On March 12, 1947, officials broke ground in the medical center for a new building to house the Jefferson County Public Health Department (JCPHD). Participants included County Commissioner James W. Morgan (second from left), Alabama Governor James E. Folsom Sr. (fifth from left); State Health Officer D.J. Gill, M.D. (sixth from left) and George A. Denison, M.D. (seventh from left). JCPHD Chair Alfred A Walker, M.D., operated the steam shovel.
When the building opened in 1948, the health department was able to vacate space in the Jefferson-Hillman Hospital; the space was needed for the growing medical school and new dental school.
Now known as the Jefferson County Department of Health, the organization is working alongside UAB, the Alabama Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control to monitor closely the ongoing situation surrounding novel coronavirus COVID-19; check for updates on uab.edu/coronavirus.