Monthly Archives: July 2018

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher Named to Nashville Health Care Council Board of Directors

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Bob FisherBelmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher was recently named as a member of The Nashville Health Care Council’s 2018-2019 Board of Directors. Chairman and CEO of HCA Healthcare and Belmont alumni R. Milton Johnson will begin a two-year term as chairman of the Board.

“This is an exciting time in health care as the industry evolves to face today’s challenges. I welcome each new board member and look forward to working alongside them as the Council continues to serve as a convener for health care thought leaders,” Johnson said in an announcement released by the Council.

In the same release, Council president Hayley Hovious said, “I look forward to the contributions from this diverse group of world-class health care leaders. Along with our dedicated staff, we look forward to meeting the continued need for collaboration and innovation within health care through our suite of programming and initiatives.”

Physical Therapy Student Trains with Boston Ballet

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Bagley dancing in a ballet studio

Rebecca Bagley, a 3rd year physical therapy student at Belmont, spent the summer in Boston as she completed her 4th and final clinical experience with the Boston Ballet. In her position, Bagley worked alongside her clinical instructor evaluating and treating company dancers and mastering a variety of techniques including manual therapy, soft tissue mobilization, therapeutic exercise, taping and more. While she was there, the Ballet opened three shows in three weeks, providing considerable experience throughout her 6-days-a-week schedule.

Becca BagleyAs an undergraduate dance major and long-time dancer herself, the decision to head to Boston for her final clinical experience was an easy one for Bagley. “It has been a dream of mine since starting PT school to get the chance to combine my passions for physical therapy and dance,” she said. “I grew up training in many different styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, hip hop, tap and ballroom. It is a population that I understand from personal experience, and I am very passionate about. I was so thankful for the opportunity to work with professional dancers and learn from amazing physical therapists in this specialized field.” Continue reading →

Nursing Students Participate in Vanderbilt Internship Program, Earn Top Awards

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Student VESNIP participants

A group of 16 Belmont nursing students have spent the past seven weeks participating in the Vanderbilt Experience: Student Nurse Internship Program (VESNIP) alongside students from four other regional nursing programs. Two Belmont students were awarded the highest honors at the culminating awards ceremony held today, Wednesday June 27.

Student award winners pose with Dr. Folds and a Vanderbilt representative

L to R: Dr. Leslie Folds, Maddie Blakeney,
Chloe Sliman & Dr. Sandy Murabito

The Credo Award, recognizing Vanderbilt’s credo behaviors, is given to students that aspire to excellence and expert performance by making those they serve their highest priority, conducting themselves professionally, respecting others’ confidentiality, communicating effectively, having a sense of ownership and demonstrating a commitment to colleagues. Chloe Sliman, a Belmont-Trevecca Nazarene University partnership student received the Credo Award in Acute Care Track. The Florence Nightingale Award, given to Belmont’s Maddie Blakeney, is the program’s highest honor and is given in recognition of excellence in all areas. This award is based on feedback from nurse preceptors, nurse educators and the entire health care team at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital. Continue reading →

School of Occupational Therapy Develops, Hosts Transitions Summer Academy

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Students participating in the Summer Transitions Academy

For many young adults with intellectual disabilities, the transition from high school can bring significant obstacles. Because programs at colleges and universities have been created to focus on life skill development, career exploration and participation in campus life, interdisciplinary efforts among all students, including those with intellectual disabilities, have grown.

Belmont University’s School of Occupational Therapy developed and hosted the Transitions Summer Academy May 14-18, focused on providing introductory life skills training and college exposure to young adults with intellectual disabilities that are transitioning out of high school and applying to collegiate programs. Continue reading →

Dr. Christi Williams, ‘Rehab Lab’ Layla Featured in Pedigree Commercial

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Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Christi Williams and her “Rehab Lab” Layla spend countless hours with community members through their work as a trained pet therapy duo. Frequenting the halls of Vanderbilt Medical Center, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Vanderbilt One Hundred Oaks and beyond, Williams and Layla are well known for their therapy services through Pet Partners, a local nonprofit.

Volunteer Christi Williams and her dog Layla prepare to visit patients at 100 Oaks.(John Russell/Vanderbilt University)

Recently, Williams and Layla (along with puppy-in-training Jackson!) were featured on a Pedigree pet commercial where Williams detailed Layla’s work and described the importance of her diet. Featuring video and images from her work in the hospital, the 8-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever can be seen loving on patients, playing with Jackson and prepping for work once her harness has been secured.

“When Layla visits, it’s very obvious to see that the people we work with tend to bring out the best in Layla,” Williams said. “We can also tell that when Layla is visiting, she clearly brings out the best in those people.”

To view the commercial in its entirety, click here. To read a recent Vanderbilt University Medical Center article on Layla and Williams, click here.

Physical Therapy Students Host Training Sessions for Future Therapy Animals

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PT students train therapy dogsFirst year physical therapy students Beau Kovach, Natalie Storey, Ashley Carney and Christine Fisher recently volunteered to participate in therapy animal training classes for Therapy ARC (Animals Reaching Clients), a local group.

A registered pet therapy team consists of a volunteer owner/handler and their trained pet who visit various members of the community to provide affection and comfort to those in need. Pet therapy teams work with a wide variety of people in many settings including hospitals, outpatient facilities, nursing homes, schools, colleges, libraries and courtrooms, among other places. These teams require a significant amount of training and simulations of various experiences.

Once an animal and handler complete the necessary training, they must pass a detailed evaluation performed by a licensed evaluator from a registered pet therapy organization.  During the evaluation, the animal and handler must perform basic obedience skills and demonstrate calm behavior around new people, other animals and during several simulated tasks including maneuvering through crowds of people, being petted or embraced by several people at once, approaching someone using a walker or wheelchair and simply being in unpredictable environments that may be noisy, include people of various ages and people with different physical and/or mental disabilities.

Continue reading →

Nursing Students Travel to Cambodia for Maymester, Service

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Earlier this summer, Belmont sent four family nurse practitioner (FNP) students to Cambodia for a service-focused Maymester experience. While they were there, the students treated nearly 550 patients in both rural and urban areas and visited cultural sites throughout the country. The group, which included Kelsey Bivacca, Allison Courtney, Kendall Schoenekase and Hannah Stirnaman, was funded through scholarships provided by Hope through Healing Hands and CVS and partnered with Freedom’s Promise, a Nashville-based nonprofit and Sihanouk Hospital for Hope in Phnom Penh. Continue reading →