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UAB Briefs: Vision for the Black Belt, blood drive, research awards

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

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 ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, Gov. Ivey’s “Safer at Home” state order remains in effect and restricts visitors in state hospitals. UAB Hospital and UAB Medicine clinics have implemented and must enforce these visitation guidelines.

For information regarding how to plan your in-person UAB Medicine hospital or clinic visit, click here.

To see the current UAB visitor policy and FAQs for patients click here.

To read other UAB COVID-19 updates or find health information, go to uab.edu/coronavirus.

Let us know about people, events and programs on campus that deserve a mention in UAB Briefs. Email jchambers@starnespublishing.com.

HELP FOR THE BLACK BELT

In 2002, the doctors, vision scientists and students in the UAB School of Optometry began treating patients in Alabama’s Black Belt.

Since then, they have seen more than 13,000 patients in this underserved area of the state, according to UAB Media Relations.

“The Black Belt Adult Eye Care Clinic project has been instrumental in reducing the number of patients suffering loss of vision due to various eye diseases,” said Mary Jean Sanspree, former director and associate scientist of education and research in Vision Science Research at UAB.

The program had provided care for about 10,000 patients by 2007 when the initial grant funding for the program ended.

Community Eye Care — the outreach arm of the School of Optometry — continued the work in combination with the Vision Science Research Center and grant assistance from the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama until 2012. 

Currently, small grants and donations support the program. 

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Black Belt Adult Eye Care Clinics occurred one Saturday, eight months out of the year. 

The UAB team works with local health departments, churches and outreach centers to identify the locations in need of vision and eye care. 

UAB instructors, as well as 16-18 interns and a half-dozen volunteers, take part in the outreach events.

The Black Belt testing sites are chosen “to meet the needs of communities,” said Shirley Wilson, Black Belt Adult Eye Care clinic project coordinator, in a news release. “Many times, in the rural community, vision services are limited, and elderly patients have a difficult time getting to appointments.” 

‘URGENT NEED’ CONTINUES

Officials say there is currently a severe blood shortage in the United States, and people are encouraged to donate.

That’s the message from Dr. Marisa Marques, director of Transfusion Services at UAB.

“There is an urgent need for blood products so that hospitals have suitable reserves for those patients who need a blood transfusion, such as those with cancer, sickle cell disease, undergoing emergency surgery, trauma victims or postpartum women,” Marques said in a recent UAB news release.

Due to the social distancing necessitated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many people have curtailed their normal activities, including blood donation. 

However, officials say it’s safe to donate during the pandemic due to the safety protocols implemented by blood collection agencies.

To find a blood drive or fixed donation location, go to the websites of the American Red Cross or LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.  

THE NEXT GENERATION

Students from UAB continue to help advance research opportunities for the state of Alabama through the Graduate Research Scholars Program at Alabama EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.)

Six UAB graduate students recently received Graduate Research Scholars Program awards worth a total of almost $144,000 for the upcoming fall semester.

The UAB graduate student awardees are as follows:

The Graduate Research Scholars Program is designed to strengthen and enhance the research capacity of Alabama EPSCoR institutions by providing graduate student support for students performing federally funded EPSCoR research — totaling about $16 million a year to Alabama.

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