UAB Briefs: Honoring healthcare heroes, S&P rating, spoken word
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus at The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
We also provide updates regarding UAB’s efforts to cope with the COVID-19.
Let us know about people, events and programs on campus that deserve a mention in UAB Briefs. Email jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
And remember that the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Continue to follow all of the usual protocols and stay safe.
THANKING HEALTHCARE HEROE
About 10 hospitals in Central Alabama celebrated “Birmingham Healthcare Heroes Day” on Friday, March 19. To mark the occasion, more than 39,000 workers from those facilities were to wear matching T-shirts, according to UAB News.
The shirts, provided by the hospitals, highlight the commitment workers have shown to their patients and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the t-shirts, each hospital will continue to find other unique ways to thank their teams.
“All of the hospitals wanted to come together in solidarity to thank health care workers for going above and beyond in the past year to take care of patients, our communities and each other,” said Will Ferniany, CEO of UAB Health System.
Participating hospitals are as follows: Ascension St. Vincent’s, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Brookwood Baptist Health, Children’s of Alabama, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority, Grandview Medical Center, Medical West, UAB Medicine and Viva Health.
Thumbs up from S&P
During the COVID-19 pandemic, S&P Global Ratings — due to the financial threats and uncertainties the pandemic caused — widely lowered the outlook for colleges and universities.
However, on March 17, S&P revised its outlook for the UAB bond rating from stable to positive and affirmed its ‘AA’ long-term rating on general revenue bonds issued for UAB by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System, according to UAB News.
A higher credit rating and outlook are overall indicators of UAB’s financial position and improve the institution’s ability to borrow money at a lower cost and to sell bonds.
In making its decision, S&P cited such positive factors as increases in enrollment and employment, as well as UAB’s strategic plan, Forging the Future.
The ratings agency also cited the school’s ability to safely navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
UAB President Ray Watts said the university “made hard decisions” early in the pandemic after cancelling in-person classes and canceling elective medical procedures due to safety reasons. These decisions included furloughs, reductions in compensation, a hiring freeze and the suspension of institutional matches to retirement plans.
Art put in words
The UAB Department of English and the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts will present a virtual spoken word event on Tuesday, March 30, at 6 p.m., according to UAB News. The writing is inspired by the artwork in several exhibitions currently on display at AEIVA.
The third iteration of this "Inside the Arts Live" event will feature graduate and undergraduate students from the UAB English Creative Writing: Ekphrastic Poetry class.
Ekphrastic poetry is derived from the Greek word ekphrasis, meaning “description.” An ekphrastic poem is an imaginative, narrative or depictive reflection on the work of art.
AEIVA’s current exhibitions include “Shona McAndrew: Wednesday Night,” “Jordan Eagles: Can You Save Superman? II” and “Lucas Blalock in T-e-l-e-p-h-o-n-e,” as well as the 45th annual Juried Student Annual Exhibition.
Participants must register for the event online and will receive a link.