USA Health hospitals earn Leapfrog’s Full Transparency Badge

MOBILE, Alabama (July 30, 2026) — All three USA Health hospitals have earned The Leapfrog Group’s 2026 Full Transparency Badge, recognizing their commitment to publicly report information about patient safety and quality through the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The new badge, introduced by Leapfrog in May, was awarded...

Thomas Hospital opens new medical wing in Fairhope

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - Thomas Hospital opened a new medical wing Tuesday, drawing community leaders from across Baldwin County to a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the hospital campus. Construction on the four-story tower began in January 2025 at a cost of $40 million and was completed one month ahead of schedule....

Thomas Hospital opens new wing

The new wing adds 25 medical surgical beds and an expanded Cath Lab expected to be finished in 2027. The expansion also includes a rooftop helipad and a multi-tier parking garage.

School’s in! Advocacy group urges Alabama parents to study up on measles vaccinations

School is getting underway this week in the city of Birmingham as well as Mobile, Baldwin, and Montgomery Counties. Healthcare providers say measles shots should be on the list of things to do along with books, pencils, and erasers. The Alabama Department of Public Health says the state is doing well with ninety five percent of school students up to date with their vaccinations. Doctor Giridhar Mallya is with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He says parents should double check if they have concerns over the vaccine.

Gulf Coast Spotlight: Baldwin Health Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Centers

Baldwin Health Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Centers.

New billboard seeks leads in Mobile County psychiatric hospital cold case

MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — A new push is underway to solve an old case after Diana Avera disappeared more than four decades ago. What happened to her is still a mystery. Along the west I-65 service road, just before Moffett Road, stands the first billboard ever put up for Avera, who disappeared from Searcy […]

USA Health Providence Hospital named among Alabama’s top hospitals by Forbes

MOBILE, Alabama (7/29/2026) – USA Health Providence Hospital has been recognized on Forbes’ inaugural Top Hospitals by State list, earning a place among Alabama’s highest-performing hospitals based on nationally reported measures of quality and patient care. The recognition highlights hospitals that demonstrate excellence in patient outcomes, best practices, value and patient experience.

Mobile orthopedic practice location cancels Monday appointments after fire call

Video above: ‘News 5 Now’ — Top Stories from July 27, 2026 MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A Mobile orthopedic office is closed for the remainder of the day Monday after firefighters were called to the location. According to a Facebook post from The Orthopedic Group, all appointments at their Airport Boulevard location have been cancelled […]

Franklin Primary Health Center Welcomes Dr. Jay Colbert, Jr. to the Franklin Medical Mall

Mobile, Alabama – Franklin Primary Health Center (FPHC) is proud to announce the addition of Family Medicine Physician Dr. Jay R. Colbert, Jr., DO, to its care team at the Franklin Medical Mall, located at 1303 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Mobile. Dr. Colbert is a board-certified...

Infirmary Health Completes Alabama-First EVOQUE TTVR

Cardiologist Dr. Mina Jacob and Mobile Infirmary’s structural heart team successfully completed Infirmary Health’s first EVOQUE Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR), making Mobile Infirmary the first hospital in Alabama to offer this procedure for patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation. Tricuspid regurgitation occurs when the tricuspid valve does not close properly, allowing blood to flow backward through the heart. It can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs and abdomen, and a reduced quality of life. Treatment options have historically been limited, particularly for patients who are not candidates for open-heart surgery. The procedure was performed by a multidisciplinary team including anesthesiologist Dr. Jordan Friel, echocardiography specialists, catheterization lab staff and cardiovascular support personnel with the Infirmary Health Heart & Vascular Institute. Unlike traditional surgical valve replacement, the EVOQUE system is delivered via a minimally invasive catheter-based approach, allowing physicians to replace the diseased valve without open-heart surgery.

Baldwin Health CEO Named To Top Hospital Leadership List

Baldwin Health CEO Margaret Roley has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the nation’s "236 Women Hospital and Health System Presidents and CEOs to Know" for 2026. “Since joining Baldwin Health in 2006 and serving as CEO since 2022, Roley has led the organization with a vision centered on exceptional patient care, quality, innovation and expanding access to healthcare throughout Baldwin County,” Baldwin Health said. “Under her leadership, Baldwin Health has invested more than $200 million to enhance healthcare services while growing to serve more than 409,000 patient encounters annually across hospital, physician practices, emergency departments and outpatient locations.”

USA Health to host free community resource fair on Tuesday, July 28

MOBILE, Alabama (7/20/2026) – USA Health is offering education and support to families of children with autism and other disabilities on Tuesday, July 28 focusing on community resources from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Strada Patient Care Center in the first-floor lobby. The event will also...

Buy-Rite Pharmacy mourns longtime delivery driver Rufus Watson, remembered by Atmore community

Buy-Rite Pharmacy Delivery Driver Rufus Watson never met a stranger, and he’ll be remembered by many. Watson, 65, passed away on Sun., July 19, 2026. Watson delivered durable medical equipment (DME) for more than 36 years. He delivered for Greenlawn Health, Greenlawn Pharmacy/DME and most recently for Buy-Rite. Buy-Rite...

Franklin Primary Health Center Adds Colbert

Franklin Primary Health Center has announced the addition of Family Medicine Physician Dr. Jay R. Colbert, Jr. to its care team at the Franklin Medical Mall at 1303 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Mobile. Colbert is a board-certified family medicine physician with nearly 20 years of experience. He has held several clinical leadership roles, including medical director, chief of staff and chief medical officer (CMO). At Franklin, he will also serve as assistant CMO. Colbert earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his family practice residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Horizon Hospital in Farrell, Pennsylvania.

ECU Health out of network with United Healthcare

USA Health adds pulmonary and critical care physician Usha Yendrapalli, M.D.

MOBILE, Alabama (7/14/2026) –USA Health, the academic health system for the University of South Alabama, recently welcomed Usha Yendrapalli, M.D., to its team of pulmonary and critical care physicians. Yendrapalli joins USA Health after completing a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of South Alabama....

Franklin Primary Health Center Welcomes Dr. Jay Colbert, Jr. to the Franklin Medical Mall

Mobile, Alabama – Franklin Primary Health Center (FPHC) is proud to announce the addition of Family Medicine Physician Dr. Jay R. Colbert, Jr., DO, to its care team at the Franklin Medical Mall, located at 1303 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Mobile. Dr. Colbert is a board-certified...

Benjamin Estrada tapped to lead USA Health pediatrics

Nationally recognized pediatric infectious diseases physician Benjamin Estrada, M.D., FAAP, FPIDS, who has worked in a variety of clinical and leadership roles at the University of South Alabama, and its academic health system, USA Health, has been named chair of the Department of Pediatrics following a national search. At USA,...