A total of 15 organizations were recognized as Live HealthSmart Alabama Designated Partners for their commitment to promoting a healthier city and state. Led by Live HealthSmart Alabama (LHSA), an initiative of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the event brought together community partners and LHSA representatives to acknowledge the important work Designated Partners do to help achieve the mission of improving the health of Alabamians.

CLA Orientation News

On Saturday, September 9th, 2023, 344 volunteers gathered at 18 different Birmingham community sites to participate in the 24th bi-annual "Into the Streets," a program for students, faculty, and staff designed to support UAB's mission of forming partnerships that enhance education, health, economic prosperity, and quality of life.

Live HealthSmart Alabama, an initiative of the University of Alabama at Birmingham facilitated by the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center, has recently completed the first of what will be 11 murals in stairwells across the university.

The Stairway to Wellness project is part of a larger plan for Live HealthSmart Alabama to implement its signature keys—physical activity, good nutrition, education, and prevention and wellness—across campus. As one of UAB’s Health Promoting University initiatives, Live HealthSmart Alabama is facilitating improvements and cultivating a culture of health and well-being.

To work toward this goal, a committee focusing on each LHSA key was established. For the past year, the physical activity committee—co-chaired by Michele Gould, MPH, and Holly Wyatt, M.D.—has been working to identify locations, select artists, and establish a process for installing the Stairway to Health murals.

“The environment can have a big impact on behavior. When you change your environment, you change your behavior without even knowing it,” explained Wyatt, professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences. “I think we’ve wired our environment to decrease our activity.”

“The question I’ve thought a lot about is ‘Can we rewire our environment to increase physical activity?’” added Wyatt.

Selected to pilot the Stairway to Wellness initiative, and help answer Wyatt’s question, is UAB’s Susan Mott Webb Nutrition Sciences Building. “We are excited to be the first building on campus that uses art in stairwells to encourage physical activity. I urge other leaders to join us in creating a healthier campus for our students,” says James Hill, Ph.D., professor, and director of UAB’s Nutrition Obesity Research Center.


  • WEB Nutrition Murals Addy Bias 231103 001 3614
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  • WEB Nutrition Murals Emily Pounds 231103 004 3670 Copy
  • WEB Nutrition Murals Emily Pounds 231103 007 3683 Copy
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  • WEB Nutrition Murals Addy Bias 231103 001 3614
  • WEB Nutrition Murals Addy Bias 231103 007 3641 Copy
  • WEB Nutrition Murals Addy Bias 231103 006 3639 Copy
  • WEB Nutrition Murals Emily Pounds 231103 004 3670 Copy
  • WEB Nutrition Murals Emily Pounds 231103 007 3683 Copy
  • WEB Nutrition Murals Emily Pounds 231103 009 3687 Copy


The Artists

Students in Webb can now find two murals painted within the building’s stairwells. The first, “Joyful Movement,” was painted by one of Wyatt’s Wellbeing and You students, Addy Bias.

“The ‘Joyful Movement’ mural shows people that while everybody moves differently, it’s important that we celebrate what we can do. Well-being is about embracing what you have, not what’s lacking,” described Wyatt. 


The second mural, “A Spot in the Sun,” was created by Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Nutrition Science, Emily Pounds. The mural, which depicts a sunflower, provides an uplifting sense of emotion and positivity to passersby.

 

What's Next

“Throughout this process, we’ve learned so much about what it takes to complete a project of this scope,” stated Gould. “Holly and I received an amazing amount of support from so many people, including Dr. Jim Hill and our interim chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences, Dr. Barbara Gower, as we navigated the approval process. Now, we have a roadmap for implementing murals in the other 11 buildings.”

While the group has yet to decide which building is next, there are several—such as the School of Nursing, Administration Building, Gold Residence Hall, and Campbell Hall—under consideration.

Those interested in creating a mural on campus should reach out to Holly Wyatt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CLA Orientation NewsThe University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Live HealthSmart Alabama initiative has launched a new development program, the Community Leadership Academy (CLA).

Using a gift from Coca-Cola UNITED, Live HealthSmart Alabama—and subject matter experts Kathy Boswell and Valeta Neal—created a custom leadership curriculum.

The academy provides a forum where knowledge and skills are developed and refined to support community leaders as they conduct planning and improvement projects, balance needs and resources, and secure funding that ignites change.

Participants currently enrolled in the program extend through Birmingham’s Bush Hills, East Lake, Kingston, Titusville, Druid Hills, North Birmingham, Norwood, and Smithfield communities. The initial participants were nominated by community leaders and partners. Selected residents were chosen for their immense potential to drive impactful, sustainable change in their neighborhood.

During the orientation session, held in early October, participants were welcomedLHSA Community Leadership Academy NewsCommunity Leadership Academy Logo to the CLA with a video message from Coca-Cola UNITED’s Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Hafiz F. Chandiwala and Mona Fouad, MD, MPH, Live HealthSmart Alabama’s CEO. After learning more about what the coming months have in store for them, participants had the opportunity for professional headshots and networking.

Over the course of 10 biweekly sessions, the Community Leadership Academy will teach the group skills in understanding personal strengths, building a budget, facilitating a meeting, speaking to large groups, conflict resolution, team building, and more.

At the end of the program, graduates will have identified an issue in their community—as it relates to one of Live HealthSmart Alabama’s signature keys: prevention and wellness, education, good nutrition, and physical activity. They will have identified potential barriers and assets and developed a fundable and actionable plan. Leaders who succeed will have access to mini-grants to help provide some of the resources needed for implementation.

Operations Director for Live HealthSmart Alabama, Lemeshia Chambers, Ph.D., MSW, and primary driver behind the CLA explains, “The Community Leadership Academy is a crucial component of our mission to make good health simple for all Alabamians.”

“In every area we work in, we meet with residents to better understand the needs, wants, and hopes for the future of that community. With the leadership academy, we are creating a grassroots network of leaders who will work alongside us to bring about systemic change,” she added.

The first semester of college is an exciting time. You’re meeting new people, learning how to be on your own, taking new classes, and maybe even learning a new city.  Just because the beginning of college is exciting, it doesn’t mean that it is always easy. If you feel like you need some guidance, you’re not alone. With all of the big changes, it is important to learn how to prioritize your mental and physical health. Here are some tips for how you can have a happy, healthy college experience.

1. Eat Healthy

  • If you are learning to cook for yourself for the first time, try to incorporate healthy foods, or choose something good for your body. Eating fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins gives you more energy and boosts your mental and physical health.
  • If you need ideas, check out our extensive list of recipes made with food available on the Mobile Market.

2. Get Enough Sleep!

  • Between studying, clubs, friends, and other extracurricular activities, it can be easy to miss out on a healthy night of sleep. Getting enough rest is vital to your brain and body functioning the best it can. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule and don’t go to bed too late.

3. Get Involved

  • If you are in a new place, it’s important for your mental health that you don’t isolate yourself. Join clubs, get lunch with a friend from class, try out for a play, join an intramural sports team, or volunteer to get involved. These are great ways to build a supportive community around you while you are at school.

4. Take time to relax

  • In college, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Make sure to set aside some time for yourself to have fun and relax, everyone needs a break.

5. Take advantage of on-campus mental health resources

  • If you are having a hard time, UAB has resources in place to help you. Get an appointment with student counseling services to take care of your mental health.

The UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine, in partnership with Live HealthSmart Alabama, has established a new elective course to improve community health curriculum for first- and second- year medical students.

“Community Health Education Co-Enrolled Course”, developed by the Department of Family and community medicine and LHSA, was piloted during the Spring 2023 semester with 11 students.

Sumayah Abed, M.D., an assistant professor in the department and in charge of the course tells the story, “Because of my experience in community health, I was approached by our Chair, Dr. Irfan Asif to create a curriculum that would help students learn about health disparities and how to communicate with patients in a way that is sensitive to their needs and culturally appropriate.”

She added, “he [Asif] told me about the capabilities of the Live HealthSmart Alabama Mobile Wellness Van and I got to work incorporating how something like that can enhance classroom learning.”

LHSA SumayahSumayah Abed, M.D.UAB: a Health Promoting University

As the first university in the United States to sign the Okanagan Charter, UAB has become part of a larger, international effort of Health Promoting Universities and Colleges (HPU). The charter guides member schools to leading health promotion via action and collaboration, locally and globally. The community health education course provides a prime example of what university-wide cooperation can achieve.

Students who participate in the course receive two-part instruction.

First, students attend weekly in-classroom sessions consisting of various presentations, role-playing activities, and case studies that reaffirm the department’s mission to improve health and well-being by providing innovative patient- and family-centered health services.LHSA Community Health Course 2023 550x413

Next, medical students are co-enrolled in supervised hands-on training with Live HealthSmart Alabama’s Mobile Wellness team.

Live HealthSmart Alabama, one of the UAB HPU Initiatives, implements changes that remove barriers to making healthy choices in the areas of good nutrition, physical activity, prevention and wellness, and education. The group’s Mobile Wellness Van—managed by Dalton Norwood, M.D., Director of Prevention and Wellness for Live HealthSmart Alabama—serves the organization’s mission to make good health simple by providing comprehensive health screenings at no cost to patients.

LHSA DaltonDalton Norwood, M.D.Engaging with the Community

Throughout the course, Norwood works directly with Abed to manage the field training portion of the curriculum. Students in the class work with the Live HealthSmart Alabama team to administer tests to assess cholesterol level, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Next, students identify what patients’ bodies need to stay healthy and discuss with them how to make positive lifestyle changes based on their needs.

“Dr. Norwood created the perfect evaluation scorecard for the field training portion of the class,” stated Abed. “Students are rated based on their understanding of the social determinants of health, motivational interviewing, clinical knowledge, communications skills, and their introductions with the patients.”

Pilot Results & What’s Next

In the first semester alone, students worked a combined total of 126 hours in the Mobile Wellness Van, seeing approximately 225 patients. Of these students, 80% received a satisfactory score on their evaluation with 20% achieving superior remarks.

While students were graded on their understanding and performance, a number found themselves returning as volunteers. In a course evaluation survey, medical student, Hector Caceres, stated, “Working with the mobile health clinic gave me a unique perspective on the challenges faced by people who lack access to healthcare, and my classmates and I were able to see firsthand the critical need for these services in our communities.”

He added, “Through my work with the mobile health clinic, I gained a deeper understanding of the healthcare disparities that exist in our society, and I was proud to be part of a team dedicated to addressing these issues and improving the lives of those in need.”

As the Abed/Norwood duo prepares for the fall semester, they are looking to add live case scenarios that help students master their communication skills, as well as increase their familiarity with patient-facing community resources. This deepened approach includes the addition of screenings for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and pre-diabetes.

When asked about why classes like the one he and Abed developed are so important, Norwood said, “My passion for community health education is a deep-rooted belief that it has the transformative power to make big changes in people’s life. These lifestyle improvements can also affect change in families and communities.

 

Live HealthSmart Alabama, a University of Alabama at Birmingham initiative, often works with the City of Birmingham to make improvements in communities across the city. This past May, the city released a resolution that committed itself to improving residents’ physical activity levels by creating walkable neighborhoods.

LHSA WHEEL B4As one of the program's key focus areas, Live HealthSmart Alabama works to make good health simple by improving the built environment in areas such as East Lake, Bush Hills, Kingston, Titusville, and others.

In the resolution, the city commits itself to supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Active People, Healthy Nation program which aims to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027.

Lack of physical activity is an issue for many individuals and communities here in Birmingham and across the nation. According to the CDC, regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of at least 20 chronic diseases and conditions including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Regular physical activity has also been shown to improve mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. With regular physical activity, people tend to live longer, happier lives.

While physical activity has many benefits, there are people who face barriers that bar them from getting the exercise they need. Live HealthSmart Alabama and its friends—such as people from The Market at Pepper Place (pictured)—have long been working to address these issues.LHSA Birmingham City CouncilPictured left to right: Teresa Shufflebarger, LHSA Chief Administrative Officer; Councilor Darrell O’Quinn; and Leigh Sloss-Corra, Executive Director of The Market at Pepper Place at Active People, Healthy Nation resolution signing

The resolution states that the city of Birmingham recognizes “the importance of physical activity for all citizens regardless of age, race, income, socio-economic and disability status, and geographic location.”

Beyond recognizing the importance of exercise, the resolution speaks to the need for walkable communities that enhance traffic safety for people who walk, ride bicycles, and drive—something that Live HealthSmart Alabama works to address in each of its revitalization areas.

With proper built environment improvements, residents have greater access to and opportunities for physical activity. The city’s commitment to creating walkable communities could make a substantial difference in the lives of Birmingham residents, specifically those who do not currently have access to safe places.

The city’s decision to commit itself to improving the health and well-being of its residents is a wonderful step in the direction of increasing health equity in Birmingham. Such a resolution is a major win for programs like Live HealthSmart Alabama who has dedicated its mission to implementing policy, system, and built environment changes that remove barriers to making healthy choices.

Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion spotlights LHSA

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion spotlights a strong movement for change, Live HealthSmart Alabama.

Congratulations to the inaugural group of Designated Partners

Since winning the UAB Grand Challenge in 2019, Live HealthSmart Alabama has developed a comprehensive plan to improve health outcomes in Alabama.

Greater Birmingham Ministries and Live HealthSmart Alabama team up for an awesome autumnal Mobile Market stop

A recap of the event, at which shoppers could buy reasonably priced fresh vegetables, dairy products, and pantry essentials with the help of a stipend.