Alabama home sales slip

Medical West names new CEO:

Medical West has named Tom R. McDougal the Bessemer hospital's new chief executive. He begins Jan. 4.

McDougal is CEO of Springs Memorial Hospital in Lancaster, S.C., and was previously CEO of Decatur's Parkway Medical Center.

He will replace Don Lilly, who has been interim boss of the 300-bed hospital since June. Medical West operates under a management agreement with UAB Health System. Lilly, from UAB, was filling in after Tim Thornton retired.

A Birmingham native, McDougal got his bachelor's degree in business administration from Samford University and his master's in business and hospital administration from UAB. Anna Velasco -- -- %%webhead%%Alabama home sales slip %%ewebhead%%

Alabama home sales slide 7%:

Home sales in Alabama totaled 3,497 in September, a 7 percent decline from a year ago, the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama said.

The median selling price, $126,302, inched up 0.7 percent from September 2008; the average selling price, $145,445, dropped 7 percent.

The single-digit decline in sales is a move in the right direction, said Grayson Glaze, the center's executive director.

In metro Birmingham, 956 homes sold in September, down 18 percent from September 2008 and up 5 percent from August. Dawn Kent --