By Derek Thompson
The Selma Times-Journal

Staff members at Vaughan Regional Medical Center and residents from UAB Selma Family Medicine will take the diamond and showcase their softball skills at Bloch Park on July 17 at 6 p.m. to raise funds for United Way’s Doc-In-a Bus program.

The charity softball game is for a good cause, but has become a rivalry over the past few years.

“There’s a lot of bragging back and forth during work hours at the hospital, but it’s really just a lot of fun,” said Meagan Austin, a marketing director at VRMC. “It’s just a great way to get everyone out of the office or out of the hospital together and do something for a good cause.”

UAB second year resident Dr. Sravan Reddy said that UAB is the defending champion three years running, and looking to make it four on July 17.

“It’s going to be hard for them. I’ll tell you that,” Reddy said. “It’s getting more and more competitive where even the practice sessions are more secretive. When everyone practices or where everyone practices is kept under wraps. At least the hospital team wants to.”

All proceeds from the game are going to the Doc-In-A-Bus program, a free clinic for uninsured patients that was started in 2008.

“They go at least once or twice a month to see their patients,” Reddy said. “Doc-In-A-Bus helps out all over the state actually. They go to areas wherever there aren’t doctors too. We get to help them buy some more stuff and new equipment, anything that can help.”

The two medical staffs helped raise over $500 last year and hope this year’s game will raise over $1,000.

“That would help with the medical supplies for the Doc-In-A-Bus,” Austin said. “It would help with medicine bandages and just your everyday needs that you would have in a clinic. The bus goes to the areas throughout town to help provide support to the patients who maybe can’t get to the doctors office or can’t pay to have a doctor.”

Austin said the teams in the past have been mainly doctors on UAB’s team and other hospital employees on VRMC’s team, but this year the hospital has doctors on it too.

“I think both teams have been practicing quite hard,” Reddy said.

“We’ve been practicing for a few weeks. Hopefully it will be a good game of softball for everyone to watch.”