Daniel I. Chu, M.D., MSPH, FASCRS, director of the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., FACS, Endowed Chair, has been recognized by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCF) as this year’s Healthcare Honored Hero for the 2026 Alabama/Northwest Florida Take Steps Walk.
The designation honors healthcare professionals who demonstrate sustained commitment to patient care and advocacy for individuals and families affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Chu has been involved with the CCF's Alabama/Northwest Florida Chapter since arriving in Birmingham in 2014 and served as chair of the board from 2022 to 2026, connecting UAB's clinical and research efforts within the broader IBD community across the state.
UAB Impact on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care
The recognition highlights a long-standing collaboration between UAB and the CCF that has helped shape how inflammatory bowel disease is treated and studied in Alabama. UAB’s Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program is the only one of its kind in the state, bringing together colorectal surgeons, gastroenterologists, and nurse practitioners to care for patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
“This recognition belongs to our entire team at UAB and the patients and families who drive this work forward every day,” Chu said. “Our goal has always been to make sure that patients in Alabama have access to the best possible IBD care. The CCF has been a critical partner in making that happen.”
The UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery has participated in the CCF’s annual Take Steps Walk in Birmingham for many years, supporting fundraising and patient-outreach efforts in Alabama.
The partnership between UAB and the CCF extends beyond local outreach. In 2023, the CCF received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund a five-year project with UAB to identify barriers to IBD diagnosis and improve care for all patients. Chu serves as a co-principal investigator with Jennifer Pollock, Ph.D., and Laura Wingate on the study, which also includes community education programs developed in collaboration with Birmingham-based organizations.
About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Founded in 1967, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on research and patient support for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with a mission to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The CCF has invested more than $500 million in IBD research to date and has played a role in every major scientific breakthrough in the field, including supporting the discovery of every IBD drug and biologic brought to market in the last decade. It currently funds nearly 300 active research projects, serves more than 1.2 million patients annually, and operates more than 30 chapters nationwide.