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Karen Culverhouse, physical therapist assistant, answers questions about her job and experience with UAB Medicine.

Alex Posey, OTR/L, CSRS, occupational therapist, answers questions about her job and experience with UAB Medicine.

UAB Medicine employees Corey and Jenny Agricola met on the job and became friends, which led to marriage and starting a family. That sounds like a straightforward series of events, but as with any story involving great adversity, the drama is in the details. Their experiences gave the couple a unique perspective on their work and how they serve patients.

Topgun, a male Golden Retriever who is trained and certified as a facility dog, recently joined the staff at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center (Spain Rehab). He’s now there each day assisting his partner and best friend, Recreational Therapist Emily Rider, in helping patients in their recovery and in therapy sessions. In the Q&A session below, Topgun – with a little help from Emily – shares some experiences and explains his new role as a facility dog.

With help from her care team at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center, Christy Moore is recovering from a traumatic brain injury caused by a gunshot wound. Despite it turning her life upside down, this senior at Central High School in Phenix City, Ala., approaches her recovery with a positive attitude.

Each year, UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) selects a patient for the Ambassador of Hope Award. This special honor goes to a person with a physical disability whose courage and determination inspire hope in others facing similar challenges.

Each year, UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) selects a patient for the Ambassador of Hope Award. This special honor goes to a disabled individual whose courage and determination inspire hope in others facing the challenges of disability. Jay Fassbender is the 2021 recipient of the award. His story concerns his struggle with the rapid onset of a rare muscular condition.

Whitney Price, M.S., CCC-SLP, speech pathologist answers questions about her job and experience with UAB Medicine.

People who’ve had a stroke often need physical therapy as part of their recovery. Though most are age 65 or older, high-intensity gait training can be the fastest way for these patients to regain their ability to walk.

While Halloween offers fun-filled activities for families, it also raises significant safety concerns, especially related to traumatic brain injuries among trick-or-treaters.

As patients walk through the halls in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Spain Rehabilitation Center, they may encounter UAB’s newest canine colleague — a 2-year-old golden retriever named Topgun. Topgun is UAB’s first facility dog. He joined the SRC team in May and has already become a favorite among UAB Medicine patients and employees.

Spina bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect that is associated with life. Each year, approximately 1,400 babies born in the United States have spina bifida, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spina bifida, usually apparent at birth, is a type of neural tube defect in which the neural tube does not completely close during development in the womb, resulting in damage to the spinal cord and nerves.