BIRMINGHAM  – Children’s of Alabama recently launched one of the state’s first fully pediatric health care blogs entitled Instructions Not Included.
Instructions Not Included – so named because  every parent knows children don’t come with an instructions manual – is designed for caregivers (parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers) featuring posts from Children’s of Alabama experts, physicians, local parents and more. Posts will feature medical news, health information, research innovations and perspectives from clinicians and hospital staff. Topics will range from general health and wellness to advocacy, safety and public health and safety issues. Weekly articles will discuss the evolving world of healthcare and provide insight into health topics many families may be tentative to discuss. Readers can have their questions answered and are invited to share opinions on what they want from their doctors and healthcare providers.
The blog can be found via link on Children’s website at www.childrensal.org (under “Featured Links”) or directly at http://childrensalblog.org.
“We encourage community participation and topic suggestions,” said Amy Dabbs, Children’s Digital Communications Coordinator. “We are excited to be able to share some of the resources we have with the public in this new and creative way.”
Those interested in making submissions may contact Dabbs through the blog or call 205-638-6660. She also said Children’s will use the blog to answer questions from the health care community, public and employees. The Instructions Not Included blog is the most recent addition to the hospital’s social media efforts, which also include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Readers are encouraged to engage by sharing posts on their own social media sites and commenting on blog entries. An RSS feed option is also available so readers can subscribe and receive real time updates.

Birmingham is one of ten cities around the country to answer President Obama’s call for a national conversation about mental health with a broad based dialogue to discuss how mental health issues affect our communities and to discuss topics related to the mental health of our young people.

On Friday, November 1, 2013 Mayor Bell was joined at a press conference by Bill Muse, President-National Issues Forum Institute, Stephanie McCladdie, Regional SAMSHA Administrator, and numerous mental health officials from the Birmingham metropolitan area. To announce discussions that will lead to action plans designed to improve mental health programs and services for families, schools and communities.  The discussions, entitled Mental Health: What Are The Options?, will take place in the form of ten forums in Birmingham. Data collected from the forums will be provided to SAMSHA and aid in the further formation of programming in the Birmingham area.

 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry’s newly renovated Faculty Practice facility is now open and accepting patients.
The UAB Dental Group, in affiliation with UAB Dentistry, recently announced the completion of the $2.4 million renovation. The state-of-the-art facility will house 14 dental operation bays that are supported by the most current digital radiography, sterilization and laboratory equipment.
The new facility will give UAB faculty a clinical space commensurate with their research facilities, says Michael Reddy, DMD, D.M.Sc., dean of the School of Dentistry.
“The Faculty Practice Clinic was created to retain and attract new faculty,” Reddy said. “Master clinicians are looking for an opportunity to practice at the highest level, document their work, use it for teaching and provide better patient care. Just as we needed to develop our research facilities, we needed to develop a clinical enterprise that would enable our faculty to practice in the most optimal facilities available.”
The renovated facility, located on the fifth floor of the UAB Dentistry building, is a little larger than the previous space and more inviting to patients. Approximately 30 dental practitioners will be available to render service in a private-practice setting.
Clinic specialties available include general dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry. A staff of 15 clinical and administrative personnel supports the practitioners.
The UAB Dental Group is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and accepts most major insurance plans, including MetLife Dental insurance. Call 205-934-2340 to schedule an appointment. Uninsured patients also are welcome with fees for service requested at the time of treatment.

State Representative John Rogers Asks: “Where’s the Money?”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – State Representative Mary Moore and Birmingham City Councilor Sheila Tyson has announced their support for an independent health care authority to manage Jefferson County’s Indigent Care Fund.
“Dr. Mark Wilson and Will Ferniany are on the right track of straightening out the mess caused by County Commission’s mismanagement,” said State Representative Mary Moore. “Both of these men have dedicated their careers to community health, and we are pleased with the proposals they are putting forward.”
Dr. Wilson, the CEO of the Jefferson County Department of Health, also supports a recommendation to create a health care authority to independently manage the indigent care fund and the institution formerly known as Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. Wilson also proposed a board structure comprised of mostly health care professionals instead of politicians.
“Dr. Wilson worked at Cooper Green for almost 20 years. No one knows the challenges and the opportunities over there better than him,” Tyson said. “The County Commission unanimously voted to have Sandra Hullet create a health care authority plan over two years ago, but never gave her the opportunity to present her findings. This is their second chance to do the right thing.”
Ferniany, CEO of the UAB Healthy System, has discussed with the County Commission a request for proposal that would allow hospitals and managed health care organizations to submit bids to manage the indigent care fund and the former hospital.
“We believe this is a way to get the best and brightest minds in Birmingham engaged on solving this problem,” Moore said. “(David) Carrington, (Jimmie) Stephens) and (Joe) Knight have said from day one they wanted to get the County out of the health care business; well, this is their chance to do that.”
State Representative John Rogers said the County must first tell tax payers how it’s spent the indigent care funds since it shut down inpatient care at Cooper Green.
“I’m laying here in the hospital right now,” said Representative Rogers, who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. “The County still refuses to say what they are doing with our tax dollars. A couple of months ago they said that they had taken in more than $38 million and had spent $34 million, but they haven’t paid a nickel in hospital costs to St. Vincent, Brookwood or Baptist Princeton. So my first question remains my only question: where is the money?”