'Southern Winter 2019

Distinguished Alumna
Sandy Barker Thurmond ’84
In all areas of her work — whether it’s a project at Children’s of Alabama, a BSC
alumni gathering, or an educational session for women in healthcare — Sandy
Thurmond is constantly building up her community.
She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees before entering an
administrative residency at Children’s of Alabama. Now, with 32 years of
experience, Thurmond finds herself within the same compassionate organization
and around its dedicated team.
As the vice president of primary care services at Children’s, Thurmond oversees
the operations and development of Pediatric Practice Solutions, the hospital’s
primary care network, and builds relationships with pediatricians around Alabama.
“I bonded with the mission of Children’s from the start,” she says. “Our team
has a meaningful impact on the care, teaching, and advocacy of the hospital.”
Thurmond gained experience in operations, facilities, and strategic planning
at the hospital before joining the primary care team in 1995. She moved into
the VP position in 2004. With 13 Pediatric Practice Solutions offices in Alabama,
Children’s primary care division saw over 335,000 patients last year.
Thurmond has always been drawn towards the medical field. In fact, her premed
and biology studies were a big factor in why she decided to attend BSC. Those
courses, along with the small size BSC offered, made her choice easy.
“The friendships and people I met lasted. We chose to still spend time with each
other after graduating,” she says.
Many of her BSC friendships carried on long past graduation, sometimes in the
form of supper clubs, birthday clubs, or vacations. Thurmond has also served as a
dedicated member of BSC’s Alumni Board, including her term as president
in 2018-2019, and now serves on BSC’s Board of Trustees.
Among her many leadership roles and career successes,
something Thurmond is the most proud of is her support for
women, particularly women in healthcare. She mentors
women under her leadership and offers work-life balance
as an executive at Children’s, but her dedication also
extends much farther than her own workplace.
Thurmond was named by the UAB Commission
on the Status of Women as the 2019 Outstanding
Woman in the Community, honored for her
work in many areas including with BSC, the
Momentum Women’s Leadership Program, the
American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women
movement, the Ronald McDonald House
Charities of Alabama, and the UAB Women in
Healthcare Leadership Initiative.
advice
“College is exciting and meaningful, so
be a part of all the activities and learning
opportunities you can.”
41 / ’southern