Author Archives: Graduate Health Sciences

Pharmacy Fellow Certifies with HIMSS

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Kate ClaussenBelmont College of Pharmacy and Aegis Sciences Corporation Clinical Scientist Fellow Dr. Kate Claussen recently became certified by examination in health care informatics. The Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) is a new Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) health IT certification designed for emerging professionals within the industry.

This certification demonstrates knowledge of health IT and management systems, facilitates entry-level careers in health IT and is designed to be a career pathway to the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) credential.

Belmont’s sponsor of the CAHIMS certification initiative is Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Informatics and Analytics Anthony Blash, Pharm.D., BCompSc, CPHIMS. Blash has created a three-course sequence of classes to prepare Belmont student pharmacists for healthcare informatics and to sit for the CAHIMS certification. The college saw its first students certify at the CAHIMS level in 2015 and expects 20-30 students to certify each year moving forward. Blash has also been invited to teach a “Boot Camp” intensive version of the CAHIMS review at the 2016 Healthcare Summit of the Southeast in September. The conference is sponsored by the Tennessee Chapter of HIMSS and will be held in Nashville.

“Nashville is considered by many to be home to the U.S. healthcare industry, with nearly 300 companies providing healthcare synergies found in few other places.” said Blash. “If your interests lie in healthcare and informatics, our program stands apart. With experiential rotation sites at the headquarters of the largest healthcare organizations in the world, faculty with experiences in the corporate boardrooms of many American healthcare companies and a pharmacy/healthcare informatics experience facilitated by the immediate past national chairman of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Educational Steering Committee on Informatics and Technology, our faculty represents the pinnacle of teaching experience. As an HIMSS Education Partner, Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy becomes the only pharmacy school in the world with a healthcare informatics concentration leading to an internationally recognized certification in healthcare informatics which may be obtained before experiential rotations, residency inquiries and job searches begin.”

College of Pharmacy sends group to Honduras for medical mission

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A group of faculty and students from Belmont University College of Pharmacy recently traveled to Honduras as part of the Baptist Medical Dental Mission Trip. Drs. Adam Pace and Leela Kodali and Noah Vasilakes and Brittany Hayes, two 4th year pharmacy students, joined a team of 20 medical professionals for the trip.

The team set up a medical clinic, dentistry clinic and pharmacy in a schoolhouse in Naguaterique, a rural mountain community on the El Salvadorian border and saw more than 1500 patients. About 5800 prescriptions were dispensed through the pharmacy, 223 teeth were pulled by the dentist for 117 dental patients and 325 pairs of eyeglasses were distributed. Additionally, 64 individuals professed a new found faith in Jesus or expressed a renewal of their Christian commitment during the church services and through personal evangelism at the medical stations.

Pace oversaw the setup and operation of the dispensing pharmacy while Kodali provided clinical pharmacy services in the medical clinic by answering providers’ questions about medications and making recommendations on drug therapy.

As part of their advanced pharmacy practice experience, Vasilakes and Hayes split their time between the pharmacy and the clinic. This experience was designed for them to compare and contrast the provision of pharmacy services during a mission trip in Honduras to that of a Nashville patient population.

Vasilakes said, “The Honduras medical mission trip was a wonderful opportunity to use my pharmacy skills and knowledge outside of my comfort zone. It amazed me what our team was able to do in only a few days when teaming with the Hondurans who were incredibly friendly, helpful and welcoming. It was a blessing to be able to provide care to people who otherwise likely would not receive it, and I am so thankful for being provided with this chance to share the love of God through healthcare.”

Hayes added, “Traveling to Honduras gave me the opportunity to not only learn more about myself and the type of practitioner I want to be, but also allowed me to learn about an entirely different culture. The Honduran people were warm, welcoming and grateful for any and all assistance we provided. Although a language barrier existed, a smile and kind eyes created a patient-provider bond that ended the consultations with hugs and trust. I will never forget one particular patient who spoke about the renewed love of God she found that day through the generosity of the mission. As our eyes teared up, she thanked me and blessed me for everything she had been given that day. What she didn’t know was that she and the other patients gave me a renewed love of God as well. Healing begins with the soul and I find myself blessed to have been able to contribute to the physical and spiritual healing in Naguaterique.”

Kovach Spreads ‘Disney Magic,’ Heads to College Program

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Recent Belmont exercise science graduate Beau Kovach will trade his cap and gown for a new costume this summer as he transforms into an entertainment performer in the Disney College Program. Beginning later this summer, Kovach will join other college students and new graduates who share a similar passion, making people smile.

Growing up as a self-proclaimed “Disney child,” Kovach’s mother worked at a Disney store and gained traits and attributes that Kovach always admired. “The Walt Disney Company has the ability to elicit an unprovoked, natural happiness, and that is something that I would love to contribute to on a daily basis,” he said. “I cannot wait to be a reason why families, including my own, will have memories of a lifetime just from a small interaction.”

College ProgramKovach visited Disney World during his audition process and found a fraternity brother with similar dreams. The two, among many other applicants, have stayed in touch throughout their Disney journey and look forward to experiencing the program together. As a committed member of his brotherhood, Kovach said he is very grateful to continue to make connections with brothers from across the country while at Disney.

Though his time as a performer at the world renowned park will fulfill a lifelong dream, Kovach looks to other things for his ultimate career aspirations. He’d like to become a physical therapist, specializing in pediatric athletes, so the experience of working with families will provide opportunities to engage with children in a special way—the “Disney way,” Kovach said. “This happy place is a tangible location where people can come and forget about pettiness and let go of debilitating insignificant problems with work or silly arguments or all these tiny things that make our society so high strung and stressed out. Not everyone may believe in ‘Disney magic’ or ‘pixie dust,’ but you know the feeling when it hits you.”

For Kovach, spreading the “magic” is enough to move to Orlando, Florida and spend his first few months as a college graduate entertaining the world with the sights and sounds of Disney.

Pharmacy professor leads antibiotic stewardship program at Williamson Medical Center recognized in national report

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WilliamsMediumDr. Montgomery Williams, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, is providing leadership to an effort at Williamson Medical Center (WMC) in Franklin, Tennessee to curb unnecessary antibiotic use, an initiative recently recognized in a report published by The Pew Charitable Trusts.  Dr. Williams was quoted earlier this week by The Tennessean in a story about the success of the antibiotic program.

Dr. Williams serves at Williamson Medical Center as part of her teaching responsibilities at Belmont University College of Pharmacy, educating PharmD students in their advanced practice experiences at the medical center during their final year of study.   As an internal medicine and antibiotic stewardship pharmacist at WMC, she provides extensive training in general medicine to students throughout the year as they complete month-long rotations at the medical center.  Like all Pharmacy Practice faculty in the College of Pharmacy, Dr. Williams divides her time between the classroom at Belmont and her community site where she mentors student pharmacists who are near completion of their doctoral degree.  Those students participate in the antibiotic program during their rotation with Dr. Williams.

At Williamson Medical Center, where Dr. Williams has practiced for the past six years, she is the co-chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program along with Dr. Shaefer Spires, an antibiotic stewardship physician and hospital epidemiologist.  Other health professionals involved in the program at WMC include Dr. Courtney (Curtis) Sutton, pediatric pharmacist (2013 PharmD graduate from Belmont); Dr. Michael Wright, critical care pharmacist; and Dr. Tracey Bastian, clinical pharmacy manager.  In her role as chair, Dr. Williams coordinates ongoing efforts to evaluate how the hospital prescribes antibiotics and work with physicians in developing appropriate treatment plans for patients.   “Presenting recommendations to physicians can be challenging — you really have to work together as a team,”  Williams said in the Tennessean. “We always want what’s best for the patient.”

Also quoted in the Tennessean was Dr. David Hyun, senior officer of Pew Charitable Trusts’ antibiotic resistance project, which published the report. “Williamson Medical Center is a great example of how a program can be tailored to the needs of a community hospital,” said Hyun, who developed and co-chaired a stewardship program at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.  “Efforts to use antibiotics appropriately are not only about reducing resistance but ensuring patients get the right care.”

The full report can be found at http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2016/04/a-path-to-better-antibiotic-stewardship-in-inpatient-settings.

Belmont University School of Nursing Named on Top 50 List

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Belmont’s School of Nursing was recently included on NursingSchoolsAlmanac.com’s top nursing schools list for 2016. With data collected from 3,200 institutions across the nation, 10 percent of schools are included on the organization’s list.

Belmont was ranked No. 28 in the “Top 50 School in the Southeast” (top 3 percent of schools considered) and No. 62 among private nursing schools on the “Top 100 Nursing Schools” list (in the top 5 percent of all schools considered) .

College of Health Sciences & Nursing and College of Pharmacy Collaborate on Interprofessional Lab Simulation

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Belmont’s School of Nursing and College of Pharmacy recently collaborated to demonstrate and educate students on their crucial roles in preventing medical errors. Collaboration and communication between health care professionals has been identified as one of the most important aspects of reducing errors and Belmont’s collaborative partnerships illustrates the University’s commitment to preparing its students for their careers.

The inaugural pilot program’s coordinator Dr. Anthony Blash, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy said the collaboration between nurses and pharmacists allows for identification of potential medication errors, furthering the field’s ability to eliminate errors. Some of the technology available at the bedside to prevent errors and promote patient safety includes medication dispensing cabinets, electronic health records, patient identification through electronic scanners and infusion safety software that provides “dose error reduction.” Each of these is utilized in Belmont’s School of Nursing but, prior to this pilot, pharmacy students and nursing had not collaborated in the reduction of medical errors.

(L to R: Drs. Blash and Hallmark)

L to R: Drs. Blash and Hallmark

Blash and Dr. Beth Fentress Hallmark, director of simulation in the College of Health Sciences & Nursing, provided simulation-based education to first-year pharmacy students in pharmacy’s “Introduction to Drug Information and Informatics” course.

“I know this makes a difference in the professional lives of these pharmacy students,” Hallmark said. “The most powerful comment was when one of the students said she did not realize that nursing students knew so much about medication. Dr. Blash said it best when he talked about the ‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality in healthcare and how it must be a ‘we’ mentality… this is what prevents medical error.”

Several nursing, business and pharmacy faculty participated in this initiative including Sara Camp, Jean Blank, PJ Ambrefe, Victoria Buechel, Dr. Tammy Legge, Dr. David Wyant and Dr. Kate Claussen.

Nursing Alumnus Honored with Vanderbilt’s Founder’s Medal

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Jessica Walker, a Belmont School of Nursing alumnus, was recently honored as a Founder’s Medalist for Vanderbilt School of Nursing where she graduated with her Master’s of Science in Nursing in Vanderbilt’s Psychiatric-Mental Heath Nurse Practitioner program.

According to the Vanderbilt website, the Founder’s Medals have been given since 1877 to the top graduates from each school at the University, in honor of the awards’ benefactor Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Since being at Vanderbilt, Walker received the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Board of Directors Student Scholarship, served as president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and was very involved locally as she volunteered at Room in the Inn, NAMI of Davidson County and Renewal House. Currently, Walker is enrolled in Vanderbilt’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

Pharmacy Students Earn Certification to Conduct HIV Testing

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In an effort to end HIV/AIDS in Tennessee, 17 Belmont University College of Pharmacy students recently volunteered and received intensive training in HIV prevention counseling and testing. The Tennessee Department of Health certified these students who will be using their newly acquired skills to serve communities around Nashville through HIV testing, education and prevention during the annual Walgreens National HIV Testing Days event scheduled for June 23-25.

Dr. Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz is leading the initiative, first started in 2013, and has forged an ongoing partnership between the College of Pharmacy and Nashville Cares, a local non-profit that provides life-saving services to Middle Tennesseans living with HIV/AIDS. Diaz-Cruz said, “I am very proud of our students for volunteering to reach out of their comfort zones to serve the community by bringing attention to HIV/AIDS education. I believe this type of training and personal outreach exposes our students to unique experiences to better serve the public and represent BU.” Since 2013, this partnership has resulted in 44 trained individuals and hundreds of community service outreach hours serving Middle Tennessee.

Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Announces 2016 Inductees

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Hall of Fame’s second class represents Tennessee’s greatest health and health care pioneers

The Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame announced the six health care professionals selected as the Hall of Fame’s second class of inductees at a luncheon held on Belmont University’s campus Tuesday. With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industries, the Hall of Fame was created by Belmont University and the McWhorter Society and is supported by the Nashville Health Care Council, a Hall of Fame Founding Partner.

Chair of the McWhorter Society and Chairman of Medcare Investment Funds Dr. Harry Jacobson said, “This group of six individuals embodies some of the greatest talent our state has ever seen. With representatives from all corners of Tennessee who have made a significant impact on their communities through their work as leaders, practitioners, executives and scientists, the Hall of Fame is honored to name such a deserving group of health care legends as inductees.”

The nomination process began in January and was open to practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, mentors, teachers, scientists, researchers, innovators or any person with a connection to the health or health care field. Nominees must have:

  • Been born, lived or have worked in Tennessee
  • Made a significant impact and lasting contribution to health care at the local, state, national or international level
  • Exhibit the highest ethical and professional character
  • Serve as an outstanding role model in their community

Among the more than 35 highly qualified candidates nominated, the inductees were reviewed by a Selection Committee made up of health and health care leaders from across the state. Selected inductees represent some of Tennessee’s greatest health and health care pioneers, leaders and innovators.

Inducted individuals include:

  • Jack Bovender: Retired Chairman and CEO of Hospital Corporation of America, Member of the National Health Care Hall of Fame, Credited with the rescue of patients in an HCA hospital during Hurricane Katrina
  • Dr. Stanley Cohen: Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in medicine and physiology, Faculty Member at Washington University and Professor of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt, Completed research on epidermal growth factors that contributed to discoveries for individual cancer and immune system dysfunction therapiesDr. Colleen Conway-Welch: Dean Emerita of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Past Nashvillian of the Year, Served on President Reagan’s Commission on HIV Epidemic and the National Bipartisan Commissions of the Future of Medicare, Founder of Friends of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research
  • Dr. Henry Foster: Professor Emeritus and Former Dean of Meharry College’s School of Medicine, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University, President Clinton’s Senior Advisor on Teen Pregnancy Reduction and youth Issues, Pioneered a national model for regionalized perinatal health care systems
  • Dr. Frank Groner: President Emeritus of Memphis’s Baptist Memorial Hospital, Commissioner of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, Health Consultant to the federal government
  • Dr. Paul Stanton: President Emeriti and Professor Emeriti of Surgery of East Tennessee State University, Served as a member of the Governor’s TennCare Roundtable, Assisted in conducting the first review and recommendation of changes to Tennessee’s Medicaid program

In addition to recognizing Tennessee’s most influential health and health care leaders, The Hall of Fame will serve as an on-going educational resource to document the rich history that has contributed to Tennessee’s position as a leader for national health care initiatives.

Belmont’s President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “It is widely recognized that Tennessee is a central hub for health care in the United States, and with Nashville at the helm, our community has seen many individuals and organizations take significant strides to shape and advance the industry. Meanwhile, Belmont University has taken a significant role in undergraduate, graduate and executive health care education. The induction of these members into the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame will help us inspire the next generation of health care leaders, while further promoting Tennessee’s booming success as the nation’s premiere health care hub.”

Created in 2015, the Hall of Fame inducted eight inaugural members last year including Dr. Thomas Frist, Jr., Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., Dr. Ernest Goodpasture, Jack C. Massey, R. Clayton McWhorter, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Mildred Stahlman and Danny Thomas.

OT Professor Recognized with the AOTA Roster of Fellows Award

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Hachtel Fellow

Dr. Yvette Hachtel (left) receives the Roster of Fellows award.

Dr. Yvette Hachtel, professor of occupational therapy at Belmont, was recently honored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) with the Roster of Fellows Award.  The Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapists who through their knowledge, expertise, leadership, advocacy, and guidance have made a significant contribution over time to the profession with a measured impact on consumers of occupational therapy services and/or members of the Association.

Dr. Hachtel was specifically honored for her significant contributions in education and advocacy.  She was cited for affecting the practice of over 30+ years’ worth of students and practitioners and for infusing professionalism and activism into their education and repertoire of skills.

Dr. Hachtel is the fourth faculty member from Belmont’s School of Occupational Therapy to be included in the Roster of Fellows.   Previously, Dr. Susan Young, Dr. Debra Gibbs and Dr. Lorry Kleinfeld have been recognized.

School of Nursing Takes Pledge on Opioid Education

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Belmont’s School of Nursing recently committed to educating advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, as part of ongoing efforts to combat prescription drug and opioid abuse across the U.S. The commitment was featured in a White House fact sheet today as part of the White House Champions of Change event on Advancing Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery.

Earlier this month, administration asked the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) member schools with APRN programs to partner on this initiative. Belmont recognizes that opioid abuse is a pressing public health crisis, and it is critical that students receive education on current standards.

Today, AACN’s President and CEO Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN, will offer remarks at the White House to recognize the 191 AACN schools that have taken this pledge. “AACN is proud of the rapid response by our membership when the Administration called to help ensure future generations of providers who prescribe opioids for chronic pain are prepared for the critical work ahead,” said Trautman. “We commend academic nursing’s dedication to ensuring our nation’s future providers are prepared to address opioid abuse and overdose using best practices.”

Belmont’s Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner said the university is committed to ensuring its graduates are prepared to combat the nation’s opioid abuse problem. “As primary care providers, APRNs are well positioned to be part of the solution to opioid abuse, a serious health problem affecting many Tennesseans,” Buckner said. “Our students will receive a firm grounding in best practices for prescribing as outlined in the CDC’s new guidelines.”

Nursing Students Present at Regional, National Summit

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AACN Policy summit 2016

L to R: Dr. Martha Buckner, associate
dean of nursing, Rice and Cook

Doctor of Nursing Practice students Angie Cook and Justin Rice were recently selected to attend the AACN Nursing Policy Summit in Washington D.C., two of only four Tennessee nursing students who were selected to attend. During the conference, the students were immersed in didactic program sessions focused on federal policy processes and nursing’s role in professional advocacy. They also visited with legislative staff from Senator Alexander and Corker’s offices to advocate for nursing in patient health improvement.

Following the summit, more than 90 Belmont nursing students participated in the Tennessee Nurses Association Legislative Summit. Undergraduate, RN-BSN and graduate students gathered in the War Memorial Auditorium with other Tennessee nursing students to learn about the state’s legislative processes. This year’s keynote speaker was ANA president Dr. Pam Cipriano.

PT students to collect shoes for underserved children in Nashville

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In conjunction with the 2016 APTA NEXT conference being held in Nashville from June 8 through June 11, Belmont University’s School of Physical Therapy is partnering with Shoes4Kids to collect and distribute new athletic shoes and socks to underserved children and their families in the Nashville community.   The goal is to collect 1,300 pairs of shoes to reach the 10,000th  pair of shoes that Shoes4Kids has given out in the last 10 years.

You can help by teaming up with Belmont’s PT students to place collection containers in appropriate stores and clinics, purchasing “NEW” youth athletic shoes (toddler size 1 to adult size 15) to donate, or sending a monetary donation to help purchase shoes.

For more information, contact Dr. Christi Williams (christi.williams@belmont.edu) or student representatives, Kylie Cook, SPT (kylie.cook@pop.belmont.edu) or Jade Manning, SPT (jade.manning@pop.belmont.edu)

College of Pharmacy Finds Success on “Match Day”

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Student pharmacists and alumni claim 32 positions across the U.S.

“Match Day,” the highly anticipated moment when Belmont’s College of Pharmacy soon-to-be-graduates and alumni learn where they’ll spend the next year honing their skills and talents, was a successful day at Belmont as 32 student pharmacists and alumni heard of their acceptance to competitive residency positions across the country. About 3,000 residencies were offered for this year’s American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists match, far fewer than the number of student pharmacists desiring a position.

College of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Phil Johnston said, “Belmont College of Pharmacy has always had an impressive match rate, which can be attributed to enhanced student awareness of career goals and faculty mentoring. It was a happy week to celebrate the success of our students and their futures.  Congratulations to the classes of 2015 and 2016.”

Graduates selected for first-year residencies include Sarah Ayers (Jackson-Madison County Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee), Candace Beam (VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare in Nashville, Tennessee), Bailey Bolten (Erlanger Health Systems in Chattanooga, Tennessee), Tyler Casey (Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee), Ricky Church (Memorial Healthcare System in Chattanooga, Tennessee), Jennifer Collins (University of Chicago Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois), Scott Denno (Tennessee Department of Mental Health in Nashville, Tennessee), Fernando Diggs (Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama), Meredith Ervin (Birmingham VA Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama), Chelsea Goodman (Ephriam McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville, Kentucky), Sarah Hardeman (The Medical Center, Columbus Regional in Columbus, Georgia), Shelby Hood (Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee), Joe Huenecke (University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio), Michelle Kirchbaum (Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama), Jocelyn Mason (University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota), Quyen Nguyen (Cookeville Regional Hospital in Cookeville, Tennessee), Frederick O’Neal (Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican in Henderson, Nevada), Emily Russell (James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee), Kristen Sherlin (University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky), Jennifer Sposito (Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana), Sara Thompson (VA Caribbean Health Care System in San Juan, Puerto Rico), Erin Todd (Tristar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee), Alexander Tu (National Association of Community Drug Stores), Duy Vu (Dekalb Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia), Danielle Walker (Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee), Katie Wickler (Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee) and Haley Willett (Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky).

Additionally, of the 22 student pharmacists who matched last spring, five are going on to a second-year residency. Drs. Emily Doss, Meghan Duquette, Elizabeth Jasper, Jocelyn Mason and Nilam Patel will be pursuing second-year residencies in internal medicine, psychiatry (2), infectious disease and cardiology, respectively.

First-year pharmacy residencies provide post-PharmD training in health systems, managed care and community settings, while second-year residencies provide advanced training in a focused area of patient care.

Pharmacy Student receives Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award which Honors Inclusivity and Diversity

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In honor of Dr. Fannie Hewlett, Belmont’s first African American graduate, the University created the inaugural Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award and bestowed it upon an undergraduate and graduate student at Wednesday’s annual Scholarship and Awards Day. The award celebrates racial and ethnic diversity by recognizing student courage, leadership and a contribution to a culture of inclusion at Belmont. Its creation is one of the many initiatives from the University’s Welcome Home Team, a committee of faculty, staff and students that explores opportunities and plans strategies to expand racial and ethnic diversity on campus.

Dr. Hewlett grew up in Bay Minette, Alabama, and decided to come to Belmont College, some 420 miles away from her home, after finding a brochure for the school in her mailbox. Though she hadn’t visited the College and didn’t know where Nashville was, she arranged for transportation and embarked on the journey of a lifetime.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and English from Belmont in 1970, Hewlett went on to earn her Master of Arts in Clinical and School Psychology from Fisk University in 1975 and her Doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1990. Most recently, Hewlett served as the interim president at Chattanooga State Community College.

Chair of the Welcome Home Team, Vice President and Chief of Staff Dr. Susan West said the University was honored to recognize Dr. Hewlett through the creation of this award. “The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award celebrates Dr. Hewlett by honoring students who have followed in her footsteps to make powerful change on our campus. It is our privilege to remember the legacy she left at Belmont for many years to come.”

Dr. Hewlett returned to campus in October 2015 for the Welcome Home Team’s inaugural Diversity Week, a week created to celebrate the University’s diversity and inclusivity efforts. While on campus, Hewlett gave a presentation to faculty, staff and students and said, “The people I have met here are the people who have helped me to become what I have become today. For that, I am eternally grateful.”

The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award will continue to be awarded during the University’s Scholarship and Awards Day each year. For West, the creation of this award is a testament to the great things transpiring on Belmont’s campus. “It means we’re acknowledging our past and taking important steps in the areas of racial and ethnic diversity and inclusion. It further recognizes the essential conversations that are happening in our boardrooms, classrooms and dorm rooms, and Welcome Home Team is honored to assist in facilitating those conversations.”

This year’s award recipients were Tetchi Assaomi (College of Pharmacy) and Kristoff Hart (Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business).

Nursing Instructor Acheives Certified Healthcare Simulation Expert Ranking

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 Sara CampInstructor of Nursing Sara Camp recently achieved the Certified Healthcare Simulation Expert (CHSE) rank from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. This certification sets her apart as an expert in the assessment, practice and methodology of simulation and will be instrumental in helping advance the full certification of our simulation program in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing.

There are over 700 other CHSE professionals from 19 countries; Camp is one of only 16 such professionals in Tennessee.

College of Health Sciences Introduces new major in Public Health

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Undergraduate degree seeks to address critical topic of community well-being

This fall Belmont University will begin preparing the next generation of expert community health advocates through the establishment of an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH). A dynamic field of study and practice credited with saving millions of lives, public health focuses on improving the health of communities and populations by working to develop the conditions and behaviors that contribute to better health for all. Practitioners address a wide range of topics that can include air, water and food standards; vaccine initiatives; tobacco control regulations; highway safety and injury prevention programs; emergency preparedness; and more.

Dr. Cathy Taylor, dean of Belmont’s Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing where the major will be housed, said, “Establishing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health supports our College’s goal to prepare graduates who are compassionate providers and transformational leaders dedicated to service. The need for the content in this program is great, as the health of Americans—and Tennesseans in particular—remains sub-optimal. We suffer illness and premature death at higher rates than other developed countries, and the U.S. economy is at risk due to rising healthcare costs with an unhealthy workforce that has grown less competitive in the global marketplace. Our faculty and students can bring their best science and qualified skills to addressing those issues head on.”

“Tennessee is fortunate to have excellent schools and programs in public health that help meet the increasing demand in our state, nationally and internationally for professionals who are well grounded in population health principles and practice, increasingly understood as being more important even than healthcare to meet the desire we all share for optimal health,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, FACOEM. “We are delighted that Belmont is creating this undergraduate public health program that can meaningfully contribute to this growing emphasis on public health, and I’m grateful to Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher, Dr. Taylor and others at Belmont who have taken this forward looking step in their institutional journey and educational mission. We look forward to working with them to help train an advancing generation of professionals.”

The Belmont program was designed based on accreditation guidelines set forth by the Council on Education in Public Health. The BSPH prepares students for work in positions in a variety of settings including health-related agencies, hospitals, local and state public health departments, academic research centers and institutes, corporate disease management and wellness programs, non-profit agencies, and healthcare businesses and industries. Examples include:

  • Community health outreach worker
  • International health organization or missions program assistant
  • Research assistant with a nonprofit organization
  • Carrying out health-related assessments at construction sites
  • Doing consulting work related to disease prevention
  • Working at a company that does health communication and health marketing
  • Conducting air quality sampling and surveying

Many students with undergraduate degrees in public health go straight on to health-related graduate programs, while some graduates choose to take advantage of government programs to gain more experience before entering the workforce or moving on to graduate study (e.g., serving in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or participating in a CDC Training Fellowship such as the Public Health Associate Program, a 1-2 year, paid fellowship).

Belmont’s program will emphasize hands-on field work hours in clinical, research, policy or community health settings at local and international locations. Students in the major will be mentored to achieve personal goals whether they choose employment after their bachelor’s degree or admission into a graduate or professional program. Courses will include explorations in the foundations of public health, epidemiology, environmental health, biostatistics, policy, global health and health economics, among others. Finally, as with all health science programs at Belmont, public health majors will benefit from the ability to work with interdisciplinary teams of students and professional colleagues in nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, social work and health care administration, providing the best possible atmosphere to emulate the challenges and complexities of modern health care.

For more information, visit belmont.edu/publichealth.

Pharmacy Professor Speaks at Healthcare Information Management Systems Society Conference

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BlashSmall2College of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Dr. Anthony Blash co-presented at the 2016 Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada with JoAnn W. Klinedinst, M.Ed., CPHIMS, PMP, DES, FHIMSS, vice president of professional development for HIMSS North America.

Blash spoke about the benefits of being a HIMSS Approved Education Partner (AEP) and highlighted the fact that Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy was the first AEP chosen by the HIMSS society.

Attendance at this years’ conference was at a near-record high with over 40,000 attendees. After the conference, the society donated HIMSS conference backpacks to Blash for Belmont University College of Pharmacy students in the Healthcare Informatics concentration. The bags will go to students in a variety of healthcare informatics courses, as well as those who obtain their CAHIMS certification before graduation.

HIMSS is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality, safety, cost-effectiveness and access through the best use of information technology and management systems with 52,000 individual members, 570 corporate members and 225 not-for-profit association members.

Belmont Alumnus featured in Minority Nurse Magazine

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LaQuitta Wilkins, a 2012 Belmont alumna and past member of the Women’s Basketball Team, was recently featured as an “In the Spotlight” of Minority Nurse, a magazine, career resource for nurses and the largest dedicated diversity nursing jobs board, according to the organization’s website.

In the spotlight, Wilkins said her time in nursing school was especially challenging as she was also a member of the basketball team. But she stuck to the task and found time to study between games. Wilkins is quoted as saying, “Even when people told me I couldn’t do nursing school and basketball, I did. You can do it even if you face adversity. If you have a positive mindset you can achieve anything.”

Wilkins is a traveling pediatric RN and was recently named Miss Black Alabama 2016.

Belmont’s Masters of Science in Nursing Graduates Achieve 100 Percent Pass Rate for 12th Straight Year

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 All graduates of Belmont’s Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) program for Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) have passed the nursing certification exam on their first attempt. The most recent class of 22 graduates passed the exam this spring, making this the 12th consecutive year of 100 percent first-attempt success.

Nursing-ExamAssociate Dean of Nursing and Professor Dr. Martha Buckner said, “This is an amazing accomplishment for these students and Belmont’s program. It gives a clear indication of the quality and rigor of our program, and I could not be more proud of our students and their success. I am especially grateful to Dr. Leslie Higgins, director of Belmont’s Graduate Studies in Nursing, whose leadership of the program for the past 18 years has helped us achieve significant growth and outstanding quality within our graduate nursing programs.”

The School of Nursing began offering its MSN degree 20 years ago and with the creation of the Doctorate of Nursing, the College’s graduate programs have grown to a record enrollment of 88 students in the fall of 2015. Prepared to practice in a variety of settings, FNPs provide primary health care to families and individuals of all ages. Graduates from Belmont’s program have gone on to practice in pediatrics, genetics, family practice and public health, among others.

The advanced practice nursing examination for FNPs is administered by the American Credential Center (ANCC) and validates nursing skills, knowledge and abilities. Since 1990, more than a quarter million nurses have been certified by ANCC and over 80,000 advanced practice nurses are currently certified by the ANCC. The certification is accepted by governing boards throughout the U.S. as well as insurers and the military.

Pharmacy Students Attend State Conference

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The Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists (TSSP) Winter Meeting was recently held in downtown Nashville at the Double Tree Hotel. Eighteen students from Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy attended to learn more about TSSP and advocate for the pharmacy profession. The Winter Meeting brings student pharmacists together from across Tennessee to engage in current legislation, build relationships and advocate for the pharmacy profession.

Belmont student Shelby Blalock took the reigns as the 2016-2017 TSSP president during the meeting. Blalock stated, “Attending the TSSP Winter Meeting was a great experience! During the meeting, we met other student pharmacists from across the state of Tennessee, shared our passion for the field of pharmacy and learned how to advocate for our profession through pharmacist panels and workshops.”

At the meeting this year, APhA Foundation Resident Brian Donahue, PharmD served as the keynote speaker. Donahue spoke on the event’s theme, “The Time is Now,” and described opportunities in the pharmacy profession and how to act on them. There was also a presentation on the past, present and future of TSSP, where Blalock spoke.

Other presentations focused on “Building an Innovative Practice,” “Being the Leader of Tomorrow Today,” and “Making the Most of Your Residency: Transitioning to the Workplace” by utilizing pharmacists and students to lead panels and hands-on activities. The programming also included a workshop, lead by TPA Director of Pharmacy Practice Initiatives Lucy Adkins, PharmD, on how to effectively advocate for the pharmacy profession. The meeting concluded with Blalock delivering her presidential speech and the TSSP Executive Committee transitioned leadership utilizing an Oath of Office led by Blalock.

TSSP continued a tradition of organizing a Legislative Health Fair at the State Capitol where students from every school or college of pharmacy from across Tennessee participated. Five Belmont students attended to check blood pressures and educate legislators on Medication Therapy Management. Three students participated in the TPA House of Delegates where two resolutions were proposed, voted on and passed. The first resolution honored Dr. Larry D. Calhoun (dean of ETSU) for his dedication and for winning the APhA-ASP Outstanding Dean Award. The second allowed pharmacists serving as preceptors to claim five hours of non-ACPE continuing education credit for precepting students per renewal cycle. The next meeting for TSSP is in July.

Health Science Students Attend Leadership Health Care Delegation in Washington, D.C.

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Dr. Cathy Taylor, dean of Belmont’s Gordan Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing, recently moderated a session at the Leadership Health Care Delegation in Washington, D.C. Taylor’s moderated session delivered by Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the Office of Health Reform, who oversees the office charged with implementing the Affordable Care Act.

Seven Belmont nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy doctoral students attended the conference with Taylor to network with industry leaders and decision makers. These students included Emmy Rice, Nicole Clark, Tim Zerwic, Joe Straatmann, Carleigh Smith, Kenneth Jenkins and Kristian Beach.

*Above photo provided by Keith Mellnick and Nashville Health Care Council

Research projects from PT faculty and students recognized

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Christi and Layla 2Dr. Christi Williams, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at Belmont, has received a research grant from the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) for her project entitled, “Certified Therapy Animal Effect on Biometric Measures and Stress for Graduate Professional Students.”  The study, utilizing Layla, a certified therapy dog, will assess stress and anxiety by measuring heart rate and blood pressure and filling out an anxiety questionnaire before Kinesiology lab practicals – comparing those with exposure to Layla and those without exposure.  Results will come at the end of the semester after the final practical.

TPTA also has accepted four research projects by Belmont University physical therapy faculty and doctoral students for poster presentation at their upcoming spring meeting.  Dr. Cathy Hinton and her student research group of Kylie Cook, Teresa Brennan, Lauren Land and Breanna Poore will present a poster on their research entitled,  “A Comparison of the Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Stretching on Hamstring Extensibility.”  Dr. Suzanne Greenwalt and her student research group of Grace Cronin, Ladi Stallard, and Katie Spruell will present the results of their research on the “Effect of Dual-Task on Gait Velocity in Geriatric Subjects with Mild-Moderate Cognitive Decline.”   Dr. John Halle, along with students Josh Baker, Chris Van Fleet and Emily Loehrlein will showcase their research on the “Impact of Time on POST Warm Up Club Head Speed in Low Handicap Golfers.”  Dr. Kevin Robinson and his student group of Ciara Garcia, Ashley Gowen, Ashley Henley and Amy Krichau will present their research on the “Retrospective Analysis of the Pre-Season Screen Used in a Professional Ballet Company with Recommendations for Improvements in the Screen.”

The TPTA spring meeting will be held April 8th & 9th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Franklin.

Occupational and Physical Therapy Students Participate in Aquifit Program

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Associate Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy Natalie Michaels started the Aquifit program seven years ago with students from Tennessee State University. The program provides aquatic exercise for older adults and promotes wellness, socialization and enjoyment. The program has demonstrated improved balance, weight loss and decreased pain in individuals with arthritis as the buoyancy in chest deep water provides assistive movement to antigravity muscles, as well as resistance to muscles that are gravity assisted on land.

Aquifit 3Michaels is now including Belmont’s occupational and physical therapy students in the program. Students recently participated in the program at Del Webb Retirement Community and will do so again in April. The program is currently targeted to the older adult population, but the group plans to work with young adults with neuromuscular disabilities in the Metro Parks system next month and to eventually work with children with Down Syndrome.

Michaels said the community was impressed with the professionalism and intelligence of the Belmont students. “It’s been wonderful including students from two different disciplines in the activity. Having students from more than one perspective has made it a much more holistic experience both for the students and the participants,” she said. “There have also been community therapists from multiple disciplines assisting and a few faculty from other universities. I am extremely proud to work on this service activity with the OT and PT students from Belmont.”

Aquifit at Del WebbStudents who participated included occupational therapy students Alyssa Burlage, Amanda LaBonte, Jordyn Perry, Joseph Straatman, Jenae Stevens and Nicole Kmieciek and physical therapy students Brittany Ryan, Emmy Rice, Kelsey Marie Otten, Lindsey Schiller, Megan Rolfe and Shelly Witt.

Mission to Guatemala: Energy, Laughter and Happiness

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by Kristina Mertz, Meghan Chen, and Allison Lane
KristinaMeghan's HeadshotAllison's Headshot
This week has flown by faster than any of us had expected considering our rocky start. It is crazy to think that today was our last day of clinics here in Guatemala. Thursday's Blog PictureToday we were blessed enough to serve at Escuela Esperanza surrounding ourselves with kids full of energy, laughter, and happiness. The mission of this school was to break the cycle of poverty through education and empowerment, which motivated us to continue on through the heat of the day.

At the end of the day, we had our usual debriefing meeting where we reflected upon 1 Corinthians 1: 12-19. In this passage, it discusses how “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” This scripture made us realize how God has given each individual on this team special abilities and talents that has allowed us to work together as a team. Similar to the Body of Christ, health care is made up of many different parts and roles. Our team is made up of students from pharmacy, physical therapy, social work, and nursing. Over the past week, we have realized the importance of integrating interdisciplinary roles in order to serve the people of Antigua. We all have our own individual strengths but we also know it is okay to ask for help when we need it.

Thursday's Blog Picture 2It is so rewarding to know that we were able to provide health care for so many people over this short amount of time. None of this would be possible without each of us coming together to form a team, for the sum of our efforts are greater than the parts we each play. Each of us will walk away with a stronger understanding of how we can serve others as the Body of Christ.

As Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”