College of Health Sciences & College of Pharmacy part of community health fair at Belmont basketball game
As a show of gratitude to the University’s friends, Belmont opened its arms Jan. 28 with a Community Health Fair in the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb Event Center in conjunction with the men’s and women’s basketball games against Jacksonville. The free fair, co-sponsored by University Health Services, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Pharmacy and Belmont Athletics, featured 30 booths with blood pressure, body composition and bone density screenings; CPR demonstrations; and information on tobacco cessation, breast cancer awareness, diabetes, healthy eating, self defense and recreation. Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Renfrew Center, Edgehill Community Garden, Edgehill Family Resource Center, YMCA and Real Food Farms had booths.
“Belmont has always been supportive of the community and has done a lot of partnering and programming in the area surrounding campus. This (was) a continuation of those services to share information,” said Director of Health Services Katy Wilson. “Students from all of the health sciences programs, athletics department and fitness and recreation center (were) heavily involved in the fair.” Click here to view photos from the Community Health Fair.
The fair was intended to put wellness and preventive health resources within reach of Belmont’s neighbors and fans with screenings, pamphlets and prizes. Although the event marked the first Community Health Fair at Belmont, it was an extension of the annual Pink Zone through an initiative with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to promote breast cancer awareness. The women’s basketball team wore pink uniforms. Fans received free pink T-shirts and pom poms.
“We have been fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with Susan G. Komen’s Nashville office. They set up a table in the hope of interacting with fans on game day,” Director of Athletics Marketing Jimmy Frush said. “We chose this doubleheader to reach a wide variety of people, ages and genders and to feature the many different programs and departments with Belmont's Health Sciences. Hopefully, it (delivered) a valuable service to the fans coming to the game.”
Hachtel a candidate for national leadership role with AOTA
Dr. Yvette Hachtel, professor of occupational therapy at Belmont University, is a 2012 candidate to chair the Ethics Committee of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). AOTA elections for 2012 will be held between January 17 and February 28 with a national vote of the organization's membership. Dr. Hachtel is seeking support from AOTA members.
Dr. Hachtel has been a member of AOTA for more than 30 years. Throughout her career, she has been involved with professional activities at the state and national level that serve to ensure the competency and ethical practice of practitioners at all levels. She has taught ethics at the graduate level and served as a consultant to the Tennessee OT Licensure Board for nearly 15 years. Her legal background has provided extensive training and experience as a mediator.
AOTA members can read more about Dr. Hachtel's candidacy at the OT Connections blog and through the member portal at aota.org.
Healthcare among professions with the lowest unemployment
The Education, Healthcare, Business and Professional Services industries have been the most stable employers for recent college graduates. That is according to a new report by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.
Unemployment rates are relatively low (5.4 percent) for recent college students who majored in Healthcare and Education because these majors are attached to stable or growing industry sectors. Recent graduates in Psychology and Social Work have relatively low unemployment rates (7.3 percent) nearly half work in Healthcare and Education. More than 60 percent of these recent college graduates who are working have landed in the Healthcare, Professional Contracting Businesses or Education sectors. Students with advanced healthcare degrees fared even better. Check out the full report for more information.
Dr. Cathy Taylor appointed Dean of College of Health Sciences & Nursing
Dr. Cathy Taylor, DrPH, MSN, RN, has been named as the new dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University. Taylor currently serves as the assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Services Administration where she oversees delivery of traditional public health and primary care services in 89 rural counties and contracted services with Tennessee’s six metropolitan health departments. Dr. Taylor will begin her new position at Belmont on Feb. 1, 2012.
“Belmont’s outstanding reputation for excellence and commitment to teaching and service makes this the perfect fit for me and the logical choice for students, faculty and partners dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of our beautiful city and beyond,” said Taylor. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served Tennesseans and the Department of Health, and I am honored to join the Belmont team at this time of extraordinary growth and potential to produce the next generation of exceptionally talented health care professionals.”
“Dr. Taylor has done excellent work for the Tennessee Department of Health and for the health of the citizens of Tennessee,” said Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “We will miss her leadership, but we are excited for Dr. Taylor in her new role at Belmont University where she will stay nearby, grooming students for careers in population health in Tennessee and around the nation.”
As the chief academic and executive officer of Belmont’s College of Health Sciences & Nursing, Taylor will be responsible for the programmatic leadership, financial management, personnel administration and planning and development for the College.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “Dr. Taylor brings to this position a perfect combination of high-level healthcare experience, proven leadership ability and eager enthusiasm for educating tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. I am confident that her expertise and commitment will build on the College of Health Sciences and Nursing’s already exceptional quality and reputation.”
In her current position, Taylor has directed development and implementation of successful statewide tobacco cessation and diabetes prevention programs and increased public, private and academic partnerships aimed at improving the health of Tennesseans. As a consultant to China’s Ministry of Health, she contributed to the re-design of China’s rural health care delivery system. Prior to joining the Department of Health, Taylor chaired the board for the Tennessee Center for Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement and served as an assistant professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and as director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Disease Management Program. She has held administrative and clinical positions at Alvin C. York VAMC, served in nursing director and supervisor positions at Fentress County Hospital, Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Hendersonville Community Hospital, and as a public health nurse in Fentress and Rutherford Counties. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is the recipient of a number of grants and awards.
Taylor earned a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Tennessee-Memphis, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama-Huntsville and a Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University in 2005.
2005 PT Alum, Jennifer Walkup, authors story about minimizing injuries in young athletes
Jennifer Walkup, a 2005 graduate of the Belmont University Doctor of Physical Therapy program, was recently featured in an article she wrote for The Oak Ridger in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In the article, Walkup provides suggestions on how to minimize injuries in young athletes.
Walkup is a senior physical therapist on the staff of Methodist Therapy, a service of Methodist Medical Center. Walkup has specialized in pediatrics since 2007 and has experience treating children with Torticollis, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, coordination disorders and various developmental disorders. Her certifications include Clinical Instructor Certification and Interactive Metronome Certification.
The story is linked here.
Pharmacy student receives national service award
Barnwell (right) poses for pictures with two classmates after receiving their white coats in 2010.
John Barnwell, a 3rd-year student in the PharmD program at Belmont, has received the Respect, Excellence and Service in Pharmacy (RESPy) Award for excellence in pharmaceutical care. The national award is presented by Walmart and Pharmacy Times to a student who has made a difference in his or her community demonstrated by the following criteria: voluntary public service activities, a high level of professional/public health-related activities outside the classroom and a high level of effort to advance the profession of pharmacy in the public area. Eight RESPy award winners are chosen annually and featured with an article in Pharmacy Times. RESPy winners receive a cash award and are offered a summer internship with Walmart.
Barnwell, who will graduate from the School of Pharmacy in 2013, is a founding officer of the board of directors of NotAlone.com, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing counseling for veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and their families. NotAlone.com offers online support groups, in-person counseling, and Web resources to support combat veterans and their loved ones.
Barnwell (in white coat) teaches students during this past summer's health sciences camp.
The stresses of military service are something that Barnwell understands well. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and subsequently served almost 8 years in the Army. He held a variety of positions at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and in Iraq, and was decorated with a Bronze Star and Joint Service Achievement Award for his service.
“NotAlone is such a rewarding endeavor,” says Barnwell. “Being a veteran myself, anything I can do to make life better for soldiers, veterans, and their families gives me a great sense that I am still making a difference for my brothers- and sisters-in-arms.”
Dr. Philip Johnston, Dean of the School of Pharmacy, congratulated Barnwell on receiving the RESPy, saying, “Mr. Barnwell offers his abundant energy and leadership to his profession on a daily basis; he is an inspiration to everyone. I cannot think of any one more deserving".
The Pharmacy Times article featuring Barnwell is linked here and reprinted below.
Harvey presents at national nurse practitioner conference
Dr. Carrie Harvey, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, recently presented at the national clinical conference of the American College of Nurse Practitioners in Denver, Colorado. Over 200 health professionals attended her session entitled, “A Systematic Approach to 12 Lead ECG Interpretation.” The session provided the nurse practitioner with a systematic approach to interpreting the 12 lead ECG. Participants were briefed on major physiologic underpinnings using actual case studies and electrocardiograms. Normal and abnormal 12 lead ECGs were reviewed and a stepwise interpretation
approach was introduced.
Darr awarded grant from APTA
Dr. Nancy Darr, a professor in Belmont's School of Physical Therapy, was recently awarded a grant from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Section of Pediatrics for her project titled, "Validation of the Pediatric Balance Scale using Rasch Analysis."
The selection committee said that the grant was well written and that they will support the use of this "Pediatric Balance Scale" in Darr's clinical pediatric practice.
Plummer is plenary speaker for European Seating Symposium
Dr Teresa Plummer, faculty member in the School of Occupational Therapy, was one of the invited plenary speakers for the European Seating Symposium held in Dublin Ireland earlier this month. Along with Mary Shea, MSOT from Kessler Rehabilitation in New Jersey, Dr Plummer presented the RESNA Practice Guide for the Wheelchair Assessment and Procurement Practice. This document was the outcome of a two year ad hoc committee group of 13 stakeholders from the US. The Practice Guide is and effort to provide structure for the provision of wheeled mobility. Dr Plummer attended several meeting discussing the education of occupational therapy students in the practice of wheelchair assessments.
Pharmacy students contribute to Guatemala City Surgical Center
During the past year, students from Belmont University School of Pharmacy have partnered with Nashville’s Shalom Foundation to renovate the organization’s surgical center and pharmacy in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Last fall, fourth-year pharmacy student Chris McKnight worked with the foundation to design plans for the center’s pharmacy after the entire site underwent a renovation. Although Shalom had doctors, surgeons and nurses on the board to contribute, they didn’t have pharmacists to add to the conversation. McKnight became that voice.
After spending over a week working in the center, McKnight said one of his favorite parts was, “the processes of seeing the pharmacy go from my sketches on the backs of napkins, to fruition in Guatemala City.”
Sara Poe, another fourth year student in Belmont’s program, also had the opportunity to work with the foundation’s center. She was focused on the medicine patients were being prescribed and made daily rounds to ensure accuracy and the installation of proper protocol.
Poe also spoke to the experience of working in such a clinic. “I would say that best moments of the trip came from silence, for silence meant no one was in pain and all was well down the hall. That alone has made me a different person.”