worked to increase our quality-based incentive metrics, or MIPS scores. MIPS is short for Merit-based Incentive Payment System and part of the CMS efforts to push Medicare providers to performancebased payment systems. When MIPS scores meet or exceed goals, medical practices receive positive payment adjustments from Medicare.

Through our MIPS work, we have exceeded goals in proactively administering flu shots to our patients,

controlling their high blood pressure, documenting all their medications in the UMC electronic medical record, assessing body mass index, clinical depression, pneumonia vaccination status and whether diabetic patients with nephropathy need medical attention.

We have also closed gaps in care, particularly with our hospitalized patients.

We have realigned the payment model for our hospital group to shift the focus to quality goals rather than visits per provider – and we have seen our hospital readmission rates fall. Our 30-day readmission rates now rival those of any hospital group in the country. In addition, we have expanded our transitional care services and now send a nurse practitioner to patient homes within two days of their discharge from the hospital to ensure they have what they need at home and have follow-up appointments scheduled.

Our work attracted attention in summer 2018 from Aledade, an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), and UMC is now part of the Aledade network. ACOs are groups of hospitals, doctors and other health-care providers who join together to

give coordinated high-quality care to their Medicare patients. The goal is to ensure that patients get the right care at the right time, avoid unnecessary duplication of services and prevent medical errors.

Resulting cost savings are shared with group members.

Our journey has been more than just a change in how we practice medicine; it has been a change in culture and philosophy – to care for all of our patients, not just those who show up for appointments, as we work to improve the health of our patients and West Alabama.

— DR. RICHARD FRIEND Dr. Friend has served as interim dean since August 2018, and was named dean of the College of Community Health Sciences on July 15, 2019 COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

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ANNUAL REPORT INTERIM DEAN Dr. Richard Friend

EDITOR Leslie Zganjar

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Erin Tech Kaylin Bowen

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erin Tech

DESIGNERS Kaylin Bowen Erin Tech Jennifer Wright

PHOTOGRAPHERS Greg Randall Kaylin Bowen UA Photography

TABLE OF CONTENTS Dean's Message CCHS by the Numbers Rural Medical Scholars Donor Spotlight Research Update UMC: Exemplary Practice It's a Match!

Primary Care Scholarships Scholarship and Award Recipients Board of Visitors Friends of CCHS Funded Projects Bama Blitz Supporters Give

2 5 8 11 13 15 22 24 25 28 30 32 33 35

CCHS.UA.EDU 4

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

1 IN 7 ALABAMA FAMILY PHYSICIANS

2018

66

FACULTY

GRADUATED FROM OUR RESIDENCY

266 STAFF

$2,191,695

IN TRAINING

25

65

48

8

GRADUATE STUDENTS

RESIDENT PHYSICIANS

Northeast Alabama Health Services Inc.

MEDICAL STUDENTS

FELLOWS

IN 2018

University Medical Center Tuscaloosa

University of South Alabama 1 of 3 PCMH Level 3 certified medical practices in Alabama

72 by the RURAL MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM as of 2018

COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

5

494 RESIDENCY GRADUATES AS OF 2018

44% I

N

1

2

1

4

4

4

6

4

3

2

1

8

IN 2018

3 1

1

1

4

OUR CLINICAL ENTERPRISE

PATIENT VISITS

1

1

1

4

4

2

10

2

6

2

2

1

A

144,619

1

5

23 81

1

6

7

4

RAL ARE

10 3

3

3

RU

UMC-NORTHPORT AND UMC-DEMOPOLIS S

89 %

54%

UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

4

1

1 4

As of 2018, 267 Family Medicine Residency graduates went to 48 of the state’s 67 counties to practice.

BREAKDOWN of Patient Visits:

• Visits at all UMC clinic locations: 80,322 • CCHS hospitalist inpatient visits at DCH Regional Medical Center: 52,323 • UMC physician inpatient visits at DCH Regional Medical Center: 11,974

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

KENYA TRIP 2018

750

CHILDREN AND ADULTS CARED FOR IN KENYA In July 2018, CCHS faculty Dr. Jared Ellis and Suzanne Henson, registered dietitian, led a medical education trip to impoverished areas of Kenya, Africa, with six University of Alabama Family Medicine residents - Drs. Clifton Scott, Katie Reed, Tiffani Thomas, Zach Smith, Larab Ahmed and Clea Moore.

The group worked to provide free medical care and resources to staff, children and community members at six different schools and food stations in Kenya including the Seeds Children's Home in Kitale, Kenya, two schools in Nairobi, food stations in Turbo and Kakamaga, and also provided health care at a training center in Mount Elgon.

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Rural Medical Scholars Enter UA Family Medicine Residency

By Kaylin Bowen

F

our participants of the Rural Medical Scholars Program have graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and will proceed to enter The University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency this summer. Drs. Jacob Guin, Josh Price, Crystal Skinner and Hannah Zahedi will be the largest group of Rural Medical Scholars to complete the two programs in a number of years.

They each said it is in part due to the camaraderie and support system developed through the RMS year at UA. “Even though I haven’t known them a long time, I feel like I have. We push each other to be better. It’s advantageous to know you are not alone. You have a network of 8

people who can help you out,” Guin said.

Guin, Price, Zahedi and Skinner plan to complete residency at the UA Family Medicine Residency, which is operated by the College, and practice family medicine in rural West Alabama in places such as Coker and Marion. The RMS program and residency is an eight-year educational commitment that includes a year to earn a master’s degree, four years of medical school and three years of residency. Since 1996, 128 scholars have finished their medical education and residency with current information showing 101 of those practicing in Alabama.

“Staying here for residency just felt right,” Skinner said. She said she intends to

practice in Moundville. “It’s (RMS program) my home. It’s a great program. The people here are my home.”

The RMS program has undergone several changes since its creation in 1996. Notably, it has seen an increase in the difficulty of course material to better prepare students for the rigorous coursework in medical school. Each of the four agreed that this would have been beneficial to them during their transition from undergraduate courses to medical school in Birmingham.

Dr. James Leeper and Susan Guin, CRNP, interim co-directors of the program, said the first group that has gone through the advanced curriculum is reporting that the materials have been incredibly beneficial to

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

Dr. Hannah Zahedi

Family Medicine The University of Alabama

Dr. Joshua Don Price

Family Medicine The University of Alabama

them in the first years of medical school. The students are now able to compete with the students coming into the medical school from pre-med undergraduate programs.

“The RMS program really helped with enrichment opportunities,” said Price. He was introduced to the program by Dr. Terry James, an alumnus of the Rural Medical Scholars Program. “I think it has helped to set me up to succeed in my career, beyond residency, through the contacts I have made.”

One aspect of the program that makes it unique is the access to faculty and staff of the College of Community Health Sciences, where the RMS program is housed, and communities. Program participants meet and work with the CCHS physicians they

Dr. Jacob Wesley Guin

Family Medicine The University of Alabama

will study with during their time in the UA Family Medicine Residency. Additionally, they visit the communities where they will ideally practice after residency to meet the people and make lasting connections with staff and mentors in the rural areas.

“Geography does help me establish a better relationship with my patients, knowing their landmarks. I’ve visited there. I’ve seen their home and community,” Zahedi said. She said being able to do this strengthens her ability to gain patients' trust.

Farm visits, physician introductions and a community atmosphere provided by the RMS program contributed to each of the four scholars continuing their education at CCHS through The University of Alabama

Dr. Crystal Hewitt Skinner

Family Medicine The University of Alabama

Family Medicine Residency. They would each recommend the path they chose to anyone following in their footsteps.

Leeper and Susan Guin said the RMS program’s progress will be seen in the coming years as the changes that have been made to the program come to fruition in the next few years. Having revitalized the program curriculum, Leeper and Guin plan to concentrate on awareness and recruiting to bolster the community of Rural Medical Scholars.

“This program is important,” Jake Guin said. “It serves a vital purpose. It has done what it said it would do. It needs to stay viable. It needs continued support and improvement. It never stops.”

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DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Terrence Pugh paving the way for others

By Erin Tech

D

r. Terrence Pugh, a 2010 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, spent his clinical years of medical school at the College of Community Health Sciences. He said it was his time spent with CCHS that helped prepare him not only for patient care, but also inspired an early onset of philanthropy. CCHS serves as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus for the School of Medicine and provides clinical education for the third and fourth years of education for a portion of medical students.

According to Pugh, he may not look like the first person who comes to mind when one thinks of a physician. This wasn’t something he was aware of at the beginning of his journey to become a doctor, but something learned through his years of training and practicing.

“In health care, what you quickly realize in medicine is that you don’t self-select the people you care for. You don’t control who comes in through the door. People connect more easily with people that they can relate to and that often times is initially reflected by outward appearance.

I've come to understand that I may not look like what many

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As I hear people’s stories and become more aware of some of the barriers many people have, I realized my story is not the typical story. people envision as a physician. I’m younger and may not look like I’m old enough to be a doctor, plus I'm probably not the ethnicity you would first associate with a physician.” As Pugh moved through his medical education and training, it started to become clear that his path was not like the paths of most others and that one day he might be in a position to help change that.

Pugh was born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Health Professions Chemistry in 2006 from The University of Alabama. He received his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 2010 and spent his first year out of medical school in a one-

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

I think it’s important in medicine to not lose sight of the fact that there is probably a connectivity and interrelatedness that happens when you look like the person who is providing you care. year internal medicine internship at Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama. He continued with a three-year physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and, almost immediately after graduation, was hired to his current position – associate director of Oncology Rehabilitation at Atrium Health-Carolinas Rehabilitation. He also serves as an assistant professor for the residency program at Carolinas Rehabilitation and as the Clerkship Director for Rehabilitation Medicine at The University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Pugh specializes in rehabilitation medicine, with a subspecialty in oncology rehabilitation, which focuses on helping patients who have functional decline from or are still receiving cancer treatment. “With early identification and better treatment of cancer, we get better patient outcomes, and people live longer, which is great. But what we are finding now is that there is sometimes collateral damage from some of the treatments,” Pugh said. “Rehab is uniquely positioned to help people recover and restore quality to their life after they survive cancer.”

Pugh admits that his motivation for choosing this field is in some part due to a national need, because of the magnitude of new cancer patients each year, but he also relates his decision back to a neurology rotation at CCHS. “I really enjoyed neurology and it’s what kind of led me to rehab. I like the puzzle, but I was always concerned with what’s next. I think with rehab you really get to focus on the ‘what’s next’ and how to restore the function in spite of a, at times, devastating diagnosis.”

Throughout his journey, Pugh has remained humbled by his

opportunities. Since childhood, becoming a doctor was always on his radar, but it was his academic successes that ultimately guided his decision. When considering his path, Pugh remembers conversations with his parents and family about “how people will always view me differently, and treat me differently, and it might limit the opportunities I had. My parents always raised me to do my best, and that if you’re good enough, people probably won’t ignore you.”

When looking back at his time at CCHS, Pugh is reminiscent of the foundational knowledge he has taken with him along the way, including the importance of educating patients effectively and efficiently. But more importantly, it’s where he began to recognize a need for diversity in health care providers. “I think it’s important in medicine to not lose sight of the fact that there is probably a connectivity and interrelatedness that happens when you look like the person who is providing you care. I think in a lot of health care communities, we can all probably do a better job of reflecting more of the community reserve,” Pugh said.

Today, years after his time at CCHS, Pugh is taking this to heart and is in a position to help. Last year, he established the Dr. Terrence M. Pugh Diversity in Medicine Scholarship for medical students at CCHS. The goal of the scholarship is to enhance the diversity of the College’s medical student population, thereby improving the quality of the educational experience.

“As I hear people’s stories and become more aware of some of the barriers many people have, I realized my story is not the typical story. Whether it was luck or skill, I had some opportunities not everyone has. I felt like I had to do something,” Pugh said.

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RESEARCH UPDATE

Hiding in Plain Sight H

elping identify patients with elevated blood pressure who might not yet have been diagnosed with hypertension is the goal of work being done by College of Community Health Sciences researchers.

With $20,000 in funding in 2018 from the Alabama Department of Public Health for their project, Hiding in Plain Sight: An Innovative Hypertension Identification and Treatment Program, the researchers created a hypertension template that was embedded into University Medical Center’s electronic medical record at its Northport location. The template alerts physicians when patients might be undiagnosed with hypertension, and it provides physicians access to a decision-making tree for referral to lifestyle education and pharmacotherapy.

The College operates UMC. High blood pressure affects more than 40% of adults in Alabama, according to

12

ADPH. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can lead to severe complications and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and death.

Dr. Louanne Friend, assistant professor of community medicine and population health, is the principal investigator of the study.

Co-principal investigators are Suzanne Henson, RD, assistant professor of family, internal, and rural medicine and practicing dietitian at UMC; and Amy Sherwood, director of Health Information Technology for CCHS. The researchers have since received an additional $100,000 over five years from the American College for Preventive Medicine for their research. This funding will be used to help researchers collaborate with The University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety to develop a mobile health app for patients identified as pre-hypertensive.

RESEARCH UPDATE

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

E M P O W E R I NG Rural Moms ...black infants are almost five times as likely to die during childbirth as white infants.

- Drs. Joy Bradley and Mercedes Morales-Alemán

A

significant racial disparity exists in infant mortality rates in Alabama, with black infants almost five times as likely to die during childbirth as white infants, said Drs. Joy Bradley and Mercedes Morales-Alemán, researchers with the College of Community Health Sciences.

Bradley and Morales-Alemán, both assistant professors in the Department of Community Medicine and Population Health and Institute for Rural Health Research, received funding in 2018 for a pilot project that seeks to provide additional care and support for pregnant women in rural areas of West Alabama in an effort to reduce the disparity and improve health outcomes.

The $10,000 in funding they received was one of just 10 awards for such research made nationwide by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

The researchers’ pilot project, Telemedicine-toward Empowering Rural Moms (TERM), combines evidence-based

practices from telemedicine, home visit programs, team-based care and family-focused care to assist and empower rural women through pregnancy and postpartum.

TERM will use community health workers and certified medical assistants to provide home visits and remote pregnancy monitoring in an effort to: facilitate access to quality prenatal care for black women in rural and medically underserved areas of Tuscaloosa County; empower women with tailored patient education and recommendations so they can better understand and monitor their health and make informed decisions; increase care coordination through use of a team-based approach and telemedicine; and ultimately improve pregnancy and health outcomes.

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550 1,650 For the fourth straight year, the College hosted the Brussels Sprout Challenge during the American Heart Association West Alabama Heart Walk on March 3, 2018.

The College and its University Medical Center partnered with Manna Grocery and Deli in Tuscaloosa to roast and serve Brussels sprouts at the walk, which began at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater and continued along the downtown river walk. More than 1,600 Brussels sprouts were distributed at the challenge.

To complete the Brussels Sprout Challenge, participants had to eat one roasted Brussels sprout at each mile marker of the 3.1 mile walk. Those who completed the challenge by eating all three Brussels sprouts were awarded a T-shirt at the end of the walk.

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2018 ANNUAL REPORT

U n ive rs i t y M e d i c a l C e nte r :

EXEMPLARY PRACTICE

A delivery model with the patient front and center, and a focus on quality and value

By Leslie Zganjar

N

early five years ago, University Medical Center, which is operated by the College of Community Health Sciences, began transforming its practice with the goal of moving from a traditional volume-driven system to a patientcentered, value-based model of care.

In partnership with Baptist Health System Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama, and as part of the Alabama Physician Alliance Practice Transformation Network, UMC in 2015 became part of a nationwide undertaking to support clinicians’ efforts to deliver high-quality, patientcentered and cost-effective care. The national initiative is part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services efforts to move medical practices to alternative payment models.

Today, UMC delivers comprehensive, patientcentered care that is proactive in providing preventive, wellness and chronic illness care, and that is evidence-based and data-driven. Its efforts have earned it a ranking in the top 100 medical practices nationwide of the 23,000 working toward practice transformation.

“Setting these goals has allowed us to grow and to provide better care,” said Dr. Tom Weida,

UMC’s chief medical officer and a professor of family medicine. “The focus is on quality and how that helps our patients.”

The multi-specialty UMC, with locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport and Demopolis, provides services in the areas of primary care, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and geriatrics; psychiatry and behavioral health; women’s health services, including obstetrics, gynecology and prenatal care; sports medicine; neurology; and endocrinology. In addition, UMC provides nutrition counseling, social work services and diabetes and hypertension education.

On-site laboratory and x-ray services are offered at UMC’s Tuscaloosa and Northport locations, and evening hours are available for established UMC patients at the Tuscaloosa location. UMC has fully electronic health records and a patient portal, allowing patients to view their medical information online, request appointments and prescription refills and communicate directly with their doctor for non-urgent concerns.

UMC sees approximately 146,000 patients annually, including inpatient visits at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.

tr ansforming patient care

"

The Drs. Weidas are trailblazers in our

Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative... we need that creative and innovative mindset as we move into alternative payment models.

"

Dr. P aul R o s en, C enter s fo r Med icare & Med icaid S er v ices

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Becoming patient centered

T

recently recognized as a PCMH by the hrough the practice NCQA under new guidelines that don’t transformation network, UMC distinguish levels. received assistance from one Process improvements implemented full-time quality improvement to achieve PCMH status included advisor, who was embedded providing patients with reminders in UMC clinics to help provide about regular health screenings and the tools and support needed chronic and preventive care needs; to improve quality of care and using electronic health records to reduce costs. The advisor assisted improve quality and efficiency of care, with gap analysis, education and tracking and coordinating referrals, and best practices, redesign and measuring and improving performance; implementation of improved work and incorporating quality improvement flow, analytics and data trending, measures into medical practice. The Patient-Centered Medical Home patient portal was expanded to allow (PCMH) accreditation application patients to request appointments submission, and Medicare and prescription refills. An additional quality reporting. evening of after-hours care was added “Because of our size, this was after analyzing electronic medical record probably the most helpful. We had From Left: Dr. Tom Weida, Tamichael Marbury and Dr. usage trends. an extra pair of hands,” Weida said.

Jane Weida. Marbury is the Administrative Process In addition, UMC offers self-care The practice transformation Improvement Specialist at the Brookwood Baptist Alabama support for patients via diabetes and began with work to achieve Physician Alliance Practice Transformation Network. hypertension education as well as PCMH recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Leading that effort was Dr. grocery store tours for diabetic patients to help them better shop to Jane Weida, interim chair of the College’s Department of Family, manage their health. An endocrinologist was added to the practice Internal, and Rural Medicine and director of clinical affairs for to provide specialized care for diabetic patients. Patient outreach and education was enhanced by community lectures and a weekly UMC’s family medicine clinics.

“The Baptist practice transformation network was extremely television news segment about current topics in health. And UMC helpful with the services of the embedded advisor, who helped began using its electronic health records to identify and manage patient populations and monitor chronic diseases, including gaps in with lots of our PCMH details,” she said.

In December 2017, UMC’s Tuscaloosa location was care and cost analysis.

“It’s a lot of work to become a patient-centered medical home. You recognized as a PCMH by the NCQA. Level 3 PCMH recognition, the highest, was received for the family medicine clinics, and have to put together a team and be willing to invest the time,” said Level 2 recognition for the pediatrics clinic. UMC-Northport was Tom Weida.

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2018 ANNUAL REPORT

From volume to value

B

uilding upon the principles of PCMH allowed for a successful Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS) score for UMC. MIPS is one of two tracks under the Quality Payment Program, which moves Medicare providers from a volume to a performance-based payment system. MIPS adjusts payments based on performance in four categories: quality, cost, meaningful use of an electronic health record system and clinical practice improvement activities. Final scores above the threshold mean a positive payment adjustment for the practice.

Jane Weida said UMC tracked quality data monthly by individual and group providers. Regular faculty and staff updates showed areas in which UMC had improved and areas that needed further attention.

Benchmarks were set and, in many instances, UMC exceeded those targets.

“We set goals and monitored quality indicators,” Weida said. “We achieved an exceptional performance MIPS rating and a positive Medicare payment adjustment.”

UMC posted above-threshold scores during the latter months of 2017 in the following: preventive care and screening for influenza immunizations, body mass index and clinical depression; and medical attention for diabetic patients

with nephropathy. The final MIPS score was 92.97 out of 100 points resulting in a 2019 upward payment adjustment of 1.63% (maximum nationwide 1.88%) qualifying UMC as an exceptional performer (threshold was 70 points).

MIPS scores in 2018 for UMC exceeded benchmarks in: preventive care and screening for influenza immunization, body mass index, clinical depression and high blood pressure; pneumonia vaccination status for older adults; medical attention for diabetic patients with nephropathy; documentation of current medications in the medical record; and controlling high blood pressure.

2017 MERIT-BASED INCENTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEM (MIPS) Exceeded Threshold - Positive Payment Adjustment

MEASURE NAME

MEASURE ID

GOAL

JUNE-17

JULY-17

AUG-17

SEPT-17

OCT-17

NOV-17

DEC-17

Preventive Care and Screening: Influenza Immunization

110

52

41.38

41.07

41

40.6

45.5

51.74

54.8

Diabetes: Medical Attention for Nephropathy

119

91

88.64 89.33

90.3

91

91.7

92.34

92.8

Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up Plan

128

46

35.04 36.18

41.1

51.1

55.8

60.2

62.8

Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan

134

33

19.78 20.08

24.8

31

36.7

39.74

42.2

VALUE EXCEEDS GOAL

VALUE BETTER THAN INITIAL MONTH

VALUE LESS THAN INITIAL MONTH

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Narrowing the gap in care

U

MC’s practice transformation also included closing gaps in care with referral care coordinators, reducing hospitalized patient length-of-stay and readmission rates, provision of transitional care services to discharged hospital patients, increased access to mental health care services and Medicare Wellness Visits.

UMC referral care coordinators ensure that patients receive necessary and appropriate referrals to outside specialists, and that information from referral visits is received by UMC and provided to patients’ primary care physicians who can then determine whether or how care and treatment need to be changed for their patients.

Hospital readmission rates and the length-of-stay index for UMC patients declined in fall 2018, when UMC’s contract with its hospitalist group was realigned to shift the focus to quality goals rather than visits per provider.

Readmission rates fell from 17.7% in October to 15.4% in December, and the length-of-stay index fell from 1.25 in October to 1.17 in December.

HOSPITAL LENGTH OF STAY INDEX AND READMISSION RATES

Transitional care services as UMC patients move from hospital to home were enhanced in 2018. UMC’s Transitional Care Clinic started in 2016 through an interprofessional collaboration among its family medicine, pharmacy and social work departments, along with a partnership with DCH Regional Medical Center. Initially, the clinic provided services to discharged hospital patients facing medical or social issues, such as follow-up care, transportation and covering the cost of medications.

In 2018, the Transitional Care Clinic added to those services by contacting patients within two days after their hospital discharge to make follow-up appointments and to ensure they have what they need at home. A follow-up appointment takes place within seven to 14 days after discharge. In addition, UMC

COLLABORATIVE CARE - FALL 2018 Current open patients

13

Current pending referrals

2

Referrals contacted, not open

7

“Graduated” patients

9

MONTH

LENGTH OF STAY INDEX

READMISSION RATE

Collaborative care referrals referred out

5

October 2018

1.24

17.7%

Patients with no contact in 30 days

4

November 2018

1.15

14.3%

Referrals who refused services

December 2018

1.17

15.4%

3 2 weeks

Average time between referral and intake Common diagnosis of referrals

18

Depression, anxiety, PTSD

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

began reaching out to discharged patients without primary care providers by sending a nurse practitioner to their homes within two days after their hospital release to provide transitional care services.

Closing the gap in mental health care was a priority for UMC. Primary care physicians are often on the front lines of mental health care and among the first providers to identify possible mental health issues in patients. To support UMC providers, and to extend access to mental health care services to patients in a timely manner, an integrated model of care was implemented at UMC. The Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model works by having primary care physicians identify patients who might be struggling with mental health issues. If a

patient agrees, a mental health professional (psychologist or social worker) is consulted and evaluates the patient. The mental health professional consults with a psychiatrist for recommendations that the primary care physician can implement, allowing for collaboration on diagnosis and treatment.

The mental health professional maintains frequent contact with the patient, psychiatrist and primary care provider.

Thirteen UMC patients were cared for through the Collaborative Care Model between June 2018 and January 2019. The most common diagnoses were depression, anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, conditions that require systematic follow-up due to their persistent nature.

Improved health outcomes

U

MC’s designation as a PCMH, its success with MIPS and other innovations led to the recruitment of the practice in summer 2018 by Aledade, an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), to join Aledade’s network of doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who work together to provide highquality and coordinated care to the Medicare patients they serve.

Being part of the ACO allows UMC access to additional electronic tools to identify

Medicare patients who are at high risk and need Medicare Wellness Visits, and who have gaps in preventive care. UMC has hired two full-time care managers to coordinate annual Medicare Wellness visits, modify its electronic medical record to facilitate data entry and documentation, and track results.

“This was a big step and unknown territory in Alabama,” Tom Weida said, adding that the best result and the real transformation for UMC has been in the

improved quality and value of care provided to patients, and the quality of patients’ health outcomes.

“The Drs. Weidas are trailblazers in our Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative,” said Dr. Paul Rosen, medical director of TCPI, which supports innovations in alternative payment models. “We need that creative and innovative mindset as we move into alternative payment models.”

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9,868

FLU SHOTS The College of Community Health Sciences in 2018 again led The University of Alabama's annual flu shot campaign, administering flu shots to thousands of students and employees in an effort to protect them against the flu. Free flu shots were provided at locations across campus - including the Quad, university buildings and student residence halls - beginning in September and continuing through mid-November.

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2018 ANNUAL REPORT

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN POPULATION HEALTH Population health is the future of health care and integrates clinical and public health practices with data analytics to prevent, reduce and manage human disease. The College of Community Health Sciences Master of Science in Population Health program has faculty with backgrounds in business, health policy, medicine, nursing, psychology, health promotion and public health that provide students with the training needed to resolve complex health issues in the evolving landscape of the healthcare system. The degree program is suitable for both practicing and future health professionals.

IMPROVE HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE Depending upon the elective courses chosen and students' professional backgrounds, graduates can lead population health clinical practice management initiatives, conduct research and/or design community-based health programs.

You will be better equipped to participate in care delivery redesign and achieve the triple aim of improving patient experiences, improving health outcomes and reducing health care costs.

FLEXIBLE PROGRAM OPTIONS The program is based in the CCHS Department of Community Medicine and Population Health and incorporates faculty from the UA Culverhouse College of Business. Classes are offered both in the traditional in-person setting or online for students who need more flexibility with their schedules. There are slight differences in the elective courses offered to students in the in-person and online programs. Both full-time and part-time study is allowed, and students have the option of completing a thesis or capstone project.

Practicing health professionals are encouraged to use the thesis and capstone opportunities to apply their skills to a population health problem within their own place of work.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT CCHS.UA.EDU/POPHEALTH

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M

embers of the 2018 University of Alabama School of Medicine class who received their clinical education at the College of Community Health Sciences matched into residencies in nine different states.

The 26 students spent their first two years on the School of Medicine’s Birmingham campus, and completed their third and fourth years at the College, which also serves as a regional campus of the School of Medicine. To date, more than 970 School of Medicine students have completed their clinical education at the College.

The UA Family Medicine Residency, meanwhile, welcomed 16 first-year residents into the three-year program, one of the oldest

8

uasom medical students

MATCHED in

Alabama

RESIDENCIES

22

and largest family medicine residencies in the country. More than 470 residents to date have graduated from the residency, which is operated by the College. Many of those graduates practice in Alabama – one in seven Alabama family medicine physicians graduated from the residency – while other graduates practice throughout the Southeast.

The College’s mission is to improve and promote the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region, and one of the ways it fulfills that mission is by addressing a physician workforce need with a focus on medical student and family medicine residency training.

4

uasom medical students entering the class of 2021

The University of Alabama

Family Medicine Residency

RESIDENCY SPECIALTIES Graduates Matched Into

{

· Thoracic Surgery · Otolaryngology · emergency medicine · neurology · preliminary medicine · Physical Rehabilitation Internal Medicine

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

MATCHED TO

12

INDIVIDUAL

STATES

· General Surgery · Anesthesiology

pediatrics

27%

MATCHED in

Family Medicine

Family Medicine COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

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$3.6

Million for Five years of Physician training

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PRIMARY CARE SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

F

ive University of Alabama School of Medicine students who recently completed their clinical education at the College of Community Health Sciences received BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama Primary Care Scholarships. The students are: Tanner Hallman, Savannah Johnson, Joshua Price, Grace Spears and Hannah Zahedi.

Students selected for the scholarship have indicated their intent to pursue primary care residency training after medical school and then to practice in a medically underserved Alabama county. The hope is they will remain in those counties after their commitment. Most Alabama counties don’t have enough primary care physicians to meet the needs of their residents.

BlueCross provided $3.6 million to the School of Medicine in 2018 for the Primary Care Scholarships to train a total of 60 primary care physicians over five years. After residency, the physicians agree to practice for three years in a county with a primary care shortage.

The scholarship pays the tuition of 12 third- and fourth-year medical students each year. In its capacity as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the School of Medicine, CCHS trains a portion of third- and fourthyear medical students.

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

SCHOLARSHIP & AWARD RECIPIENTS Thanks to the generous support of donors, the College of Community Health Sciences annually awards scholarships and awards to medical students and to students in the College’s Rural Health Leaders Pipeline. Here are the recipients of 2018: MEDICAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS In its role as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus for the University of Alabama School of Medicine, the College provides clinical education for a cohort of third- and fourth-year medical students. Scholarships to medical students are awarded in the fall and spring.

Frank Fitts, Jr., Endowed Scholarship Recipient: Phillip Higginbotham Amount: $3,000 Recipient: Zeb Akers Amount: $3,000 The Frank Fitts, Jr., Endowed Scholarship was established by Cynthia Ford (Fitts) Thomas to address the needs of medical students who bear a high debt load upon graduation from medical school.

The scholarship is named in honor of her late husband, Frank Fitts, Jr., great-grandson of J.H. Fitts, who established The University of Alabama’s first endowed scholarship in 1903.

The Dr. Sandral Hullett Endowed Scholarship Recipient: David Osula Amount: $1,000 The Dr. Sandral Hullett Endowed Scholarship was established in 1992 with gifts from the Capstone Health Services Foundation and proceeds from the 1991 Fiesta Bowl to honor Dr. Sandral Hullett, one of the first African-American residents to graduate from The University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency, which is operated by the College.

The Dr. Benjamin Collins Maxwell Endowed Scholarship Recipient: Jacob Guin Amount: $1,000 The Dr. Benjamin Collins Maxwell Endowed Scholarship was established by Dr. David H. and Mrs. Regina A. Maxwell to honor the memory of Dr. Benjamin Collins Maxwell. The scholarship is awarded to fourth-year medical students who are Rural Medical Scholars and plan to practice Rural Primary Care in the state of Alabama.

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RURAL HEALTH LEADERS PIPELINE SCHOLARSHIPS Robert E. Pieroni, MD, and Family Endowed Scholarship Recipient: Zeb Akers Amount: $1,000

The primary aim of the Rural Health Leaders Pipeline is to prepare students from rural areas of Alabama to provide health care in rural areas, particularly as family medicine physicians.

Established by Dr. Robert and Mrs. Dorothy Pieroni in 2012, the scholarship supports medical students at the College interested in entering primary care. Dr. Pieroni was a faculty member at the College for many years and still remains active in his support.

Rural Health Leaders Pipeline Scholarship Members of the 2018-2019 class of Rural Community Health Scholars were awarded the following:

Reese Phifer, Jr., Memorial Foundation Endowed Scholarship Recipient: Crystal Skinner Amount: $1,500 The Reese Phifer Jr. Memorial Foundation Endowed Scholarship is awarded annually to promote the education of medical students at the College. The Reese Phifer, Jr., Memorial Foundation was established

by Mr. and Mrs. Reese Phifer in 1967 in memory of their son, J. Reese Phifer, Jr., a student at The University of Alabama who died in 1964.

The foundation established the scholarship fund in 2014.

Priority is given to current fourth-year medical students who intend to complete their residency at The University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency, which the College operates, and who have an interest in spending part of their residency training in Fayette, Alabama.

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Rolonda Burks ($250), Brandon Caldwell ($250), Sierra Cannon ($250), Jacob Guin ($125), Thomas Gwin ($250), Corey Key ($250), Andrea Patterson ($250), Christina Witt ($250) Rural Medical Scholars Endowed Scholarship Fund The members of the 23rd class of Rural Medical Scholars were each awarded $750: Magdalene Blevins, Christopher Britt, Jeb Cowen, William Davis, Chelsey Deloney-Hadden, William Fagen, Rex Farris, Bradford Lepik, Paris Long, Emily Sutton Houston and Voncile Pearce Endowed Scholarship The members of the 23rd class of Rural Medical Scholars were each awarded $250: Magdalene Blevins, Christopher Britt, Jeb Cowen, William Davis, Chelsey Deloney-Hadden, William Fagen, Rex Farris, Bradford Lepik, Paris Long, Emily Sutton

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

MEDICAL STUDENT SENIOR CONVOCATION AWARDS

RESIDENCY GRADUATION AWARDS

The College and its departments also present monetary awards to medical students.

The College's Family Medicine Residency presents monetary awards to graduating residents.

James H. Akers Memorial Award Recipient: Laura Crocker Amount: $1,000 The James H. Akers Memorial Award is funded by the James H. Akers and Teresa Finney Memorial Endowed Scholarship fund. It is presented to a graduating medical student for dedication to the art and science of medicine.

360 Award Recipient: Dr. Jackie Luker Amount: $1,000 This award is presented to a graduating resident selected by CCHS staff who demonstrates outstanding work as part of a multidisciplinary team.

William R. Willard Award Recipient: Salmaan Kamal Amount: $1,000

William R. Willard Family Medicine Award Recipient: Dr. William Lee Amount: $1,000

Established by the Bank of Moundville, this award is presented to a graduating student selected by CCHS faculty for outstanding contributions to the goals and missions of the College. The award is supported by the William R. Willard Family Practice and Medical Student Endowed Support Fund.

This award is presented to a first-year resident who demonstrates outstanding professional competence and personal characteristics.

The award is supported by the William R. Willard Family Practice and Medical Student Endowed Support Fund.

Interprofessional Excellence Award Recipient: Elissa Handley Thomas Amount: $1,000 This award recognizes a graduating medical student selected by CCHS staff who has demonstrated excellence in communication skills, respect for staff and patients and a commitment to working as an effective member of a health care team.

William W. Winternitz Geriatric Award Recipient: Dr. Jackie Luker Amount: $500 Recipient: Dr. Brittany McArthur Amount: $500 This award is presented to a graduating resident who demonstrates outstanding work in geriatric medicine. The award is supported by the William W. Winternitz Geriatric Gift Fund.

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2018

BOARD of VISITORS The CCHS Board of Visitors is made up of 40 volunteers, including alumni, donors, community physicians, business people, community activists and other friends of the College of Community Health Sciences whose purpose is to help the College develop relationships and partnerships with communities in Alabama and organizations at the state and national levels. The Board meets biannually and advises the College on longrange planning, assists the College in securing financial resources and helps to develop opportunities for medical students and residents.

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A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF VISITORS CHAIR The College of Community Health Sciences has momentum. I see it in CCHS medical education programs, in the health care provided by University Medical Center, which it operates, and in its innovative research and community outreach.

The momentum keeps CCHS moving forward in fulfilling its mission of improving the health of communities in Alabama and the region.

CCHS last year welcomed its first class of medical students into the Primary Care Track, a new medical education program and the only one of its kind in the University of Alabama School of Medicine system.

The Primary Care Track prepares medical students to become skilled primary care physicians, which are desperately needed in Alabama and the region. The state ranks near the bottom in primary care physician availability, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges, with 62 of the state’s 67 counties having a shortage. But it’s primary care physicians who provide people with access to health care, particularly preventive care, and ultimately to better health and quality of life. They also keep local hospitals open and improve the economic status of communities.

The College now offers a Master of Science in Population Health Sciences degree that provides UA and other graduate students, as well as practicing physicians, with an interdisciplinary program that integrates clinical care and public health practices to better prevent, reduce and manage disease.

University Medical Center continues to see more patients, and the addition of UMCDemopolis provides much-needed primary care health services to that rural community.

CCHS is also partnering with hospitals in rural Alabama communities as the state and nation struggle with a rural hospital closure crisis.

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

OUR MEMBERS The College’s research grant and contract funding has increase substantially in the past several years, with CCHS awarded nearly $2.5 million in the last fiscal year. The College is a site for the nationwide All of Us Research Project, the largest National Institutes of Health study to date that seeks to advance individualized health care, prevention and treatment for people of all backgrounds. With funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CCHS researchers are working to develop a mobile app to help UMC patients and others with high blood pressure better manage their condition.

CCHS has received continued state funding for two important outreach projects: the UA-Pickens County Partnership, which is helping address the health needs of that rural community by creating fellowships and learning experiences for UA students in health professions studies; and ACTION, a partnership with the city of Tuscaloosa to treat 911 callers with low-level emergencies at the scene, saving patients and the city money and reducing hospital emergency room transports and overcrowding.

CCHS has momentum. With your support, whether through gifts, service or advocacy, we can keep the momentum going and help the College fulfill its mission of improving health in Alabama and the region.

Mr. Eddie Sherwood, Chair Dr. Thomas Alford Dr. Susan Austin-Warner Dr. Daniel Avery, Jr. Dr. John Belyeu Dr. Jennifer Bolton Mrs. Kelly Bownes Mr. Brad Cork Mr. James Cowan, Jr. Dr. Leisa DeVenny Dr. Michael DeVenny Dr. Frank Dozier The Honorable Mark Ezell Dr. Craig Fairburn Dr. Roland Ficken Dr. Samuel Gaskins Dr. Guillermo Godoy Mrs. Heike Harris Ms. Madeleine Hill Dr. William Hill, Jr.

Dr. Robert Ireland, Jr. Dr. Beverly Jordan Mr. W.O. “Buddy” Kirk Mrs. Cindy Markushewski Dr. John Markushewski Dr. David Maxwell Mrs. Regina Maxwell Dr. Chris McGee Mrs. Voncile Pearce Mrs. Dorothy Pieroni Dr. Robert Pieroni Dr. Robert Posey Dr. James Robinson Dr. Edgar Shotts Dr. Rodney Snead Dr. Vijaya Sundar Mr. Mike Williams Dr. Mark Williams Dr. Mark Woods Dr. Fred Yerby

— MR. EDDIE SHERWOOD CHAIR, BOARD OF VISITORS COLLEGE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES

COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

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Friends of CCHS Annual Fund Projects

$13,303.31 TOTAL RAISED IN 2018 FROM

82

donors to the friends of cchs annual fund 30

The Friends of CCHS Annual Fund provided support for College of Community Health Sciences projects that seek to improve the health of asthmatic school children, encourage more medical students to choose neurology as a specialty, and enhance an endowed lecture series that further educates faculty, residents and medical students about treatment of athletic injuries.

The annual fund, comprised of donations and gifts to the College, is designed to support CCHS academic, clinical, scholarly and infrastructure programs, as well as the educational and professional advancement of students, residents, faculty and staff.

School-based Asthma Education

A

sthma is a major health problem in the state and the US. In Alabama, 12% of school-aged children have asthma, exceeding the national average of 10%. Students with asthma typically miss about two to three days more per year of school than students without asthma, and students with severe and uncontrolled asthma often miss more. It is estimated that asthmatic students in the US miss almost 13 million school days each year. Asthma is the third ranking cause of hospitalization among children under age 15.

The School-based Asthma Education Project is a four-week asthma education curriculum for students in upper elementary through high school grade levels. The curriculum is presented via live video streaming to schools from University Medical Center, which the College operates, and includes the topics: what is asthma, what do asthma medications do, how to use an inhaler, and asthma triggers and when to see your doctor. Parents are also invited to attend.

Future plans include the provision of medical care at schools for asthmatic students. CCHS faculty involved in the project are: Dr. Nathan Culmer, assistant professor and director of Educational Technology and Continuing Education; Dr. Karen Burgess, associate professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics; and Elizabeth Smith, UMC nurse practitioner and clinic instructor.

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

The Ernest Cole Brock III Continuing Medical Education Lecture Series

Gwen Claussen Neurology Scholarship

T

here is an escalating shortage of neurologists in Alabama. The state has approximately 180 practicing neurologists, most in their 60s and approaching retirement. Neurology medical practices struggle to keep up with a growing number of patients, and hospital emergency departments are losing access to neurology consultants. With an aging population, the shortage is expected to get worse – and Alabama is centrally situated in the Stroke Belt.

This academic scholarship, in memory of the late Dr. Gwen Claussen, a well-known neurologist in Alabama with a long teaching career in neuromuscular neurology, seeks to remedy the accessibility gap by encouraging more students to choose neurology as a specialty. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a single student or to multiple students who are academically strong, communityminded, have chosen neurology as a subspecialty and who are committed to staying in Alabama. The CCHS faculty member involved in the project is Dr. Catherine Ikard, assistant professor and practicing neurologist at UMC.

COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

31

B

®

2018 T

he University of Alabama’s inaugural online fundraising event, Bama Blitz, began on April 11, 2018, and ended April 12, 2018. It lasted one day, eight hours, and 31 minutes in honor of The University’s founding in 1831. Bama Blitz is an opportunity for alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends to come together and support UA. Using the power of social media and crowdfunding, donors can give back and pay forward in support of their favorite cause, college or program.

The College of Community Health Sciences raised $2,458.31 in gifts from 22 supporters in the inaugural Bama Blitz in 2018.

Funds raised by CCHS were designated to support the living costs of third-year medical students receiving their clinical education at CCHS and taking part in the Tuscaloosa Longitudinal Community Curriculum (TLC2). TLC2, which has since evolved to become the Primary Care Track, offers students the option to spend their third year in Tuscaloosa at University Medical Center or integrate their clinical education in a rural Alabama community.

Bama Blitz was powered by robust incentives that showcased fundraising “challenges” between colleges and schools, charted gifts on a real-time leaderboard and highlighted donation matching promotions.

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a special

Thank You to our

BAMA BLITZ DONORS Dr. Daniel M. Avery Dr. Gregg Bell Dr. Julia L. Boothe Dr. Caroline Boxmeyer Dr. Raymond N. Brignac Mr. Luke M. Cates Dr. Katharine R. Cooper Dr. Kristine Graettinger Dr. Abbey Gregg Mrs. Mary B. Lawhorn Dr. James D. Leeper

Dr. Robert E. McKinney Jr. Ms. Marsha D. Morrison Dr. Denise J. Nakos Dr. Catherine Scarbrough Dr. Catherine A. Skinner Dr. Rick Streiffer Mr. Matthew R. Wattigny Dr. Jane A. Weida Dr. Thomas Weida Dr. Jerre R. White Dr. Lea G. Yerby

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

SUPPORTERS Thank you to all of our donors and friends who gave to the College of Community Health Sciences in 2018 through cash donations, in-kind gifts, estate gifts or matching funds. The gifts benefit faculty, residents and medical students—and ultimately communities throughout Alabama—by providing resources for scholarships, classrooms, clinics and research opportunities for future primary care physicians.

Active - $100 - $499

Active - $100 - $499

Mrs. Celia Wallace, Spring Hill Services Dr. and Mrs. Edward J. Markushewski Jr. Dr. Terrence M. Pugh

Mrs. Margaret M. Howell Dr. Ronald Goldstein Eli Lilly and Company

Education & Support Fund

Friends of CCHS

Dr. Ben G. Bostick Dr. Thomas A. Bartlett Mr. Thomas B. Fanning Medical Associates of West Alabama, P.C. Dr. Patrick E. O'Reilly Montgomery Family Medicine PC Dr. Matthew J. Hogan Mrs. Jane S. Davis Mr. Luke M. Cates Dr. Lee Thomas Dr. W. Larry Sullivan Dr. Gary M. Fowler Dr. Alexandre Todorov Mr. James R. Meherg Dr. Catherine A. Skinner Mr. and Mrs. James B. Flemming

Major Gifts

Honored Contributors - $5,000 or more Dr. Alan M. Blum BlueCross and BlueShield of Alabama Dr. Rick K. Jotani

Benefactor - $1,000 - $4,999 Dr. Heather M. Taylor Dr. Michael A. Taylor

Patron - $500 - $999 Reverend James Carstensen

Benefactor - $1,000 - $4,999 Dr. Richard O. Rutland Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Guy E. Moman Jr. Dr. Michael A. Taylor

Patron - $500 - $999 Dr. Nicholas A. Knight Dr. David O. Parrish Dr. Sarah L. Bisch Dr. Karen E. Stone Dr. William D. Sudduth

COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

33

Dr. John P. Summerford Dr. Alan M. Blum Dr. Gloria J. B. Thomas Dr. William A. Curry Mr. Samuel B. Fields Mr. Bryan N. Kindred Dr. Marc F. Fisher Mrs. Donna R. McAllister Dr. G. Nelson Cooper Jr. Dr. Wilson L. Tucker Dr. Randall W. Weaver Dr. Pamela H. Foster Dr. R. Mark Kendrick Sr. Dr. Eugene H. P. Wade Dr. William R. Bell III Dr. Velimir A. Luketic Mrs. Catharine J. Parker Alton B. Sturtevant Family Foundation Dr. Russell L. Ingram Dr. Jeffrey W. Mathis

Dr. Robert E. Lahasky Dr. Daniel M. Avery Cullman Primary Care P.C. Mr. Travis G. Fitts Dr. Lisa D. Columbia Dr. James D. McKinney Mrs. Judy Amiano and Mr. Robert J. Zasa Dr. David L. Barnes Dr. and Mrs. John A. Mantle Mr. Charleigh R. Davis Dr. F. Douglas Scutchfield Wilson Family Foundation, Inc. Mrs. Jean J. Hinton Dr. Craig J. Frederick Dr. David O. Parrish

Supporter - $1 - $99 Dr. Elizabeth W. Cleino Mrs. Evelyn D. Mettee

cchs.ua.edu/give 34

Dr. David Zielinski Mr. Robert H. Shaw Jr. Dr. H. Joseph Fritz Jr. Mr. Thomas D. Russell Dr. Louis H. McCormick Dr. Katherine L. Norman Dr. Michelle M. Plagenhoef Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Bunn Dr. and Mrs. C. Brian Sonderegger Dr. Ross B. Vaughn Dr. Theophile B. Barley Dr. David K. Calderwood Mrs. Frances M. Harris Dr. Charles M. Eddins Mrs. Shelley E. Jones Dr. Beverly Phifer Wingard Dr. Thomas J. Smitherman III Coach Lawrence C. Davis Dr. Ashley Evans

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

GIVING PRIORITIES The College of Community Health Sciences prioritizes educating the next generation of medical professionals as well as the communities they will serve. The College focuses on giving Alabama the tools it needs to put the health of Alabamians first in every day practice.

Private giving - both major gifts and annual giving - ensure continued excellence in programs that are utilized every day by the people of Alabama. Programs such as the Diabetes Self-Management Education course, which provides helpful tools for managing a diabetes diagnosis, including guided grocery shopping and emotional support counseling.

The College recognizes that successful partnerships with groups like The University of Alabama's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Capstone Village provide a platform for community education on topics such as managing high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Each year, the College brings eminent speakers to Tuscaloosa to provide educational

opportunities that inform and inspire our faculty, residents and medical students, as well as health professionals in the community. These presentations, which provide attendees with continuing medical education credits at no charge or a reduced fee, would not be possible without the generous support of our donors.

The College's education goals are not confined to Alabama. The CCHS Global Health Initiative sends residents, faculty and staff to impoverished, underserved areas to provide health care, services and resources. These humanitarian outreach initiatives educate future health leaders on how to work in complex situations with limited resources, which they may encounter when working in rural communities in the US. These are only a few of the many ways the College is endeavoring to grow as a resource for education and health care in Alabama and beyond. We invite you to join our generous alumni, grateful patients and friends by make a gift today to the College of Community Health Sciences.

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY Consider a gift to the Friends of CCHS, the College's annual fund, or any of our other initiatives by visiting

cchs.ua.edu/give

or by sending checks payable to The University of Alabama to: The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences ATTN: Erin Tech Box 870326 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0326

ALUMNI Are you a CCHS alum? Keep in touch with us by visiting cchs.ua.edu/alumni or by sending news and updates to :

Erin Tech, Assistant Director of External Relations Erin.Tech@ua.edu ¡ 205-348-9103

COLLEGE OF COMMUNIT Y HEALTH SCIENCES

35

Box 870326 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0326

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID The University of Alabama

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences is dedicated to improving and promoting the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.

CCHS.UA.EDU