By Pareasa Rahimi
Alabama's rural families face some of the highest maternal and infant health risks in the nation, and they experience significantly higher rates of maternal and infant mortality than anywhere else in the state. Limited access to care, workforce shortages and transportation barriers leave too many families without the health care services they need.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing is committed to caring for Alabama's most vulnerable families through its new nurse-led Moms and Kids Mobile Health Clinic. This RV-based traveling care team is removing barriers to care and improving access by taking women’s, infant’s and children’s care into communities where patients need them most. At the same time, the School is proving once again it is the premier School in the state for shaping the future of nursing through its deep-rooted, long-standing commitment to workforce development through clinical training opportunities for students on the Moms and Kids Mobile Health Clinic.
This initiative, led by UAB School of Nursing Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical and Global Partnerships Michele Talley, PhD, CRNP, ACNP‐BC, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN (MSN 2005, PhD 2015), and supported by a three-year grant from the UAB Strategic Investment Fund, expands access to maternal care—including prenatal, pregnancy and postpartum services—care for infants and children, and behavioral health services for families.
“We want to decrease the distance women and children have to travel to receive health care,” Talley said. “We know that healthy moms have healthy babies, and we’re committed to providing and facilitating access to care for those who might not otherwise have it. With many rural hospitals closing their labor and delivery units, women are driving farther to give birth, which has led to an increase in unplanned out-of-hospital births, posing serious risks to both mother and baby. And, in many of our counties the number of primary care providers is much lower than the demands for their services for wellness checks and other care for children. These situations are not only dangerous for patients, often resulting in longer hospital stays, more complex care needs or delays in care, but they also place added strain on the health care system. We want to change that.”
The mobile health clinic is staffed by a full-time pediatric nurse practitioner, nurse and nurse informatician, who is supporting electronic health record management and facilitating communication with rural hospitals, physicians and other providers who receive patient referrals from the mobile clinic, helping ensure consistent care for all patients across providers.
A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) and social worker provided by the School’s Nurse-Family Partnership of Greater Alabama are also part of the care team. Further, plans are underway to add a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to the team.
Talley said referrals from community physicians, rural hospital and others play a crucial role in expanding the outreach of the mobile clinic and identifying and connecting patients who might benefit from the mobile health clinic’s services. In addition to the School’s Nurse-Family Partnership® of Greater Alabama, the initiative is collaborating with community partners, including health departments such as the Alabama Department of Public Health, private practices, as well as community-based and UAB-affiliated hospitals to reach as many patients as possible.
“Our goal is not to take patients away from their home county or hometown provider, but to be a resource for patients and our health care colleagues to help all Alabamians receive quality health care, especially our vulnerable rural communities,” Talley said. “As nurses, we have a calling for helping people, and the School’s mission, vision and strategic priorities support that. It’s important to reach out to those who need us most and provide that help in the best way we can, which is working through partnerships and leveraging the resources available to us at UAB to impact and improve the health of everyone in the state.”
The mobile health clinic initially served seven counties—Perry, Marengo, Monroe, Wilcox, Clarke, Choctaw and Washington. It has since expanded, now reaching Cullman, Blount, Etowah and St. Clair counties. In August 2025, the mobile health clinic saw its first patients—children attending Head Start Programs in Marengo, Wilcox and Choctaw counties, operated by the Black Belt Community FoundationOpens an external link.—providing physical exams as well as vision and hearing screenings necessary for enrollment in these Head Start programs. As of February 2026, the team has seen more than 121 patients and annual expansions are planned, with the final phase extending service to Cherokee, Calhoun, Talladega, Cleburne, Clay and Randolph counties. This phased growth will ultimately bring new health care services to all 17 counties.
Beyond clinical care, the initiative also is offering intra- and interprofessional training opportunities for students across all nursing programs. Pediatric nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students participate in providing patient care under the guidance of the mobile health clinic’s nurse practitioner and nurse-midwife. Bachelor of Science in Nursing students gain hands-on educational experience by working in the mobile clinic, while Doctor of Nursing Practice students focus on quality improvement initiatives.
“This initiative helps us strengthen maternal and infant and child health outcomes across Alabama, fulfilling the missions of both the School of Nursing and University,” said Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair Maria R. Shirey, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FACHE, FNAP, FAAN. “It allows us to meet the needs of mothers, babies and children in our communities while providing exceptional learning opportunities for our health care workforce, including first-degree nursing, nurse practitioner and doctoral nursing students.”
UAB School of Nursing faculty and staff also serve on the leadership team managing the mobile health clinic. Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Clinical and Community Programs Christian Ketel, DNP, RN, FNAP; Professor and Associate Dean for Access and Engagement Felesia Bowen, PhD, DNP, RN, FAAN; Assistant Professor Deborah Bowers, DNP, DMin, MDiv, CRNP, FNP‐C (BSN 1985, MSN 2013, DNP 2017); Assistant Professor Tonya Judson, DNP, RN, NI‐BC, CNE (BSN 1997, MSN 2017, DNP 2021); Instructor and Assistant Dean for Evaluation Kevin Keane, PhD, MA, CHES; Instructor Anne Thompson, MHA, and Executive Director Strategic Marketing and Communications Jennifer Lollar have helped develop the maternal and child health model of care provided by the mobile health clinic, and will continue to help plan staffing and educational experiences, and ensure care quality for all patients seen by the mobile clinic providers.
The mobile clinic also falls under the School’s Women and Children Health Initiative (WACHI) umbrella, which encompasses all the School’s maternal and child health focused work across its teaching, research and practice missions. WACHI’s vision is to assure a future where women and children in Alabama are not only healthy but are thriving and achieving their highest potential.
“Increasing access to maternal-child health care in Alabama is central to the WACHI mission and it is crucial we continue this important work around the state,” said Allison Shorten, PhD, RN, FACM, FNAP, FAAN, Professor, Executive Director of the School’s Women and Children Health Initiative (WACHI), and Senior Associate Dean for Professional Development and Faculty Affairs. “The Moms and Kids Mobile Health Clinic will provide important opportunities for community outreach and building connections with services that make a difference in maternal and infant health outcomes.”
WACHI encompasses all the School’s maternal and child health focused work across its teaching, research and practice missions. This includes the Nurse-Family Partnership of Greater Alabama, MSN Nurse-Midwifery Pathway, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Specialty Tracks and the Graduate Nursing Education Primary Care Scholars; the School’s nurse-led clinic at Wellhouse that provides health care to women who are escaping human trafficking and the School’s women’s health faculty practice at Cooper Green Mercy Health Services; a partnership with Birmingham charter school I3 Academy, which provides regular vision and hearing screenings and health assessments for students, along with health education events for families; and an initiative with Birmingham’s Titusville community, Booker T. Washington K-8 School and Sixth Avenue Baptist Church to reduce childhood obesity and its associated poor health outcomes in the Birmingham area, and a partnership with Birmingham City Schools, Pathway to Professional Nursing, housed at Huffman High School that is designed to increase adolescents’ exposure to the nursing profession.
Learn more at the Moms and Kids Mobile Health Clinic website.