Navy Surgeon General visits University of Alabama in Birmingham

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Lewis Hunsaker, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs

May 8, 2010 - BIRMINGHAM, Ala (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy Surgeon General paid a visit to the University of Alabama Hospital (UAB), a Level I trauma center located in the Medical Center District on the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) campus on Birmingham's Southside May 6 during Navy Week Birmingham.

Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr. visited the 908-bed facility which is the state of Alabama's major tertiary care center to meet with hospital leadership and medical students to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Speaking with students from UAB School of Medicine Robinson covered topics ranging from why he joined the Navy to his passion for the medical field.

"Service in the Navy is like no other service I have ever done," he said.

The students were impressed by Robinson's speech, which, for some, showed them a different point of view.

"Vice Admiral Robinson helped give me a better perspective of military service since I'm not coming from a military family," said third-year School of Medicine student Rozalyn Love.

Robinson was able to tell the students about a military career and how rewarding it is.

"The Navy has been a wonderful ride of a lifetime and the future is bright in medicine," Robinson said. "It's about taking care of men and women just like you do here every day."

This outreach event was one of many scheduled for the Birmingham Navy Week, which in turn is one of 20 Navy weeks planned across the country in 2010.

Navy weeks are designed to educate Americans on the importance of naval service, understand the investment they make in their Navy and to increase awareness in cities which might not otherwise see the Navy at work on a regular basis.