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 A new 25-bed skilled nursing facility for patients with COVID-19 will open in Hoover early this month. The special unit is designed to isolate nursing home residents who test positive and are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, while providing the appropriate level of skilled nursing care that these patients require. Kellie Flood, MD (Associate Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) has worked with UAB Medicine leaders, the Jefferson County Commission, and NHS Management to bring this vital community health effort to fruition. Kudos to all involved on advancing an innovative new model to care for this vulnerable population! Read more here.

It's been over three months since we first limited business operations at UAB. And while we may be growing tired of COVID-19, the virus itself is still going strong. Case counts across the state are rising, and we must remain vigilant against its spread—especially as we re-enter the campus environment. According to a recent article in The Lancet, masking reduces the risk of virus transmission by 85 percent, so DOM leaders are #UABUnited in support of our masking policies. We urge you to join the cause for safety's sake. Let's do this. Together. #UABUnited

Last spring, controversy swept across the country when the National Board of Medical Examiners changed outcomes reporting on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 exam from three-digit scores to simply pass or fail. This week, Dr. Craig Hoesley (SOM Sr. Associate Dean for Medical Education) and Dr. Lisa Willett (DOM Vice Chair for Education and IM Residency Program Director) teamed up to present the issue from both undergraduate and graduate medical education perspectives, as well as providing an update of COVID-19's impact on the medical training environment at UAB. If you missed the discussion, you can view the recorded session online. You can also find Dr. Willett's perspective article in the latest issue of the NEJM.

We are delighted to welcome our new Chief Medical Residents: Drs. Steven Allon, Sean Carter, Seema Kumar, and Kevin Schwalbach. These four physicians have been selected for their exceptional clinical and leadership skills and will rotate through key assignments with administration, Birmingham VA, teaching, and clinical service precepting. We look forward to working with each of you this year!

by John I. Kennedy, Jr., MD, DOM Senior Advisor & Director for Wellness
We have a disease. It is highly contagious. Although it has afflicted millions of people, we still do not fully understand how it is spread. The severity of the illness is highly variable, as are the specific symptoms and duration of acute episodes. It can produce irreparable injury, and sometimes it leads to death. In its sinister nature, it has the capacity to mimic Salmonella typhi or Mycobacterium tuberculosis, hiding quietly in the primary host while leaping out to inhabit others, creating outbreaks and terror among the people. Read more here.