Bigger, Better University Medical Center Now Open in Northport
Top leaders from the University of Alabama were in Northport last week to cut the ribbon on a new medical center triple the size of their previous clinic in the city.
The new University Medical Center is now open at 6205 Jemison Lane in Northport and houses 28 examination rooms and in15,000 square feet. University staff at the Thursday grand opening said the upgraded location is three times bigger than the previous UMC on McFarland Boulevard in Northport, which opened in 2015.
The new facility offers a wealth of primary care services, including family medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, neurology, internal medicine, sports medicine, geriatrics, nutrition, behavioral medicine, women’s health and prenatal care services. They also have an x-ray, phlebotomist, an ultrasound and rooms dedicated to an eventual after-hours clinic.
The UMC also doubles as the perfect place for UA medical students to get hands-on experience in the field.
“Not only will we be able to see more patients and provide more services to the community, but we will also be able to embrace our entire mission at the College of Community Health” said Dr. Richard Friend, dean of the College of Community Health Sciences. “It’s all about teaching our residents and fellows.”
UMC Northport is not only equipped to care for patients regularly and host students, but will also allow medical researchers to pursue different projects there.
Dr. Catherine Lavender, an associate professor at The University of Alabama, is leading a teaching grant study focusing on maternal mortality and morbidity in rural Alabama. As part of the study, the UMC is introducing telemedicine for prenatal care, as well as a maternal mental health clinic.
Friend said the University eventually plans to build more on the 11-acre plot that houses the new UMC Northport and develop that area into a health plaza, where other officers will offer complementary services as they open.
UMC offers services between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.