News

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, so it’s a good time to share important information about this brain disorder that affects about one million people in the United States.

The UAB Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) received the highest possible rating of three stars for its yearly participation in the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI).

UAB Medicine has been named the Official Medical Provider for Talladega Superspeedway. Alabama’s largest hospital — and only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I Adult Trauma Center — will provide award-winning medical services to NASCAR’s biggest track.

Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Clinic at UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics, Dr. Sarah O’Kelley, answers questions about ASD and resources for supporting loved ones with the diagnosis.

Congratulations to the most recent winner: John White, RN! What makes John a DAISY winner?

“On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, John White, RN, entered a restaurant in Warrior, Ala. After sitting down to eat his breakfast, he looked over and noticed there were people standing around a person. He went over and checked the individual’s pulse. The person was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. John immediately assisted the individual to the floor and began chest compressions while someone called 911.

Alabama’s organ procurement organization, Legacy of Hope plans various NDLM promotions and events to educate the public and raise awareness about the need for organ, eye, and tissue donation. Roughly half of the U.S. population are registered as donors, but the number of people in need still exceeds available organs and tissue.

March is National Professional Social Work Month, which recognizes the professionals who guide and support patients in a wide range of settings. UAB Medicine salutes our medical social workers who assist patients with many aspects of illness, hospital stays, and the transition to home or the next level of care.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy in women who don’t already have the disease. It affects 2-10% of pregnant women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Throughout my 25-year occupational therapy career, I’ve had the opportunity to treat a variety of diagnoses and conditions, but I’ve always been drawn to our neuro population. My career began in inpatient care, then I moved on to a neuro outpatient setting. During that time, I also had the opportunity to teach continuing neuro education courses and work as a consultant with a company that develops products to help patients use their stroke-affected side while performing task-specific repetitive training.

Rapid weight-loss diets may produce quick results, but most are hard to stick to over time, so the pounds often come back. Some can also be unhealthy – especially diets that limit important nutrients by restricting certain food groups. Experts say that safe, lasting weight loss involves realistic long-term goals, watching calories, and getting nutrients from all of the food groups.

I joined the Spain Rehab speech department in 2005 as a new speech therapist. I spent many years working with a variety of diagnoses. However, since our facility transitioned to a service line delivery model five years ago, I have primarily worked with the TBI population. I’ve always had an interest in working with the TBI population, because it means entering into the recovery process of individuals after they’ve experienced a catastrophic life event. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly, to be present as milestones are met and life starts returning to normal.

In November 2020, retired Chief Master Sergeant Patrick McCrocklin visited the medical center at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., where he assumed he would be treated for a hernia. He actually had two hernias, but doctors also found two mysterious spots on his liver. MRI and PET scans revealed stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver, and he was given just six months to live.