The University of West Alabama is aiming to provide better primary health care and employment health services for its students, university faculty, staff and their families.

As part of this effort, UWA is moving its health care operations to the University Medical Center in Livingston. The two signed a partnership Aug. 1.

“Being a small, regional public institution like we are, we don’t have health care services on our campus,” said UWA President Dr. Ken Tucker. “So, we need to partner with health care providers to ensure that our students get the quality health care services that they need,” he said. “UMC-Livingston is a prime example of such a partnership.

“Having another high-quality health care option is really critical to our students’ overall well-being.”

Dr. Richard Friend, dean of the UA College of Community Health Sciences, discussed the change.

“We wanted to bring a full-spectrum primary care practice here to Livingston,” he said. “Our mission at UMC is to help improve the health of individuals and communities in rural Alabama, and expanding access to care in Livingston is one of the ways we are meeting that mission.

“I believe that with the partnership created to open UMC-Livingston, we have a model that can be replicated in other rural Alabama communities that are most in need of primary care medicine.”

UWA has just more than 2,300 students and nearly 600 employees.

University Medical Center is the largest multispecialty medical practice in West Alabama with facilities in Tuscaloosa, Northport, Demopolis, Fayette, Carrollton and Livingston, and more than 150,000 annual patient visits.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.