Two new faculty members have joined the UAB Medicine Office of Wellness, each as a part-time effort in the Professional Development Office. Ashley Hanson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, began her appointment with the Professional Development Office on Oct. 1, and Megan McMurray, Ph.D., assistant professor and psychologist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, began her appointment on Nov. 1.
Hanson has been a faculty member in the School of Medicine since 2016. She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama and received her Ph.D. from the same school in 2008.
McMurray received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of South Florida in 2017. She joined the School of Medicine as faculty member in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation the same year.
The Professional Development Office supports faculty, medical and graduate students and residents by providing a variety of services, including stress management, career coaching, anxiety management, and negotiating signs of burnout. When individuals meet with a member of the PDO team, they engage in a one-on-one conversation to help determine the best overall development plan. Individuals may return for additional sessions or be referred to resources in UAB, UAB Medicine, or in the community. These referrals include leadership development programs, coaching, or counseling. Additionally, assistance is provided in establishing a relationship with a primary care physician or behavioral specialists if needed.
Sandra Frazier, M.D., assistant dean of Professional Development and the founding director of the Professional Development Office, established the PDO and will retire later this year. The UAB Medicine Office of Wellness and the School of Medicine express their thanks and gratitude to Frazier for creating a robust and vital office, while building momentum for services to generate growth. Frazier was on the forefront of workplace well-being years ago, and has led a tremendous effort to ensure faculty, medical students, residents, and APPs are met with the appropriate resources.
As David A. Rogers, M.D., MPHE, chief wellness officer of UAB Medicine reflected, “We are excited to have Drs. Hanson and McMurray join us to expand services of the PDO. We remain enormously grateful to Dr. Sandra Frazier for her vision in creating and sustaining this office, and the dedicated service that she and Adrianne Raymond have provided over many years. They were truly pioneering in developing a program that focused on the wellness of others and have helped thousands of learners and faculty members. We are also grateful that Dr. Frazier has agreed to continue to work with us on a limited part time basis, even though she is retiring from UAB, to assure that we maintain the outstanding quality of this program even as we expand it.”