At Special Care Unit (SCU), our medical professionals all share a common goal: to safely and quickly send patients home while lowering readmission rates.
Like registered nurse Tamika Moody, who has been with SCU at UAB Medicine for more than five years. As a care manager, Tamika takes pride in giving her patients the extra support they need to recuperate and get back to their families as quickly as possible.
“We take care of patients who would otherwise be in limbo, who need an extra push and special attention to get home sooner after being on a vent,” Tamika said. “We’re much like a hybrid ICU step-down-slash-intensive rehab, with a higher staff-to-patient ratio.”
A nurse for 18 years, Tamika has experience in a range of unique care settings including trauma and burn ICU. According to her, being a care manager is similar to “air traffic control” because she coordinates between the patient, their families, the hospital, and her team, all while ensuring her patients have the speediest recovery.
“I’m not afraid to intervene and get patients what they need sooner for better results. I enjoy helping break down barriers that traditional discharge planners and care coordinators may have down the line.”
“SCU is different all around because we work as a team versus different specialists rounding on their own time.”
Tamika has hands-on experience in all respective areas of the healthcare industry—from the marketing department to the ICU. Prior to working for SCU, Tamika held a position at Kirkland Clinic, and was also a nurse coordinator at an ENT office specializing in aerodigestive disorders. She later went on to be a marketing liaison for a rehabilitation facility.
Tamika earned her bachelor’s of science in registered nursing from the University of Alabama. Next year, she will complete her masters of business administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
