The School of Occupational Therapy and the School of Physical Therapy will jointly be hosting a workshop in early October focusing on the benefits of the Amtryke Therapeutic Tricycle Program—a unique mobility service that uses custom-built tricycles to assist people with disabilities.
The event, scheduled for the 6th, will be held in the McWhorter Building room 205 from 5-6 pm, as an encouragement for local therapists to bring the benefits of Amtryke to children with disabilities. Sue Haywood, a physical therapist from National AMBUCS—the non-profit service that owns and operates Amtryke—will be present to conduct in-service training sessions for therapists.
Over 15,300 AmTryke vehicles have been distributed around the world to date. The majority of these “trykes” are purchased by volunteers and donated free of charge to financially-needy children. The trykes themselves can be operated using hands and/or feet, and are designed to accommodate riders of all ages, sizes, and varying degrees of physical limitations. Both physical and occupational therapists acknowledge the many therapeutic benefits of the AmTryke program, mentioning improved motor skills, strength, and self-esteem as just a few.
Students are invited to attend this event. Click here for more information.
Monthly Archives: September 2010
PT Health Fair: A Great Opportunity for Students amd Community
Many opportunities exist at Belmont for physical therapy students to get involved on the health front, both on and off campus. One of these opportunities—arguably among the most exciting according to past participants—is a series of annual health fairs held for fourth grade students each year. The event has become an annual occurrence in Dr. Pat Sells’ Health and Wellness course for second-year physical therapy students.
The most recent fair benefited over 200 local fourth grade students from both Carter Lawrence Elementary in the Edgehill community and East Cheatham Elementary. Participating students got the opportunity to teach a series of health and wellness topics, and to conduct fun activities with the children. Topics included safety, heart health, physical activity, dental health, nutrition, healthy bones, and smoking.
College of Health Sciences to host Mobile Healthcare Technology Summit
A panel of healthcare experts is poised to come together on Belmont’s campus on September 30 for the Mobile Healthcare Technology Summit. Industry leaders in attendance plan to explore how mobile healthcare technology impacts healthcare design, clinical practice and the overall future of healthcare.
“Hosting this panel at Belmont is an honor,” says Dr. Beth Hallmark, Director of Simulation for the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Science & Nursing. “We want to be seen as leaders in healthcare education; this simply reinforces our already prominent place in the community.”
Members of the panel include Joyce Sensmeier, vice president of healthcare information and management systems society at HIMSS—the largest U.S. not-for-profit healthcare association focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology—and Scott Cebula, former CIO for Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Calif., president of Cebula IT Consulting, among many others. Panelists plan to examine the issues and opportunities that exist in establishing best practices, addressing legal implications and maximizing impact on patient safety and staff efficiencies.
Physical Therapy Students Present at Annual RESNA Conference
Four Belmont physical therapy students recently got the chance to present at the annual Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their research project entitled, “Functional Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction of Client in the Seating and Mobility Clinic,” examined the overall satisfaction of wheelchair users with their product, as well as the patients’ care while in the Vanderbilt Seating and Mobility Clinic.
Betsy Codington, one of the students involved in the project, hopes that the their research would be used by Vanderbilt to “better inform and equip the clinic in serving their clients.” Other students involved included Sarah Jo Lyons, Larry Pemberton and Daniel Rogers. All studies were conducted under the students’ research mentor, Dr. Renee Brown from the Belmont School of Physical Therapy, who also accompanied the students on their trip to the RESNA conference.
RESNA exists as an effort to improve the lives of people with disabilities through the use of different technologies. The foundation’s yearly conference brings together a diverse group of therapists, seating specialists, engineers and end users for this central cause.
Belmont Increases Pharmacy Faculty with 8 New Appointments
Belmont University’s School of Pharmacy welcomed eight new faculty members this fall as the school continues its growth toward the goal of enrolling 300 students by 2011. Seventy-four new students enrolled in the PharmD program last week, bringing total enrollment to about 225.
The School of Pharmacy moved into McWhorter Hall, a new state-of-the-art facility several weeks ago, expanding classroom and lab space for the entry level doctoral program. The School remains on track in its effort to gain full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) once it has graduated its first class in 2012 and met all accreditation standards.
Hallmark Named Belmont Ambassador for National League for Nursing
Dr. Beth F. Hallmark, Director of the College of Health Sciences Simulation Center, was recently selected to be Belmont’s representative for the National League for Nursing. The NLN Ambassador Program was established in the fall of 2006 with an initial cadre of 126 members who teach in all types of nursing programs – practical nurse, associate degree, diploma, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral. Today there are over 700 ambassadors representing schools of nursing in 50 states and 5 countries.
As NLN Ambassador, it will be Dr. Hallmark’s responsibility to keep Belmont’s nursing program informed about the NLN’s programs, grant opportunities, and member involvement initiatives.
Dr. Hallmark recently completed her PhD in Educational Leadership with a concentration in E-Learning at Touro University International. She also holds an MSN from Vanderbilt University in Child and Family Nursing. She has been at Belmont University since 1997 and was appointed as Director of Simulation for the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing in 2009.