Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Inducts 2020, 2021 Classes at Annual Ceremony

Ten-member, joint class–inducted today by event emcee John Seigenthaler–recognizes esteemed pioneers, leaders, educators, executives and researchers in health and health care from across the state

The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame this week inducted its 2020 and 2021 classes at a ceremony held in Belmont’s newly opened Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. The dual-year class is made up of 10 health care leaders and legends from across the state.

The Hall of Fame, which was created by Belmont University, Belmont’s McWhorter Society and the Nashville Health Care Council, seeks to recognize and honor the leaders that have formed Tennessee’s heath and health care community.

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College of Health Sciences, Nursing Dean Taylor Helps Pass New Tennessee Tobacco Legislation

Cathy Taylor

College of Health Sciences and Nursing Dean and Professor Dr. Cathy Taylor recently served on the Chronic Disease Prevention Task Force for the State of Tennessee, spearheaded by Senator Rosalind Kurita. Taylor, along with two other experts, received an invitation from the Governor’s Office, in conjunction with the commissioner of health, to act as a subject matter expert to make recommendations for improving the health of Tennesseans.

Taylor and her team, which included Belmont public health students Genevieve Delano and Deviyani Bajpai, conducted online research and interviews to make recommendations to the task force. Despite the interruption of COVID-19 on the team’s research, Taylor and her team contributed to the final recommendation to allow local authorization to limit tobacco smoking and vaping in public spaces. The recommendation was passed into legislation by the 112th General Assembly.

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College of Health Sciences and Nursing Hosts High School Educators, Advisers for Tennessee Career and Technical Education Conference

Learning about Physical Therapy

On July 13, the College of Health Sciences and Nursing hosted approximately 70 high school teachers and advisers for the Tennessee Career and Technical Education Conference. The participants rotated through demonstrations and presentations of each of the disciplines in the College of Health Sciences and Nursing, exposing them to the professions and giving them suggested activities to introduce their students to these careers. 

In addition, this was an opportunity to showcase the Belmont facilities to teachers and advisers who will be working with high school students as they consider their college options.

The feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive, including “I have been going to this conference for years and this has been the best.” Many expressed interest in bringing their students to campus. 

Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Announces Two Years of Inductees

Awards luncheon in 2019
2019 Healthcare Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon at Belmont University. rPhoto by Billy Kingsley

Belmont University has announced the sixth and seventh inductee classes of the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame. Because last year’s inductee class was not able to be recognized in person due to COVID-19, this year’s event will honor both the 2020 and 2021 classes at a ceremony on October 19.

With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industries, the Hall of Fame was created in 2015 by founding partners Belmont University, the McWhorter Society and the Nashville Health Care Council.

“Over the course of the past 18 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has refocused the spotlight on the health care industry and the important role health care professionals play in each of our lives,” said Belmont President Dr. L. Gregory Jones. “Now more than ever, we want to honor the leaders in this vital field, individuals who demonstrate the character, compassion and strength of purpose that quite literally transforms lives on a daily basis.”

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Dr. L. Gregory Jones Casts Vision for Belmont University to ‘Let Hope Abound’ in First Day as New President

New Belmont University President Dr. L. Gregory Jones isn’t easing into his new position. Rather, Dr. Jones—along with his wife, the Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones—is using his first day in office to make an immediate impact with campus and community leaders through a full day of meetings and conversations across the city, all introducing his theme for his inaugural year, “Let Hope Abound.” 

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Belmont’s New College of Medicine to Be Named in Honor of HCA Healthcare Co-Founder Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr.

Thomas F. Frist Jr. head shot

Belmont University announced today that its new College of Medicine, first announced last October, will be named in honor of health care icon Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., co-founder of HCA Healthcare. In addition to its name, the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University enjoys strong ties with HCA Healthcare, whose Nashville-based TriStar Health will provide residencies and clinical rotations for students of the college. 

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “We have exceedingly high aspirations for this new College of Medicine. We know that we will have to earn a world-class reputation over time, but we intend to deliver a world-class learning environment beginning on day one with outstanding faculty, staff, students, physical resources and clinical experiences. It’s been said that a good name is more valuable than anything else, and the name ‘Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine’ signals our determination to create an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to compassionate, patient-centered care that will settle for nothing less than the very best. We are deeply honored by the trust that Dr. Frist has shown in us by linking his name with our College of Medicine, and we are committed to build on the legacy of Dr. Frist and his fellow HCA Healthcare co-founders Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr. and Mr. Jack Massey.” 

Belmont University Announces Plans to Return to In Person Classes, Events for Fall 2021

tulips in front of Belmont

In an email to current and incoming students on April 6, Belmont University announced plans to return to in-person classes this fall following more than a year of a combination of in-person, remote and hybrid courses due to the impact of the worldwide pandemic.

“We are nearing the conclusion of what has been one of the most unique and challenging years for our campus community and for higher education in general,” said Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. “Thanks to the vaccine rollout and improving trends related to COVID data, we have every reason to be optimistic about providing a more traditional learning and living experience on campus this fall. And most importantly, the outstanding leadership of our Health Services team and truly extraordinary cooperative spirit and actions demonstrated by our students, faculty and staff this past year have shown our commitment to living together in community.”

Campus leaders will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and shift or evolve plans as needed based on trends and insights from local, state and federal public health officials. In addition, the University will implement recommended protocols as needed to ensure the health and safety of the campus community.

At this point, the campus expects to operate in-person classes at full or near-full capacity with more robust campus life experiences in place, including in person meetings, events and activities. The University is also making plans for a traditional fall schedule, allowing for observance of traditional holidays and Fall Break.

Belmont’s Spring 2021 semester concludes over the next two weeks with final class meetings and exams. The University will be hosting four separate, socially distanced in-person commencement ceremonies to honor graduates on April 22-23.

Pharmacy Student Receives United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award

Riguin Zengotita Borges, a fourth-year student in Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, was recognized by the Office of the United States Surgeon General for his significant contributions to advancing the goals of Healthy People 2030. To be considered for the award, students are evaluated on their contributions towards voluntary health-related services, an emerging public health issue or contributions to the National Prevention Strategy.

Over the past four years, his dedication to maintaining health in medically underserved communities here in Nashville has been tremendous. Borges has worked with populations that are vulnerable — the homeless, the HIV infected and the elderly. Early on in the pandemic, he seized opportunities to be on the front line testing patients for COVID-19 at a center for underserved and indigent patients.

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Belmont University Earns 2021-22 Military Friendly® School Designation for Seventh Year in a Row

Belmont University has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation for the seventh consecutive year. Belmont was highly rated on culture and commitment, admissions and orientation and academic policies and compliance.

“It’s an honor to once again receive this designation that recognizes Belmont’s commitment to support our student veterans and military family members,” said Dr. Mimi Barnard, associate provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education, home to Belmont’s Veteran Success Team. “Belmont faculty and staff are intentional in their goal of providing educational environments that support student veterans and military family members in meaningful ways.”

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Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Opens Nominations for 2021 Class

Created by Belmont University, and supported by founding partners The McWhorter Society and The Nashville Health Care Council, the Hall of Fame’s mission is to honor the men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industry. The Health Care Hall of Fame seeks to recognize and honor pioneers and current leaders who have formed Tennessee’s health and health care community and encourage future generations of health care professionals.

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Searcy Serves on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Taskforce

Joyce SearcyBelmont Director of Community Relations Joyce Searcy participated on a COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Taskforce to make recommendations to the Metro Nashville Department of Health on how the city can improve administering the COVID-19 vaccine to communities of color and vulnerable populations.

As vaccine doses continue to reach states for distribution, the Tennessee Department of Health has released early data suggesting minorities are not receiving the vaccine in percentages that mirror their share of the population or even their share of COVID patients. As of January 13, 2021, less than 4 percent of Tennesseans who identify as African American and less than 2 percent of Hispanics have received the vaccine. By contrast, African Americans account for 13 percent of the state’s COVID-19 cases and more than 25 percent of hospitalizations.

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Belmont Public Health Major Interns for Alignment Nashville

Kirsten Fox headshotPublic health senior Kirsten Fox began interning with Alignment Nashville in mid-August in addition to starting her final semester at Belmont. Fox has been completing the internship virtually with the organization and working on a project to “impact the growth and development of Metro Nashville Public School students.”

Alignment Nashville’s goal is to collaborate with resources and community organizations to ensure that public schools are set up for success. With 20 alignment teams, 150 community organizations and 275 alignment team members, their vision is that “all Metro Nashville Public Schools students meet their unique potential.”

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Belmont Public Health Students Talk Election Day with Students of Queen’s University Belfast

Queen's University students discuss with Belmont public health students over Zoom

Belmont’s Public Health Policy course presented students with the unique opportunity to learn from and discuss policy on election day with students from the Queen’s University of Belfast.

Belmont students were assigned to choose a ‘hot topic’ from the second presidential debate, hosted at Belmont University, and present an overview of the candidates’ plans for addressing the issue to the class. The topics students chose included climate change, COVID-19 management, health care access and finance.

The course included Belfast professors Dr. Frank Key and Ciaran O’Neill and public health students Rachel Carlin, Prishaani Govender and Rupali Chauhan. Throughout the course, these students were able to discuss topics with Belmont seniors Levi Blazer, TJ Jiles, Jesslyn Sloan, Cassidy Townsend, Janae Thompson and Marisa Thompson, alongside Dr. Marquinta Harvey, assistant professor of epidemiology and Dr. Cathy Taylor, dean of the College of Health Sciences and Nursing. Continue reading

Belmont Announces Plans for New College of Medicine in Collaboration with HCA Healthcare

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher speaks during an announcement that Belmont University intends to start a new College of Medicine in partnership with one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, HCA Healthcare at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, October 15, 2020.Nashville’s stalwart reputation as the nation’s health care capital grows even stronger today. Belmont University announced this morning its intent to start a new College of Medicine in collaboration with with one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, HCA Healthcare. HCA Healthcare’s Nashville-based TriStar Health will provide clinical elements in support of Belmont’s plans to pursue Liaison Committee on Medical Education(LCME) accreditation for the new college.

Sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association, LCME is the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the U.S. (and Canada). Belmont College of Medicine would seek to become the nation’s 156th LCME-accredited medical school, and its graduates would be well positioned to help fill the significant physician gap anticipated to be felt between now and 2033.

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Dr. Willams, Students Elected to TN Public Health Association Leadership Positions

Williams and students

Dr. Christian Williams, director of the Public Health Program at Belmont University, has been chosen as president-elect for the Tennessee Public Health Association (TPHA), one of the nation’s largest affiliates of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Dr. Williams will step into the role of president in 2021-2022. She has been an active member of TPHA since 2009 where she has served on various committees and held several leadership positions. Most recently, she was the 2018-2019 co-chair and 2019-2020 chair of the Program Committee.

Two BSPH juniors, Jaylen Palmer and Lillian Adamson, were also appointed to leadership positions by their peers. Palmer will resume her role as chair of the Student Section and Adamson will continue as the Middle Tennessee representative for the Student Section.

TPHA is the state’s official professional organization for those engaged or interested in public health and is endorsed by the administration of the Tennessee Department of Health. Through TPHA, professionals and students who represent diverse service areas have opportunities to meet and share ideas in an effort to maintain high standards of quality in all aspects of public health.

Public Health Major Akia Thompson Receives BlueCross BlueShield Power of We Scholarship

The organization awards minority students pursuing degrees in health care in order to “reduce health care disparities by improving workforce diversity.” This year, the organization decided to double the number of recipients from 3 to 6, Thompson being one of them.

Thompson first developed her goals for post-graduation through an internship at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. “Shadowing health professionals in multiple roles was so educational, and now I’m pursuing a career as a family nurse practitioner,” she said. “I like that I’ll get to spend time with patients, get to know them and deliver hands-on, holistic care.”

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Belmont University Joins Governor Bill Lee’s TN Strong Mask Movement

Belmont-Branded Face Mask

Belmont University is partnering with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Economic Recovery Group (ERG) on the new TN Strong Mask Movement, a plan to distribute more than 300,000 free or low-cost cloth face coverings across the state through partnerships with 31 flagship brands at a projected value of more than $3 million.

While Belmont will use a portion of the masks for its campus, many will be distributed to members of neighboring communities in partnership with The Store. The Store, which opened earlier this year, is a free, referral-based grocery store started by Belmont alumnus Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams Paisley, which provides groceries to people working toward self-sufficiency. Through this movement, patrons of The Store will leave not only with important food resources, but also a resource to help manage the risk of COVID-19. Continue reading

Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Inducts 2019 Class at Luncheon and Ceremony

7 Inductees

Dr. Jonathon Perlin, Richard Miller, Clara Elam, husband Dr. Lloyd Elam was awarded, Morris Flexner, father John Flexner was awarded, Dr. David Barton, Dr. Mary Bufwack and Dr. Nancy-Ann Deparle were inducted into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Luncheon at Belmont University on October 15, 2019.

The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame inducted its 2019 class, made up of seven health care legends from across the state, at a luncheon and ceremony in Belmont’s Curb Event Center today. Hosted by John Seigenthaler, Jr., a partner at DVL Seigenthaler, a Finn Partners Company, the Hall of Fame seeks to recognize and honor the pioneers and current leaders that have formed Tennessee’s health and health care community and encourage future generations of health care professionals. Continue reading

Dr. Williams and Belmont Students Elected to TPHA Leadership Positions

Dr. Christian Williams, director of Belmont’s public health program, was chosen as chair for the Program Committee and chair of the Public Health Academics Section for the Tennessee Public Health Association (TPHA), one of the nation’s largest affiliates of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Two Belmont public health majors were also appointed to leadership positions by their peers. Jaylen Palmer was selected as co-chair of the Student Section and Lillian Adamson was chosen as the Middle Tennessee representative for the Student Section.

TPHA is the state’s official professional organization for those engaged or interested in public health and is endorsed by the administration of the Tennessee Department of Health. Through TPHA, professionals and students who represent diverse service areas have opportunities to meet and share ideas in an effort to maintain high standards of quality in all aspects of public health.

Belmont Nationally Recognized for Innovation, Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching

Belmont University appears numerous times in the 2020 rankings of America’s Best Colleges, a new analysis released today by U.S. News & World Report. The University was praised as the best in the state and No. 17 in the country for its “unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching,” placing Belmont in heady company with the likes of Duke and Gonzaga. Belmont was also recognized for the 12th year in a row for innovation as an institution and ranked seventh nationally for Learning Communities, among other accolades.

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “The recognitions we’ve received from U.S. News and our peers across the country prove emphatically what I’ve known to be true for a long time: Belmont faculty are leading the way in higher education by providing unparalleled expertise in the classroom and with the overall curriculum. While these rankings are certainly gratifying, I am far more excited about what they represent, that Belmont students are receiving the highest quality education that will empower them to use their skills and abilities to live lives of meaning and purpose.” Continue reading

Belmont Ranked Top 12 Christian University in America

Belmont is one of the best Christian universities in America, according to a list by The Edvocate that ranked the University no. 12 on its recent list of 2020 Best Christian Colleges and Universities in America.

In addition to the overall list, Belmont tied for fourth place for outstanding undergraduate teaching. The site ranked Belmont no. 5 among regional universities in the South, highlighting the university’s offerings for veterans and degrees in music and music production.

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Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Announces 2019 Inductees

Health Care Hall of Fame inductees announced at McWhorter Society Luncheon
(L to R) Dick Miller, Clara Elam, David and Lynn Barton and Mary Bufwack, Ph.D.

Hall of Fame’s fifth class represents some ofTennessee’s most influential health care leaders

The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame announced the seven health care professionals selected as this year’s inductee class at a luncheon on Belmont University’s campus today. With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industries, the Hall of Fame was created in 2015 by Belmont University, the McWhorter Society and the Nashville Health Care Council, a founding partner. The seven honorees will be inducted at a ceremony in October.

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College of Health Sciences and College of Pharmacy Hosts Inter-Professional Events

More than 200 first year graduate students in the Colleges of Health Sciences and Pharmacy participated in an inter-professional seminar focused on understanding the roles and responsibilities of each discipline as part of an inter-professional team to maximize patient outcomes. As part of this event, students worked on teams to create the tallest structure they could using spaghetti, string, tape and a marshmallow.

Approximately 190 second year graduate students from the Colleges of Health Sciences and Pharmacy also participated in an inter-professional seminar which explored the importance of communication and the risk of medical errors when there is miscommunication. These inter-professional events enable students to learn from and with students from other disciplines who will be their professional colleagues when they graduate.

Belmont Hosts Health and Well-Being Fair

Student talks with community vendor at Health and Well-being fair

Belmont University recently hosted its first Health and Well-being Fair, an event sponsored by the University’s Be Well BU initiative to promote a health and well-balanced lifestyle throughout the Belmont community. The fair showcased over 40 organizations focused on sharing information about a variety of topics with students, faculty and staff in attendance. Continue reading

Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Inducts 2018 Class at Luncheon and Ceremony

Event efforts collectively raise more than $1 million for student support

The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame inducted its 2018 class, made up of seven health care legends from across the state, at a luncheon and ceremony in Belmont’s Curb Event today. Hosted by Partner at DVL Seigenthaler John Seigenthaler, Jr., the Hall of Fame seeks to recognize and honor the pioneers and current leaders that have formed Tennessee’s health and health care community and encourage future generations of health care professionals. Continue reading