special to the star



LIVINGSTON, Ala. – In ceremonies today at the University of West Alabama, officials announced a generous commitment from Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation earmarked for the University’s Ira D. Pruitt Division of Nursing and the Alabama Medical Education Consortium.

The announcement is one of the 174-year-old institution’s largest ever contributions. Executives from Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation, including Division President David Miller, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Barbara Paul, and Director of Nursing Education Kay Anderson, were on hand to announce the mutually beneficial educational partnership impacting not only UWA’s nursing and pre-medicine students, but also our state and regional health care systems.

The university’s nursing division, which has graduated over 1,000 nursing students since its first class in 1976, has maintained continuing accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission for three decades. The program also boasts NCLEX board examination passage rates that near 100 percent each year.

Established at UWA in 2005, the Alabama Medical Education Consortium is a medical education pipeline providing primary care physicians to Alabama’s underserved small towns, rural communities and inner cities. The pipeline includes recruiting students, admitting them to one of nine collaborating osteopathic medical schools, and facilitating their admission and completion of a primary care residency program.

“The University We Will Be” campaign is an ongoing initiative to raise $15 million in gifts and pledges by 2011 for the University of West Alabama. These funds will improve campus facilities, provide scholarships, enhance the campus learning environment, support the faculty and fund community outreach projects.

For more information about Wednesday’s announcement, contact Meaghan Gordon, public relations director, at (205) 652-3892 or mgordon@uwa.edu.