UAB Surgeons Extend Specialty Care to the Gulf Coast through Infirmary Health Partnership
Four surgeons from the UAB Department of Surgery are now providing specialized surgical care to patients in Mobile and Baldwin counties through UAB’s partnership with Infirmary Health, which is based out of the Mobile, Alabama area. Katelin Holmes, D.O., Jillian McCabe, M.D. R.D., James Sahawneh, M.D., and Udai Sibia, M.D., MBA, bring fellowship-trained expertise in a variety of fields, including diseases of the breast, skin and soft tissues, and the entire gastrointestinal tract, to Infirmary Health facilities, extending UAB’s reach throughout southern Alabama.
Close-up of the “UAB University Hospital North Pavilion” sign, which also shows the direction for Emergency, Lobby Entrance, and Kirklin Clinic” in front of the North Pavilion of UAB Hospital, April 2020.The UAB-Infirmary Health partnership, established in 2018, aims to deliver comprehensive specialty care to patients in while allowing them to remain close to home. Through this collaboration, patients in southern Alabama, southeast Mississippi, and the Florida panhandle now have access to UAB-trained physicians, clinical trials, and all of the resources of the UAB O’Neal Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country.
“Access to subspecialty surgical care should not depend on proximity to a single city. Our faculty on the Gulf Coast are not simply extending our reach; they are ensuring that patients in southern Alabama have the same access to clinical trials and comprehensive cancer care that patients receive at our campus in Birmingham,” said Fay Fletcher Kerner Endowed Chair of the UAB Department of Surgery Herbert Chen, M.D.
Care Close to Home
For the faculty in South Alabama, the partnership’s impact is measured in the miles their patients no longer have to traverse. Traveling for healthcare is often cited as a major barrier to medical access and can significantly affect a patient’s time, finances, and emotional well-being.
“As someone who grew up in a small, rural area, I know the importance of having quality cancer care close to home, and have personally seen so many people face challenges when medical care isn’t available in a community setting,” said Holmes, a board-certified breast surgical oncologist, who practices with the Infirmary Health UAB Alliance in Fairhope. “Allowing women to have state of the art care regardless of where they live in Alabama, whether it is through clinical trials or complex reconstruction, is something I am passionate about.”
Sibia, who joined UAB in November 2024 and practices in Baldwin County, was drawn to the role specifically because of UAB’s presence in the region. “I wanted to offer my patients high-quality surgical oncology care as part of both an accessible and integrated network, and being part of the UAB family allows me to do that,” he said. “Bringing academic level surgical care to our community has been a very rewarding experience.”
Connecting Patients to Research and Clinical Trials
The connection to UAB’s research infrastructure has also reshaped what is possible for patients in the region. More than 30 clinical trials are now available locally at Infirmary Health, providing access to novel therapies that would otherwise require travel to a major academic center. Imaging and tests move with patients between Infirmary Health and UAB, preventing delays in management for those with the most complex conditions.
For McCabe, the open dialogue across the state is central to the partnership’s value. “This relationship allows for open dialogue with other cancer specialists across the state to form comprehensive cancer plans for our patients,” she said. “It also makes for smoother transitions of care for patients who do have to travel for even more specialized care, such as those going on a clinical trial.”
“I find it particularly helpful to be able to connect quickly with my colleagues at main campus for challenging cases and collaborate with them,” Holmes added. “Especially in scenarios where we can spare the patient from a long travel burden. It honors our goal of cancer care close to home.”
Pioneering Innovation on the Gulf Coast
The partnership has also positioned the Gulf Coast as a growing site for surgical innovation. In 2025, Holmes performed the country’s first FDA-approved laparoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy, pioneering a new era of minimally invasive mastectomy on the Gulf Coast.
“Like other aspects of general surgery, using laparoscopy and robotics to assist in operations not only make sense, but they offer many advantages,” Holmes said. “I personally cannot wait to bring robotic mastectomies to the Gulf Coast when that becomes available to patients.”
Meet the UAB Department of Surgery Faculty Now Practicing at Infirmary Health
Katelin Holmes, D.O.
Katelin Holmes, D.O., is a fellowship-trained, board-certified breast surgical oncologist serving as a clinical assistant professor in the UAB Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery. She practices with the Infirmary Health UAB Alliance in Fairhope, Alabama, where she treats a full range of breast diseases, both cancer and benign. Holmes received her medical degree with honors from the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she was a Sigma Sigma Phi Honors Graduated recipient of the Dean’s Award. She completed her general surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, with specialty rotations at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the West Clinic in Memphis. Holmes then pursued fellowship training in breast surgical oncology at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Holmes was recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons in 2023. Her clinical interests include hidden scar surgical techniques, oncoplastic breast surgery, nipple-sparing mastectomy, breast cancer survivorship, and high-risk screening.
Outside the operating room, Holmes and her family have embraced life on the Gulf Coast.
“Baldwin County has a small-town feel while offering the amenities of a larger city,” she said. “Whether that is watching the sunsets over Mobile Bay, spending a Saturday at the beach in Gulf Shores, or trying a new restaurant in Fairhope, it’s been a wonderful place to plant roots with young children.”
Jillian McCabe, M.D., R.D.
Jillian McCabe, M.D., R.D., joined the UAB Division of Surgical Oncology as a clinical assistant professor with her primary practice at the flagship Infirmary Health location in Mobile, Alabama. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where she also did her general surgery residency. She then completed a fellowship in general surgical oncology at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute. McCabe’s clinical interests include melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, liver metastases, and surgical education.
“What initially drew me to practice in this area were the wonderful surgical partners in this group,” McCabe said. “I highly value my colleagues and appreciate their collaborative nature that encourages a culture of support and growth.”
James Sahawneh, M.D.
James Sahawneh, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Surgery in September 2024 as a clinical assistant professor specializing in colorectal surgery. A Mobile Bay area native, he completed his medical degree at the University of South Alabama and earned a master’s degree in cell and molecular biology from Tulane University. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, followed by two fellowships at Orlando Health in minimally invasive advanced colorectal surgery and colon and rectal surgery. He is an active member of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons.
Udai Sibia, M.D., MBA
Udai Sibia, M.D., MBA, joined the UAB Department of Surgery as a clinical assistant professor in November 2024. He obtained his medical degree from Avalon University School of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland. He then completed a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. In addition to his medical training, Sibia earned his MBA from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University. He is board certified in complex general surgical oncology and general surgery by the American Board of Surgery and is an active member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, and the American College of Surgeons. His areas of clinical interest include pancreatic cancer, liver and bile duct cancers, stomach cancer, endocrine tumors, and skin cancers.
“I was initially attracted to this role because of the partnership with UAB, which is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Alabama,” Sibia said. “I wanted to offer my patients high-quality surgical oncology care as part of both an accessible and integrated network, and being part of the UAB family allows me to do that.”
As the partnership continues to grow, the four faculty members see the Gulf Coast as a region poised for further expansion. “I am excited for the day when even the most complex of conditions can be treated here in our community,” Sibia said.
About the UAB-Infirmary Health Partnership
The UAB Health System and Infirmary Health established a strategic affiliation in 2018 to extend UAB’s clinical expertise and medical research capabilities to southwest Alabama. In January 2024, the two organizations formalized a partnership to jointly provide comprehensive cancer care, including an affiliation between Infirmary Cancer Care and the UAB O’Neal Cancer Center, one of only 58 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country. Through this collaboration, patients at Infirmary Cancer Care’s five locations in Mobile and Baldwin counties have access to UAB’s cancer expertise, multidisciplinary teams, and clinical trials while continuing to receive care close to home. Infirmary Health is the largest non-governmental, not-for-profit health system in the state of Alabama, with its flagship hospital, Mobile Infirmary.
Learn more about the UAB Health System at https://www.uabmedicine.org/. Learn more about Infirmary Health at https://www.infirmaryhealth.org/.
Originally written by Daniel Gomez Carrillo for Heersink School of Medicine News, available at https://www.uab.edu/medicine/news/surgery/uab-surgeons-extend-specialty-care-to-the-gulf-coast-through-infirmary-health-partnership-2