The Belmont University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students volunteered for Garrett’s Hero Run, a 5K event held each year to raise money and awareness to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Each year the students travel to Columbia, TN to participate in and volunteer at the run to support a member of the ‘Belmont PT Family’, a 2005 graduate of the program, Amber Sapp.
Belmont undergraduate nursing students recently served in the National Driver Appreciation Week held by Averitt Express Trucking Company in Nashville.
Assistant Nursing Professor Abbey Holthaus led a group of 28 students to provide free blood pressure screenings to participants. This service learning opportunity is the first time the nursing department has sent students out in the community early in the program to hone their nursing and communication skills.
“Safety regulations require truckers to maintain a healthy blood pressure,” said Holthaus. “Our students were able to provide a meaningful service while honing their skills as new nursing students.”
Dr. Anthony Blash, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, recently completed the facilitation of a virtual, 4-part Certified Associate in Health Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) Review Course facilitated and sponsored by the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS), North America Division.
HIMSS North America positively transforms health and healthcare through the best use of information and technology in the United States and Canada. As a cause-based non-profit, HIMSS North America provides thought leadership, community building, professional development, public policy and events. HIMSS North America represents 70,000 individual members, 630 corporate members and more than 450 non-profit organizations, all working to leverage the potential of digital health to improve both the health status of populations as well as the quality, cost-effectiveness, access and value of healthcare.
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
Earlier this semester, Belmont University Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) students volunteered at the annual Sara Walker Run to honor a 2003 Belmont DPT alumna Sara Pigg Walker. The Sara Walker Run is a fundraising event to raise money for various missions supported through the Sara Walker Foundation that are intended to help spread Sara’s message of hope to others through Jesus Christ.
Sara’s Story
Sara was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in January 2011, on her 33rd birthday. After 16 rounds of chemotherapy and three clinical research trials, Sara’s earthly struggle with cancer ended in August of 2012, at the age of 34. Continue reading
The Belmont University School of Physical Therapy (PT) and the Sara Walker Foundation have awarded the annual Sara Pigg Walker Physical Therapy Scholarship to this year’s recipients Kara Mae Sheft and Meredith Massengale.
Sara Pigg Walker, PT, DPT (’03) was a friend, Belmont PT classmate, alumnus and professional who passed away at a young age, but whose memory and legacy continues to inspire. The Sarah Pigg Walker Endowed Scholarship was established to honor her memory and legacy and is awarded to the rising 3rd year student(s) who demonstrate strengths in leadership, scholarship, service and clinical performance.
Pictured above: Massengale, Dinah Pigg Hall, who is Sara’s sister and a fellow Belmont PT alumna, and Kara Mae Sheft
Dr. Mike Voight, professor of physical therapy, was recently inducted into the inaugural Titleist Golf Performance Institute Hall of Fame class. He was recognized for his lifetime of being a leader in both promoting the game of golf and helping PGA Tour players reach their highest level of performance.Specifically, it was noted that Voight has been a worldwide leader in the development of testing algorithms in order to detect impairments and build treatment programs.
Melissa Moore, a 2006 nursing graduate from Belmont, was recently featured in an article for her work with cardiac services as an Outreach Coordinator for Advanced Cardiac Therapies at UCLA Health. In the article, Moore details the work her team is doing to expand their services to additional communities throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding area to ensure specialized care is convenient and accessible.
“We’re partnering with local cardiologists and primary care physicians to provide comprehensive services to patients closer to where they live and work,” she says.
The article goes on to detail Moore’s team’s work on heart failure treatment as more and more Americans continue to battle these diagnoses. According to the American Heart Association, the number of Americans who suffer from heart failure, an estimated 6.5 million, is expected to rise by 46 percent by 2030.
Belmont University College of Pharmacy raised $2,171 for the Nashville AIDS Walk and participated for the seventh consecutive year, sponsored by Nashville Cares on Oct. 6. Team Captain, Associate Professor Dr. Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz, led faculty and students who joined hundreds of community participants to benefit families impacted by HIV/AIDS in Middle Tennessee. Dr. Diaz-Cruz celebrated the outstanding efforts of his team noting, “This type of event provides a great opportunity for our students to be advocates in the community. I was proud to see dozens of students walking, and many of them volunteering in different capacities at the event including HIV testing.”
A highlight of this year’s event was witnessing the remarkable 1st place female runner medal win by one of our team members, Assistant Professor Dr. Kendall Shultes. The AIDS walk serves as a launch for multiple HIV prevention events including the HIV Testing and Counseling Certificate Program from the Tennessee Department of Health sponsored by Belmont College of Pharmacy and Nashville CARES.
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
During the recent annual congress of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy and Hip Preservation held in Melbourne Australia, Belmont University School of Physical Therapy Adjunct Instructor Dr. Ashley Campbell along with Professor Dr. Mike Voight showcased a research poster presentation.Attended by over 600 surgeons from around the world, the annual ISHA congress brings together the world’s best professionals who assess and treat hip injuries. During the closing ceremonies, ISHA President Dr. Chuck Cakic from South Africa and Dr. John O’Donnell from Australia recognized Campbell as having the best physical therapy research poster.
Professor of Physical Therapy Dr. Mike Voight recently spoke at the International Society of Hip Arthroscopy annual congress held in Melbourne, Australia. Serving as co-chair of the physical therapy programming, Voight was also invited to serve as an invited lecturer at the event.
Throughout the four-day congress, he gave several presentations on the management of hip injuries and on the emerging use of orthobiologics. In addition to invited presentations, Voight had two research platform presentations accepted for presentation. Attended by over 600 surgeons from around the world, the annual ISHA congress brings together the world’s best professionals who assess and treat hip injuries.
Recent 2018 Belmont Doctorate of Physical Therapy graduate Alicia Bowden completed a unique experience while in school when she traveled to Arequipa, Peru for one of her clinicals. While there, she worked with “Work the World,” an organization that coordinates international clinical internships tailored to a variety of healthcare backgrounds. With the help of Gail Bursch, associate professor of physical therapy & director of clinical education, Bowden was placed in the physiotherapy department at Hospital Goyeneche, one of the oldest and most respected medical institutions in southern Peru, where she spent six weeks working in acute and outpatient care.
This true Spanish immersion clinical experience was fast-paced, challenging and very rewarding. “Working in the hospital was a bit of a culture shock at first,” she said, “but by the end of my placement, I truly felt that I had become part of the team.” Continue reading
Three Belmont University College of Pharmacy students recently competed at the The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Clinical Pharmacy Challenge. The challenge is a team-based competition where teams of three students compete against teams from other schools and Colleges of Pharmacy. The competition features teams answering questions in a quiz bowl format.
A total of 112 teams from across the country and a variety of institutions competed in this event’s event. The Belmont University College of Pharmacy team consisted of Nate Berger, Olivia Pardue and Kevin Nofi, all of whom are in their fourth year of pharmacy school. The team made it to the third round of the competition.
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Dr. Anthony Blash and 8 other experts in Clinical Informatics met this summer to form the 2018 Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Jobs Analysis Workgroup. Using data gathered from hundreds of participants, the group met over two days in June at the HIMSS Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland to begin the process of updating the scope and content of the HIMSS Certification Examinations.
In order to keep pace with changes in the industry, the content representing the standard for HIMSS certificate holders must be updated every few years. The Certified Associate in Healthcare and Information Management Systems (CAHIMS) and Certified Professional in Healthcare and Information Management Systems (CPHIMS) are designed to bridge the IT and clinical roles that come together to leverage technology solutions for improved clinical outcomes and business operations. To learn more about the HIMSS Certification programs, visit the HIMSS website.