Jim Bakken

Jim Bakken

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jimb@uab.edu • (205) 934-3887
Chief Communications Officer, Public Relations 

As chief communications officer for the University of Alabama at Birmingham and UAB Medicine, Bakken leads teams that set and execute internal and external communications strategy. Prior to joining UAB in 2012, Bakken spent a decade working with a diverse client base at two full-service communications firms. Bakken spent eight years in Nashville at McNeely Pigott and Fox – one of the largest PR firms in the Southeast – prior to launching Peritus Public Relations in Birmingham in 2010. Bakken has served on the board of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and has been a Birmingham Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 honoree.

The smoke-free Health District on Birmingham’s Southside created by a City Council ordinance in October has launched.
The UAB Health System will continue to accept United Healthcare insurance following a finalized agreement.
Following months of negotiations, the contracts will expire July 30 between United Healthcare and several UAB Health System entities. Only the Emergency Department at each hospital will remain open to United plan members without additional out-of-pocket costs.
Patients with questions about access can call the number on the back of their insurance card for information about physicians and hospitals who accept United Healthcare insurance.
UAB student satisfaction in 2017 is higher than ever and increased significantly from the 2015 survey. UAB students also recorded more satisfaction than national averages among students at four-year public universities.
UAB works to address record growth with plans to enhance parking and transportation following a comprehensive study and expert recommendations for strategic focus and investments.
UAB remains among the lowest in incidents of many crimes, and overall compares favorably to urban and non-urban universities in safety. Recent satisfaction survey results show students’ feelings of safety have increased.
UAB now has far and away the fastest supercomputer in Alabama, accelerating the volume and speed at which transformational education, research and medical care can occur.
With an economic impact now exceeding $7.15 billion, according to Tripp Umbach, Alabama’s largest single employer’s influence on the state’s economy has grown by more than 50 percent since the last study.
UAB’s student body grew nearly 7 percent year-over-year with gains in every school, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Honors College. UAB also enrolled its largest and most academically prepared freshman class.
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