MINUTES OF THE ROTARY MEETING
April 1, 2021
By Dr. Leona O. Rowan
Call to Order : The meeting was called to order by Claire McCarron, President of the Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:15 p.m.
Invocation : Cart Blackwell gave the invocation.
Pledge and Welcome: Tommy Blankenship led the members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed members’ guests.
Student Guest: William Latta introduced the representative from Theodore High School and student of the week, Eva Burch. Eva spoke of her own experience with service to others as an Azalea Trail maid.
Announcements: Claire announced there will be a happy hour on Tuesday, April 6th at El Papi. Also, she reminded all members to submit any changes to roster info to Peggy Buggs. This includes an updated photo or changes in contact information.
Program: Virginia Guy introduced the guest speaker, Mr. Owen Bailey, Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate Vice-President for Medical Affairs at USA Health. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Auburn University and a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Alabama Birmingham.
Owen began his presentation by displaying the motto of USA Health which is: “We help people lead longer, better lives.” He went on to explain that USA Health is the only academic health system in our region AND it is the only Level 1 trauma center in our area. Its trauma center ranks in the top 10% for number of patients with positive outcomes. In recent years, USA Health has seen explosive growth which has positively impacted healthcare and economic expansion. The system includes USA College of Medicine, University Hospital, Children and Women’s Hospital, the Mitchell Cancer Institute, as well as physician services.
USA Health currently employs 4,500 full-time and part-time employees, making it one of the largest employers in the area. Three hundred medical students are currently enrolled in the College of Medicine and there are 240 residents and fellows. Owen noted that approximately one-third of doctors in the Mobile area received their training at USA Health. During March of 2021, a midtown Mobile clinic opened, and plans are underway for the Mapp Family healthcare facility in Baldwin County. To address the Covid-19 pandemic, USA Health partnered with the City of Mobile to provide vaccinations at the city auditorium and with the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce to provide vaccinations at area businesses. Similarly, an outreach program offered vaccines in nine different locations throughout the community.
After questions from the floor were answered, Claire thanked Owen for speaking to our club and presented him a certificate noting that a donation has been made in his honor to the “Reach Out and Read” literacy initiative.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment: Claire announced member birthdays and reminded everyone the meeting next week will include guest speaker, Mike Lee, President and CEO of Page and Jones, Inc. She adjourned the meeting at approximately 1:00 p.m.