Dr. Lindsay Hahn, assistant professor of pharmacy, recently had a manuscript published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE). The article reviewed the development and implementation of a solid organ transplant elective course for second- and third-year pharmacy students, assessing the course’s impact on their knowledge in the management of medications, adverse effects, and complications in organ transplantation patients. Dr. Hahn concluded that course participants significantly improved their confidence and knowledge regarding solid organ transplantation and became open to exploring careers or residencies in this area. The full manuscript can be found on the AJPE website.
Monthly Archives: March 2014
College of Pharmacy leads first health-focused immersion to Guatemala
The College of Pharmacy partnered with University Ministries for an international spring break Immersion trip geared towards health professional and pre-health professions students. The team was comprised of four faculty and staff members, one professional medical interpreter, eight undergraduate students with an interest or major in healthcare-related fields and two fourth-year pharmacy students. Together they provided diabetes, asthma and vision screenings, as well as nutrition, hygiene and first-aid education to migrant workers at Finca la Azotea coffee plantation, in Antigua, Guatemala. Additionally, the team spent one day working with at Escuela Proyecto la Esperanza, an non-governmental organization school for underprivileged children assessing height weight, and vision percentile projections.
Immersion activities included learning about the processes of growing, harvesting, roasting and packaging coffee, grocery shopping in a neighborhood market, visiting a private university, Universidad Francisco Marroquín, touring the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center and attending religious services on Ash Wednesday.
PT professor leads doctoral students in concussion study
Dr. Pat Sells, associate professor of physical therapy, and a group of doctoral PT students from Belmont University are in the midst of conducting research on how multiple sub-concussive hits affect children ages 5 to 12. The research team has enlisted The Brentwood Blaze, a youth football organization, for study participants, and those efforts were recently featured in an article on the Brentwood Home Page. The article, written by Jonathan Romeo, is linked here with an excerpt below.
Belmont student honored as Social Work Student of the Year by local organization
Matthew Thompson, a senior Social Work student at Belmont University, recently was honored as the undergraduate Student of the Year by the Middle Tennessee branch of the National Association of Social Workers. The award honors a student who has created a positive influence on classmates for the profession, and maintained academic achievement.
“Matt has demonstrated a tremendous aptitude for scholarship and scholastic activity,” said Dr. Sabrina Sullenberger, Social Work Department Chairperson. She adds, “He is also a dedicated and courageous individual, respected and valued by his colleagues and peers.”
Thompson is a decorated Army veteran and a bronze star recipient who served honorably in the Middle East and Persian Gulf in 2002 and then was again deployed in Iraq in 2007. He was the recipient of a competitive national fellowship through The Mission Continues, in which he was awarded a 10 month grant designed to provide a stipend for veterans working in social service fields. He was one of 80 grantees from a field of just under 2200.
Thompson has deep and abiding commitment to the needs of veterans in the community. Continue reading
Pharmacy professor earns Healthcare Information, Management certifications
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Dr. Anthony Blash is now certified, (CPHIMS and CAHIMS) by examination, in the area of health care informatics. Faculty with these credentials continuously set Belmont College of Pharmacy apart as an institution where student pharmacists can pursue a concentration that prepares them for specialization in the practice of pharmacy.
Certified Professional in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS) CPHIMS is a professional certification program for healthcare information and management systems professionals. Many organizations require candidates have this internationally recognized certification and are encouraging existing employees to obtain the certification. Continue reading
Belmont Announces Formation of Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame
First inductees to be announced at McWhorter Society Luncheon May 1
With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the healthcare industry, Belmont University announced today the formation of a new Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame. Sponsored by Belmont’s McWhorter Society, the Healthcare Hall of Fame will announce its first inductees at the McWhorter Society Annual Luncheon on May 1 on Belmont’s campus.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns, co-chair of the McWhorter Society, said, “Tennessee has become a premier hub for healthcare and healthcare education in the United States. It’s only appropriate that we recognize and honor the countless men and women who have contributed to the growth of the industry, creating ever higher standards for patient care and well-being. With Belmont’s strong interdisciplinary programming in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, healthcare business and pharmacy, we’re proud to host this new Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame as these leaders can inspire our students for generations to come.”
Belmont pharmacy students featured in Tennessean article
March 19, 2014
Guatemala trip is life-changing for Belmont pharmacy students
By Mignonne Bryant
| mbryant@tennessean.com
In a Guatemalan hotel, 23-year-old Belmont University student Gena Curl carefully unpacked all that she had brought from Nashville. A wave of doubts swept across her mind: “Am I going to be able to do this? I’m by myself in the pharmacy. Can I handle this?” Curl knew no one in this foreign place and barely spoke the local language, but the experience changed her life forever.
In October 2013, Curl traveled to Guatemala City as a fourth-year pharmacy student to provide free services at the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center — an opportunity offered by Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy, which partners with the Shalom Foundation and BUCOP Medical Missions.
According to Phil Johnston, dean of the pharmacy school at Belmont, roughly 25 students go each year to one of two locations: the surgery center in Guatemala City or a clinic on a coffee plantation in Antigua. Both locations are enabled by the Shalom Foundation. The building in Guatemala was remodeled and created as a surgery center by people from Nashville.
Pharmacy professor has manuscript published
Dr. Kelley Kiningham, Associate Dean of Student for the College of Pharmacy, recently had a manuscript accepted for publication in PLOS One. The article titled, “Nuclear Interaction Between Adriamycin-Induced p65 and p53 Mediates Cardiac Injury in iNOS (-/-) Mice” identified inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) to be important in preventing cardiotoxicity secondary to adriamycin administration. The results support recent findings where oral delivery of inorganic nitrates is suggested for patients receiving adriamycin therapy.
Nursing students reach out to serve Nashville’s homeless
Members of Belmont University’s Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) recently gathered to fill 62 boxes with school supplies and treats for the children of Safe Haven. The students asked for donation of fun age appropriate items and treats and the students gathered to wrap and fill the boxes; making the event a great time to spend with one another while serving others!
Safe Haven is a mission serving vulnerable populations with research-grounded, holistic methods. It is the only shelter-to-housing program of its kind in Middle Tennessee that accepts the whole homeless family. Executive director, Joyce Lavery, states that “Safe Haven is about preventing, reducing, and intervening in family homelessness with evidence-based and community-based solutions; moving the family from homelessness to self-sufficiency.” Currently there are 22 children at Safe Haven ranging from 2 months to 22 years of age, living in a beautiful new facility that houses up to six families at a time.