Primary care needs will soon be answered in two of Alabama’s Black Belt counties.

Through Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education funding from the Health Resources Services Administration, four primary care physicians will be serving Perry and Wilcox counties, Cahaba Medical Care announced.

The Cahaba + UAB Family Medicine Residency was awarded funds to plan, develop, and implement the “1+2” Frontier Family Medicine Residency Program. This training initiative primarily aims to enhance access to primary care services in Perry and Wilcox Counties, currently Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Now in its second year, the Frontier Program placed four second-year family medicine residents to begin full-time training in the Black Belt, courtesy of funding approved by Gov. Kay Ivey.

Dr. Josue Breaux, Dr. Joshua Murphy, Dr. Ijeoma Okeke, and Dr. Michael Wu are living in Perry County and will begin accepting new patients at Cahaba Medical Care – Marion in July. They will be joined by four additional physicians in July 2024, bringing the total to eight new physicians living and working in Perry County.

Cahaba Medical Care – Marion will host a Perry County Community Fun Day and Frontier Residency Open House on July 15.

Cahaba Medical Care is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, federally qualified community health center. Cahaba Medical Care has 26 clinics throughout central Alabama in Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson, Perry, Shelby, and Wilcox counties.