Monthly Archives: March 2020

Belmont Nursing Students Provide Critical Support for State, Local COVID19 Hotlines

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Volunteers at the Call Center

Belmont nursing students jumped at the chance to help out during a time of crisis. Caleb Smith, Rachel Poston, Peyton Rivers, William Pegram, Mariam Fakhar, Leigh Holdsambeck and Sally Dean teamed up with other student nursing volunteers from Middle Tennessee State University to provide critical support for several public information lines in Tennessee.

Headquartered at either the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) or the Metro Nashville Health Department (MHD), COVID19 hotlines were established to meet a dramatic uptick in calls from Tennesseans searching for reliable information as the number of cases started to rise. Continue reading →

Dr. Voight Speaks at American Physical Therapy Association Meeting

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Voight Speaks at APTA MeetingPhysical Therapy Professor Dr. Mike Voight was recently an invited speaker at the American Physical Therapy Association’s annual Combined Sections Meeting. Held in Denver Colorado, this year’s meeting had more than 16,000 attendees.

As editor in chief of the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, Dr. Voight presented on reviewing manuscripts using an organized systematic approach in the evaluation process. While specific to reviewing a manuscript, the presentation also provided key information for young clinicians on how to organize and write up their research in a manner that affords them success in the publication process.

Belmont Nursing Alumna Helps Create COVID-19 Testing Site in Nashville

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Belmont Nursing alumnus Shannon Ellrich (G2009) was featured in a front page story in the March 30 edition of The Tennessean. Ellrich and fellow Vanderbilt Medical Center nurse practitioner Kathleen Donais took on the challenge of creating COVID-19 testing sites out of thin air in a hospital parking deck and a tent on Dayton Avenue in south Nashville.

According to The Tennessean:

Few medical professionals have experience in a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic. But Ellrich does.
She graduated from Belmont University in 2009 and then served as a nurse corps officer in the U.S. Army. She was deployed to Liberia from October 2014 through March 2015 for the Ebola outbreak.
It was an introduction to infectious disease control and protective gear like what is being worn to treat patients now.

Read the full story in The Tennessean (subscription may be required).

Dr. Austin Presents at National Physical Therapy Conference

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Dr. Gary AustinWith collaborators for the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia, Dr. Gary Austin, professor and chair for the School of Physical Therapy, presented the following posters related to Pain Neuroscience Education at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM), which was held in Denver, Colorado Feb. 12 – 15. This is a national level conference and the APTA’s largest annual conference.

  • Pain Neuroscience Education Changes PA Student Intervention Patterns, Including Physical Therapy Referrals: Sue E. Curfman, PT, DHSc; Joyce S. Nicholas, PhD; Gary P. Austin, PT, PhD and Benjamin M. Radack, PT.
  • Differences in Pain Neuroscience Perspectives between Physical Therapy Students and Clinical Instructors: Sue E. Curfman, PT, DHSc; Joyce S. Nicholas, PhD; Gary P. Austin, PT, PhD and Benjamin M. Radack, PT
  • PT and PA Students Differ in Perceptions, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Persistent Pain? Sue E. Curfman, PT, DHSc; Joyce S. Nicholas, PhD; Gary P. Austin, PT, PhD and Benjamin M. Radack, PT

Additionally, Dr. Austin presented the following platform:

  • Pain Neuroscience Knowledge and Pain Perspectives: A Longitudinal Study of DPT Students and Faculty. Sue E. Curfman, PT, DHSc; Joyce S. Nicholas, PhD; Gary P. Austin, PT, PhD and Benjamin M. Radack, PT

Belmont Pharmacy Student Wins Poster of the Year at Tennessee Pharmacists Association Meeting

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Pharmacy student Jillian Morgan at TPA Poster Presentation Contest

Pharmacy student Jillian Morgan at TPA Poster Presentation Contest

Belmont pharmacy student Jill Morgan recently won Poster of the Year at the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) meeting in Nashville. She competed in the Tennessee Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2020 poster presentation and was selected by four judges out of more than 40 submissions.

Morgan’s poster was titled, “Evaluation of Discontinuing Bolus Insulin and Substituting with a Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Agonist (GLP-1 Agonist) in Veterans with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes While on a Basal-Bolus Insulin Regimen.”

In addition to Morgan’s victory, alumna Maren Richards-Brinton was also recognized in the contest as a “Distinguished Poster.” Richards-Brinton’s poster was titled, “Evaluation of Alvimopan Use After Major Small or Large Bowl Procedures.”

Occupational Therapy Students Volunteer at Preschool ‘Cooking School’

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OT students and cooking school friends making

OT students and cooking school friends making “caterpillars” with grapes and tomatoes.

On Saturday, February 29, 30 Belmont occupational therapy students volunteered their time to help facilitate an interactive food experience for dozens of preschool children. The children and their families are part of a Nashville community group for parents of multiples, and the event was created and hosted by Sprocket Therapy.

Belmont student group photo

Occupational therapist and clinic owner Barb Talbert designed a preschool “cooking school” with the idea of introducing children from a young age to various nutritious foods through play-based food-prep experiences.

The children engaged in various food stations to create edible, preschool-sized snacks and drinks. Belmont occupational therapy students led the food stations and helped to ensure each participant was successful.

PT Students Present Research at American Physical Therapy Association National Meeting

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Cailey Daluga at American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections’ national meeting in Denver, Colorado

Third year physical therapy student Cailey Daluga at American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections’ national meeting in Denver, Colorado

Third year physical therapy students Cailey Daluga, Austin McCarthy, Chris Mungia and Megan Howard presented their research on the “Impact of Functional Decline on Sleep in Patients with ALS” at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections’ national meeting in Denver, Colorado.

This research was conducted with Penny Powers MS, PT, ATP at the Vanderbilt ALS clinic with Renee Brown, PT, PHD as the faculty advisor.

Dr. Halle Featured in Physical Therapy Faculty Series

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Physical Therapy Professor Dr. John Halle was recently featured in a physical therapy faculty interview series. Dr. Halle talked about his career development and what inspired the establishment of the human anatomy lab at Belmont University.

Throughout the interview, Halle discussed how teaching strategies in the human anatomy lab help to improve student knowledge and outcomes.  Additionally, this laboratory space has provided an excellent opportunity for inter-professional education (IPE) and research publications related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. He finishes the interview with advice for individuals considering a career in physical therapy.

Nursing Faculty and Students Attend Rural Health Care Event

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Samuel Lewis, Sen. Frist, Ashlyn Upshaw
From Left to Right: Samuel Lewis, Sen. Frist and Ashlyn Upshaw

More than half of Tennessee’s population live in rural areas where access to health care is limited and higher rates of poverty and poor health outcomes are the norm. Last week, College of Health Sciences faculty and Doctor of Nursing Practice students Samuel Lewis and Ashlyn Upshaw attended a Nashville Health Care Council event to learn more about this growing national problem.

“Solving the Rural Health Care Puzzle: National, State and Provider Perspectives” featured an expert panel moderated by Bill Frist, MD, former US Senate majority leader, and included Alan Levine, executive chairman, president and CEO of Ballad Health; Sarah Chouinard, MD, chief medical officer for Community Care of West Virginia; and Stuart C. McWhorter, commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.

Panelists addressed rural health challenges including health disparities, workforce shortages, the need for systems innovation and the move to reimbursement for value over volume-based care.