­UA’S CCHS to Provide Free Health Screenings to Community

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In recognition of National Primary Care week, The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences will provide free health screenings to the Tuscaloosa community Saturday, Nov. 2, at Midtown Village as part of the shopping center’s fall festival.

The free screenings will be available between noon and 5 p.m.

Medical students, resident physicians and faculty physicians from the College will offer screening for blood pressure, body mass index and blood sugar at the festival.

“We intend to include those in medical training at all levels and look forward to screening many patients and letting people know about the great work being done within CCHS,” said Brittney Anderson, president of the College’s 2014 class of medical students.

The College trains medical students and resident physicians and provides direct patient care to the community, with a focus on primary care. The College operates the Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency, a three-year program that provides specialized training in family medicine. The residency is one of the oldest and largest such residencies in the country.

University Medical Center, the largest multi-specialty practice in West Alabama, and the University’s Student Health Center are part of the College. The College of Community Health Sciences also functions as a regional campus of The University of Alabama School of Medicine, which is headquartered in Birmingham.

National Primary Care Week, a campaign of the American Medical Student Association held Oct. 28 through Nov. 3, is an annual event highlighting the importance of primary care and bringing health care professionals together to learn about generalist and interdisciplinary health care, particularly its impact on, and importance to, underserved populations.

“NPCW’s goal is to engage physicians-in-training, students across the health care spectrum and the general population on the indispensable role of primary care in the health care system,” according to the American Medical Student Association.