UA's University Medical Center expands with new clinic in Livingston

All of Sumter County will benefit from a new health care clinic that opened in late July, Livingston's mayor said.

“Any time you can offer more choices and places to receive medical services, it’s always a plus,” said Livingston Mayor Thomas Tartt.

University Medical Center-Livingston, operated by the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, opened July 25 at 711 North Washington St. The clinic offers primary health care services to people and families in Sumter County.

Tartt said Livingston is poised for growth over the next few years, with the city's population expected to increase and expansion planned at the University of West Alabama.

That means access to quality medical care will become even more vital, he said.

“We are very excited to have University Medical Center in our community to provide expanded health care opportunities in Livingston, for the university and for the entire county,” Tartt said.

UMC-Livingston is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. New patients are now being accepted and appointments can be scheduled by calling 205-348-4055.

In addition to the Livingston clinic, University Medical Center also has locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport, Demopolis, Fayette and Carrollton.

A news release from UA says that UMC is the largest multispecialty medical practice in West Alabama, with more than 150,000 annual patient visits.

Dr. Richard Friend, dean of UA's College of Community Health Sciences, said access to primary health care services is important, especially for rural communities in Alabama, where health care can sometimes be hard to find.

“Our mission at UMC is to help improve the health of individuals and communities in rural Alabama, and expanding access to care in Livingston, particularly in primary health care, is one way we are meeting that mission,” Friend said.

Livingston is about 60 miles southwest of the city of Tuscaloosa.

For more information about the new clinic, go to https://umc.ua.edu/umc-livingston.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: UA's University Medical Center expands with new clinic in Livingston