Graduate students from Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing have been volunteering throughout the community to provide well child exams and sports physicals to Nashvillians. A recent purchase of portable equipment has allowed students and faculty to travel throughout the city, providing essential care while ensuring students have access to meaningful clinical experiences.
Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said, “This is a beautiful example of innovative service-learning and the spirit of giving we see in our faculty and staff. Opportunities for clinical placements for FNP students are difficult to secure, especially in pediatrics. Our faculty found a way to use their own community engagement to provide much-needed services while also giving our students high quality learning experiences. We see this as an ongoing opportunity for our students to see how their passions can meet the world’s needs.” Continue reading
The service trip included multiple opportunities to learn and interact with other people as Belmont students collaborated with the FSRL students in learning about the similarities and differences in PT and OT in Haiti versus the US. At Respire and myLIFEspeaks, both groups of students built adaptive equipment out of PVC pipe and duct tape, planned and executed activities for children with special needs, provided fall risk assessments and led exercise groups for older adults. Belmont students led a discussion with first year FRSL students on OT and PT, and Espiritu facilitated a case study for the entire group. 
Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy honored Dr. Melissa Shearer Kidder as this year’s Outstanding Alumnus during its 2018 Hooding Ceremony. Kidder graduated from Belmont School of PT in 2000 and is a board-certified orthopedic specialist currently serving as the orthopedic PT residency director at The Ohio State University’s Sport Medicine Physical Therapy program. Additionally, she is a lecturer in the Ohio State Division of Physical Therapy.
Dr. Cathy Hinton, professor in the School of Physical Therapy, was presented with the Lucy Blair Service Award this summer at the American Physical Therapy Association NEXT annual conference. The Lucy Blair Service Award honors physical therapist members or physical therapist life members whose contributions to APTA are of exceptional quality.
Belmont 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.
As 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.” 
First 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.
Chair and Associate Professor of Social Work Dr. Sabrina Sullenberger was recently published on Lifeway’s Facts & Trends, a blog focused on providing Christian leaders with information and resources. Her piece, “
They learned to take vital signs, complete CPR, work with “patients” in the nursing simulation labs, formulate troche and extract DNA from strawberries in the Pharmacy labs and work on their mobility skills in the physical and occupational therapy labs. The highlight of the week was the visit from Layla, the rehab Labrador Retriever who helped students learn about pet therapy, service animals and emotional support animals.