Selwyn Vickers, MD, the new CEO of Birmingham, Ala.-based UAB Health System, is inspired by the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he said in an op-ed for al.com on Jan. 9
Dr. Vickers assumed his role as CEO of UAB Health and UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance on Jan. 1. He took over for Will Ferniany, PhD, and will continue to serve as dean of UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
Dr. Vickers wrote that he looks to the themes appearing in King's letter from Birmingham jail when considering the vision for the health system. By creating lasting equity in healthcare access, disease prevention and health outcomes, Dr. Vickers said he plans to make Alabama and Birmingham a region that exceeds expectations.
He looks at the stories of justice, mercy and compassion buried in the region's dark history and remembers that they have helped guide the state forward.
"We must remember that our history allows us to heal and informs us, but does not define us," he wrote in the op-ed.