I write with the sad news that Dr. Patty Goode (Culpepper) died last Monday evening in our UAB Palliative Care Unit. Many of us knew Patty well during her long and distinguished career at UAB. She retired in 2019 as UAB’s Gwen McWhorter Professor of Geriatric Medicine and the Director of the Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center. 

Patty started her healthcare career as a nurse, and then received her M.D. from the UAB School of Medicine in 1986. She completed an Internal Medicine residency and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at UAB. Indeed, the Geriatric fellowship was initiated at UAB because Patty wanted to train here.

She joined the UAB faculty in 1991 and was an important member and contributor to the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care and the Department of Medicine for three decades. Patty co-founded the UAB Continence Clinic and became its first Medical Director. She was instrumental in the Continence Clinic and the Urogynecology Care Clinic, being selected as the first National Association for Continence Center of Excellence: Continence Care. Patty’s outstanding patient care was also recognized with a National Association for Continence Continence Care Champion Award.

In addition to being an amazing clinician, Patty was an exemplary teacher and physician-investigator. She received several Department of Medicine Outstanding Division Teacher (Geriatric Medicine) Awards and published over 140 manuscripts. Her work in JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, and other leading journals advanced prevention and treatment of urinary incontinence and improved the quality of life of thousands of women. She was honored with numerous awards, including the Department of Medicine Max Cooper Award for Excellence in Research for 2001.

Patty led prominent programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as at UAB.  She served as Director of the Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) for five years until her retirement in 2019. From 2000-2014, she served as the GRECC Associate Director for Clinical Programs.

Most importantly to all who knew Patty, she was esteemed as a colleague and loved as a friend. She enjoyed spending time with friends and family at the lake, and she loved a good sunset. All of us who knew Patty will miss her dearly.