By Curtis L. Spraitzar
In 2026, the Urology Health Foundation (UHF) marks 20 years of service to Alabama communities through its efforts to expand access to prostate cancer screening and education, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas of the state.
Founded in 2003 by Birmingham urologist Thomas E. Moody, MD, UHF emerged in response to concerns about Alabama’s prostate cancer outcomes. For many years, the state ranked among the nation’s highest in prostate cancer mortality, with African-American men experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease.
Those concerns gained national attention in 2006, when the National Prostate Cancer Coalition assigned Alabama an “F” grade for prostate cancer care, citing challenges in several areas, including mortality and screening rates, legislative support, and access to urologic care.
In response, Moody pursued both policy and community-based initiatives aimed at improving access to care. He helped advance legislation requiring insurance coverage for physician-ordered prostate cancer testing and advocated for state support for prostate cancer screening programs. At the same time, UHF expanded its mission as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free screenings across Alabama, with a particular emphasis on communities where men often lacked consistent access to healthcare services.
Since launching its statewide screening program in 2007, UHF has conducted more than 20,000 free prostate cancer screening visits across 23 Alabama counties. Much of the organization’s work has focused on the Black Belt region, an area characterized by high poverty rates, a large African-American population, and significant healthcare access barriers.
Public education has remained a central component of the Foundation’s approach, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to significant disruptions in routine cancer screenings. In advance of screening events, UHF uses local media interviews, printed materials, community outreach, and social media campaigns to provide information about prostate cancer risk factors and the importance of early detection.
Screening events are typically conducted in partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health and local county health departments. Men attending screenings receive prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and, when feasible, digital rectal examinations (DREs). Participants later receive written results, and nurse navigators follow up with individuals whose findings require additional evaluation.
Moody has consistently emphasized that screening programs must also address the practical barriers that can prevent patients from obtaining follow-up care. If a biopsy is recommended, UHF helps pay for the biopsy in financial hardship cases and also has transportation assistance available. If an abnormality is found in the prostate biopsy and the patient is unable to afford treatment, UHF also assists in helping to find treatment at no cost to the patient.
Community partnerships have also played an important role in expanding outreach efforts and improving participation rates. One recent example was UHF’s 2025 collaboration with Macon M.E.A.N.S., a Tuskegee-based nonprofit that sponsors an annual Car and Bike Show. The initiative resulted in 175 men receiving free prostate cancer screenings that day—more than triple the number screened the previous year.
Over the past two decades, Alabama has experienced measurable declines in prostate cancer mortality across racial groups, and the gap in mortality rates between African-American and white men has narrowed considerably.
A graduate of the UAB School of Medicine, Moody practiced urology in Birmingham for nearly four decades. During his tenure as president of Urology Centers of Alabama, the practice became an early adopter of advanced urologic technologies, including robotic prostatectomy. Although he retired from practice in 2015, he continues to serve as UHF’s president on a volunteer basis.
Dr. Moody’s work in public health and community outreach has received national recognition, including designation as a WebMD the Magazine Health Hero in 2011 and the Urology Care Foundation’s Humanitarian Award in 2025. Additional honors include the University of Alabama School of Medicine’s Martha Myers “Role Model of the Year” Award, the Ira L. Myers Award for Excellence in Public Health, Birmingham-Southern College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the University of Alabama Medical Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.
In 2026, the organization plans to hold free prostate cancer screenings in at least nine Alabama counties and expects to screen approximately 1,200 participants. Its mission remains focused on improving access to early detection services for men at elevated risk and reducing financial and logistical barriers to care.
For Moody, the work has evolved into what he describes as his “mission work”—a long-term commitment grounded in both medicine and community service.