Author Archives: Graduate Health Sciences

Dr. Hachtel elected to national position in AOTA

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UPDATED 3/14/12

Dr. Yvette Hachtel, professor of occupational therapy at Belmont University, has been elected to chair the Ethics Commission of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) following a national vote by the organization’s membership.   The Ethics Commission is one of the bodies of the representative assembly of the AOTA and is responsible for developing the ethics standards for the profession which apply to occupational therapy (OT) personnel at all levels and in all professional and societal roles.

Dr. Hachtel is a registered and licensed occupational therapist and earned a law degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1993.  A member of AOTA for more than 30 years, Dr. Hachtel most recently served two terms as a member of the Ethics Commission’s Disciplinary Council Board.   Throughout her career, she has been involved with professional activities at the state and national level that serve to ensure the competency and ethical practice of practitioners at all levels.  Dr. Hachtel has taught ethics at the graduate level and served as a consultant to the Tennessee OT Licensure Board for nearly 15 years.  She is a General Civil Mediator for the Tennessee Supreme Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission.   From 1994 to 1997, she served as secretary of the Maine OT Practice Board.  Her legal background has provided extensive training and experience as a mediator.

“This is a significant professional accomplishment for Dr. Hachtel,” said Dr. Scott McPhee, associate dean in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing and chair of the School of Occupational Therapy, in extending congratulations.   “We’re extremely happy that she has been recognized for this important role and are confident she will excel in this new responsibility and represent Belmont in exemplary fashion.”

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School of Nursing announces new DNP program

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Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing recently announced the start of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Open to nurse practitioners who have already attained a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), the two-year post-MSN to DNP degree offers a flexible online/weekend hybrid curriculum to allow working nurse practitioners to complete their doctorates while maintaining full-time positions. The two-year program is accepting applications now with the first classes scheduled to begin fall 2012.

Dr. Leslie Higgins, a Belmont nursing professor and the director of the graduate studies in nursing program, said, “This new DNP builds on the already established excellence of a Belmont nursing education—in fact, this year the program is celebrating its 40th anniversary. By providing a practice doctorate, we will prepare skilled nurse practitioners to have an immediate impact on their communities, allowing them to apply current research to problems and to implement practical solutions across entire systems.”

Currently, 182 DNP programs exist in the United States, with Belmont offering one of only four Tennessee-based programs. The new program represents Belmont’s fifth doctoral level degree in addition to occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy and law.

Belmont’s School of Nursing receives applications for admission exclusively through the Nursing Central Application Service (NursingCAS), provided by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).  Applications must be submitted through the NursingCAS system by May 1, 2012 for consideration for fall 2012 admission.

In addition to being a natural extension of Belmont’s current health science initiatives, the new DNP is also a response to a felt national need. In an October 2010 report titled “The Future of Nursing: Focus on Education,” the Institute of Medicine (IOM) noted that the 2010 Affordable Care Act will require a comprehensive rethinking of the roles and education of nurses:

The ways in which nurses were educated dur­ing the 20th century are no longer adequate for dealing with the realities of health care in the 21st century. As patient needs and care environments have become more complex, nurses need to attain requisite competencies to deliver high-quality care. These competencies include leadership, health policy, system improvement, research and evidence-based practice, and teamwork and col­laboration, as well as competency in specific con­tent areas such as community and public health and geriatrics. Nurses also are being called upon to fill expanding roles and to master technologi­cal tools and information management systems while collaborating and coordinating care across teams of health professionals. To respond to these increasing demands, the IOM committee calls for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and suggests that they be educated in new ways that better prepare them to meet the needs of the pop­ulation.

One of IOM’s primary recommendations in the report was to “Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.” In 2008, only 13.2 percent of the nation’s 3 million nurses held a master’s or doctoral degree.

OT students reach out to the community

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First year student in the doctoral program for occupational therapy recently demonstrated their abilities to develop and lead groups in the community at two community sites, Park Center and Campus for Human Development’s Odyssey Program.  Both sites provide intervention for individuals with mental illness. The Odyssey program serves men who are unemployed, homeless and have challenges with substance abuse. Park Center serves adolescents and young adults with mental illness.

Mission to Guatemala 2012: Day 1

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From Julie and Cassie, OTD Class 2013

Today was our first full day in Guatemala! This morning we woke up excited to see what this day had in store for us. We woke up and had breakfast around 7:00 then left the Nazarene Center at 8:00 to start our day.  First, we went to Los Conchas to visit the Shalom School. There, we visited with all of the classrooms and meet the children, teachers, and principal. After our school visit, we went out into the community and visited with each family in the community. We split up into three different groups to cover each of the sectors that comprises the neighborhood to invite them to the medical clinic that is occurring later this week. Later, we traveled to a feeding program in Guatemala City, called Under the Bridge and it was literally under a bridge. This program focused on children and integrating Bible study and Christianity into the meal and activity. The program currently serves about 40 children and their goal is to reach up to 50 children in the community. This was a great experience and we all enjoyed observing the children interact with one another and participate in the Bible study activity. The children were very appreciative and respectful to one another and the workers who were assisting with the meal. This gave also gave us an opportunity to use our Spanish skills to interact with the children. After the feeding program, we went to the orphanage to visit the twelve children who live there. There, we gave some occupational therapy and physical therapy assessments to the kids and after analyzing the results, offered treatment and intervention activities to the caregivers to best benefit the children. We also played and sang songs with the kids. At the end of the day, we went back to the Nazarene Center, ate dinner, had a worship service, and reflected on our day.

Overall, it was a WONDERFUL day!

Mission to Guatemala Spring Break 2012: We’ve Arrived

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from Lacy Little

After a couple of bumpy plane rides, we finally made it! We all piled into a school bus and were treated to sandwiches and yummy banana bread. After much debugging, lysol-ing, and even some lice preventative (eh hem, PTA’s) we rested our tired traveled eyes. Waking up early this morning was worth it because of the BEAUTIFUL sunrise over the Guatemalan hills. Cannot wait to see what today has in store!

 

Belmont Health Science Students and Faculty Participate in Healthcare Interprofessional Case Competition

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Four health science students from Belmont, three from the School of Nursing and one from the College of Pharmacy, recently competed in the annual Interprofessional Clinical Case Competition (ICCC) sponsored by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance in Nashville.

The four students, Danielle Degati, Kate McFarland and Courtney Thompson representing RN nursing and Shanna Harris representing pharmacy, are on teams joining pre-professionals from ten different healthcare disciplines.   Other team members include medical and dentals students from Meharry Medical College; students from medical, nurse practitioner, law, dietetic, divinity, and speech and hearing pathology programs at Vanderbilt University; and pharmacy and graduate social work students from the University of Tennessee.

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Dr. Ficzere Published in Annals of Pharmacotherapy

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Dr. Cathy Ficzere of the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences had her manuscript Curriculum and Instructional Methods for Drug Information, Literature Evaluation, and Biostatistics: Survey of Pharmacy Schools accepted for publication in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy. An electronic survey was developed and administered to assess pharmacy school curricula and characterize faculty qualifications, educational methods, and recent changes in drug information. The overall outcome of the study shows an increased focus on evidence-based medicine, medication safety, and informatics.

Social Work seniors serve the community with field placements

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Fifteen Belmont University social work majors are in the midst of their senior field placements, making a difference in the community while gaining valuable experience.   The students have served various organizations in Nashville and middle Tennessee, as well as in remote locations such as Uganda and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.   Students are serving and learning at Park Center working with people with a mental health diagnosis, chronic homelessness and co-occurring disorders; at Catholic Charities working with elder refugees; at Samaritan House with people who have addictions; at Vanderbilt with a pregnancy outreach program; at New Transitions working with young adults aging out of foster homes; at The Next Door, Magdalene, and Renewal House with women struggling with addictions, prostitution and incarceration; at the Center for Understanding learning about advocacy for people with autism spectrum disorder; and at Integrative Life Center working with people who struggle with all kinds of addictions.   The group of students, as a whole, will provide about 7500 hours of social work service as they learn to become professional social workers.

One of these senior students, Kelsey Lalman, was recently recognized in the online news of The Pilgrimage, where she is currently interning along with her work at Bread for the World.

Dr. Stodghill publishes paper

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Dr. Steven Stodghill, in the College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical, Social & Administrative Sciences, has had a paper accepted in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy titled Physico-chemical characterization of a novel anti-cancer agent and its comparison to Taxol®.

Stodghill and his collaborators evaluated a model compound, JCA112, which has a very good tubulin binding ability, similar to Taxol. In earlier studies the compound did not perform well in traditional in vitro studies used to screen a New Chemical Entity.  This investigation characterized the physicochemical properties of the compound including, solubility, stability, polymorphism, lipophilicity, complexation ability and permeability, leading to identification of several incompatibilities with standard in vitro screening procedures.  This suggests that a thorough understanding of the pre-formulation characteristics of the drug substance is vital in understanding the potential outcome of the in vitro screening studies.

College of Health Sciences & College of Pharmacy part of community health fair at Belmont basketball game

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As a show of gratitude to the University’s friends, Belmont opened its arms Jan. 28 with a Community Health Fair in the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb Event Center in conjunction with the men’s and women’s basketball games against Jacksonville. The free fair, co-sponsored by University Health Services, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Pharmacy and Belmont Athletics,  featured 30 booths with blood pressure, body composition and bone density screenings; CPR demonstrations; and information on tobacco cessation, breast cancer awareness, diabetes, healthy eating, self defense and recreation. Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Renfrew Center, Edgehill Community Garden, Edgehill Family Resource Center, YMCA and Real Food Farms had booths.

“Belmont has always been supportive of the community and has done a lot of partnering and programming in the area surrounding campus. This (was) a continuation of those services to share information,” said Director of Health Services Katy Wilson. “Students from all of the health sciences programs, athletics department and fitness and recreation center (were) heavily involved in the fair.” Click here to view photos from the Community Health Fair.

The fair was intended to put wellness and preventive health resources within reach of Belmont’s neighbors and fans with screenings, pamphlets and prizes. Although the event marked the first Community Health Fair at Belmont, it was an extension of the annual Pink Zone through an initiative with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to promote breast cancer awareness. The women’s basketball team wore pink uniforms. Fans received free pink T-shirts and pom poms.

“We have been fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with Susan G. Komen’s Nashville office. They set up a table in the hope of interacting with fans on game day,” Director of Athletics Marketing Jimmy Frush said. “We chose this doubleheader to reach a wide variety of people, ages and genders and to feature the many different programs and departments with Belmont’s Health Sciences. Hopefully, it (delivered) a valuable service to the fans coming to the game.”

Hachtel a candidate for national leadership role with AOTA

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Dr. Yvette Hachtel, professor of occupational therapy at Belmont University, is a 2012 candidate to chair the Ethics Committee of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).   AOTA elections for 2012 will be held between January 17 and February 28 with a national vote of the organization’s membership.   Dr. Hachtel is seeking support from AOTA members.

Dr. Hachtel has been a member of AOTA for more than 30 years.  Throughout her career, she has been involved with professional activities at the state and national level that serve to ensure the competency and ethical practice of practitioners at all levels.  She has taught ethics at the graduate level and served as a consultant to the Tennessee OT Licensure Board for nearly 15 years.  Her legal background has provided extensive training and experience as a mediator.

AOTA members can read more about Dr. Hachtel’s candidacy at the OT Connections blog and through the member portal at aota.org.

Healthcare among professions with the lowest unemployment

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The Education, Healthcare, Business and Professional Services industries have been the most stable employers for recent college graduates.  That is according to a new report by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.

Unemployment rates are relatively low (5.4 percent) for recent college students who majored in Healthcare and Education because these majors are attached to stable or growing industry sectors. Recent graduates in Psychology and Social Work have relatively low unemployment rates (7.3 percent) nearly half work in Healthcare and Education. More than 60 percent of these recent college graduates who are working have landed in the Healthcare, Professional Contracting Businesses or Education sectors.  Students with advanced healthcare degrees fared even better.   Check out the full report for more information.

Dr. Cathy Taylor appointed Dean of College of Health Sciences & Nursing

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Dr. Cathy Taylor, DrPH, MSN, RN, has been named as the new dean of the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing at Belmont University. Taylor currently serves as the assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Services Administration where she oversees delivery of traditional public health and primary care services in 89 rural counties and contracted services with Tennessee’s six metropolitan health departments. Dr. Taylor will begin her new position at Belmont on Feb. 1, 2012.

“Belmont’s outstanding reputation for excellence and commitment to teaching and service makes this the perfect fit for me and the logical choice for students, faculty and partners dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of our beautiful city and beyond,” said Taylor. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served Tennesseans and the Department of Health, and I am honored to join the Belmont team at this time of extraordinary growth and potential to produce the next generation of exceptionally talented health care professionals.”

“Dr. Taylor has done excellent work for the Tennessee Department of Health and for the health of the citizens of Tennessee,” said Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “We will miss her leadership, but we are excited for Dr. Taylor in her new role at Belmont University where she will stay nearby, grooming students for careers in population health in Tennessee and around the nation.”

As the chief academic and executive officer of Belmont’s College of Health Sciences & Nursing, Taylor will be responsible for the programmatic leadership, financial management, personnel administration and planning and development for the College.

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “Dr. Taylor brings to this position a perfect combination of high-level healthcare experience, proven leadership ability and eager enthusiasm for educating tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. I am confident that her expertise and commitment will build on the College of Health Sciences and Nursing’s already exceptional quality and reputation.”

In her current position, Taylor has directed development and implementation of successful statewide tobacco cessation and diabetes prevention programs and increased public, private and academic partnerships aimed at improving the health of Tennesseans. As a consultant to China’s Ministry of Health, she contributed to the re-design of China’s rural health care delivery system. Prior to joining the Department of Health, Taylor chaired the board for the Tennessee Center for Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement and served as an assistant professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and as director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Disease Management Program. She has held administrative and clinical positions at Alvin C. York VAMC, served in nursing director and supervisor positions at Fentress County Hospital, Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Hendersonville Community Hospital, and as a public health nurse in Fentress and Rutherford Counties. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is the recipient of a number of grants and awards.

Taylor earned a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Tennessee-Memphis, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama-Huntsville and a Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University in 2005.

2005 PT Alum, Jennifer Walkup, authors story about minimizing injuries in young athletes

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Jennifer Walkup, a 2005 graduate of the Belmont University Doctor of Physical Therapy program, was recently featured in an article she wrote for The Oak Ridger in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  In the article, Walkup provides suggestions on how to minimize injuries in young athletes.

Walkup is a senior physical therapist on the staff of Methodist Therapy, a service of Methodist Medical Center.  Walkup has specialized in pediatrics since 2007 and has experience treating children with Torticollis, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, coordination disorders and various developmental disorders. Her certifications include Clinical Instructor Certification and Interactive Metronome Certification.

The story is linked here.

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Pharmacy students and faculty collect toys for children

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Pharmacy students completed their toy drive for Operation Christmas Child which resulted in collecting 52 shoe boxes filled with toys for children around the world. Thanks to all students, staff and faculty who contributed. The event was sponsored by CPFI. The class that turned in the most shoe boxes were the P1’s with 32 boxes! Thanks to Dr. Hagan (pictured here with Dr. Chirico) who supported the shipping costs for the entire P1 class!

Pharmacy student receives national service award

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Barnwell (right) poses for pictures with two classmates after receiving their white coats in 2010.

John Barnwell, a 3rd-year student in the PharmD program at Belmont, has received the Respect, Excellence and Service in Pharmacy (RESPy) Award for excellence in pharmaceutical care.   The national award is presented by Walmart and Pharmacy Times to a student who has made a difference in his or her community demonstrated by the following criteria:  voluntary public service activities, a high level of professional/public health-related activities outside the classroom and a high level of effort to advance the profession of pharmacy in the public area.  Eight RESPy award winners are chosen annually and featured with an article in Pharmacy Times.  RESPy winners receive a cash award and are offered a summer internship with Walmart.

Barnwell, who will graduate from the School of Pharmacy in 2013, is a founding officer of the board of directors of NotAlone.com, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing counseling for veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and their families. NotAlone.com offers online support groups, in-person counseling, and Web resources to support combat veterans and their loved ones.

Barnwell (in white coat) teaches students during this past summer's health sciences camp.

The stresses of military service are something that Barnwell understands well. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and subsequently served almost 8 years in the Army. He held a variety of positions at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and in Iraq, and was decorated with a Bronze Star and Joint Service Achievement Award for his service.

“NotAlone is such a rewarding endeavor,” says Barnwell.  “Being a veteran myself, anything I can do to make life better for soldiers, veterans, and their families gives me a great sense that I am still making a difference for my brothers- and sisters-in-arms.”

Dr. Philip Johnston, Dean of the School of Pharmacy, congratulated Barnwell on receiving the RESPy, saying, “Mr. Barnwell offers his abundant energy and leadership to his profession on a daily basis; he is an inspiration to everyone.  I cannot think of any one more deserving”.

The Pharmacy Times article featuring Barnwell is linked here and reprinted below.

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Harvey presents at national nurse practitioner conference

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Dr. Carrie Harvey, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, recently presented at the national clinical conference of the American College of Nurse Practitioners in Denver, Colorado.  Over 200 health professionals attended her session entitled, “A Systematic Approach to 12 Lead ECG Interpretation.”  The session provided the nurse practitioner with a systematic approach to interpreting the 12 lead ECG. Participants were briefed on major physiologic underpinnings using actual case studies and electrocardiograms.  Normal and abnormal 12 lead ECGs were reviewed and a stepwise interpretation
approach was introduced.

Darr awarded grant from APTA

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Dr. Nancy Darr, a professor in Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy, was recently awarded a grant from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Section of Pediatrics for her project titled, “Validation of the Pediatric Balance Scale using Rasch Analysis.”

The selection committee said that the grant was well written and that they will support the use of this “Pediatric Balance Scale” in Darr’s clinical pediatric practice.

Plummer is plenary speaker for European Seating Symposium

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Dr Teresa Plummer, faculty member in the School of Occupational Therapy, was one of the invited plenary speakers for the European Seating Symposium held in Dublin Ireland earlier this month. Along with Mary Shea, MSOT from Kessler Rehabilitation in New Jersey, Dr Plummer presented the RESNA Practice Guide for the Wheelchair Assessment and Procurement Practice.  This document was the outcome of a two year ad hoc committee group of 13 stakeholders from the US. The Practice Guide is and effort to provide structure for the provision of wheeled mobility. Dr Plummer attended several meeting discussing the education of occupational therapy students in the practice of wheelchair assessments.

 

Pharmacy students contribute to Guatemala City Surgical Center

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During the past year, students from Belmont University School of Pharmacy have partnered with Nashville’s Shalom Foundation to renovate the organization’s surgical center and pharmacy in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Last fall, fourth-year pharmacy student Chris McKnight worked with the foundation to design plans for the center’s pharmacy after the entire site underwent a renovation. Although Shalom had doctors, surgeons and nurses on the board to contribute, they didn’t have pharmacists to add to the conversation. McKnight became that voice.

After spending over a week working in the center, McKnight said one of his favorite parts was, “the processes of seeing the pharmacy go from my sketches on the backs of napkins, to fruition in Guatemala City.”

Sara Poe, another fourth year student in Belmont’s program, also had the opportunity to work with the foundation’s center. She was focused on the medicine patients were being prescribed and made daily rounds to ensure accuracy and the installation of proper protocol.

Poe also spoke to the experience of working in such a clinic. “I would say that best moments of the trip came from silence, for silence meant no one was in pain and all was well down the hall. That alone has made me a different person.”

PT student volunteers help coordinate two major community events

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During the recent celebration of National Physical Therapy Month, approximately 100 Belmont University Physical Therapy students and faculty volunteered for the sixth annual “Dierks Bentley Miles & Music for Kids” event.   Bentley and more than 1,700 people gathered for his annual charity motorcycle ride to benefit Vanderbilt’s Children Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network. The ride began at the Columbia Springs Harley Davidson and ended at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville.

The event ended with a concert by Bentley and some friends (Eli Young Band, Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, Colt Ford and Josh Thompson entertaining thousands of fans at Riverfront Park. Event Coordinator Mandy McClister said, “It was definitely another great year, and again we could not have done it without the students from the Belmont University School of PT! The students worked harder this year than ever before to make this a success. The leadership should be proud of the way they have represented the University.”

Bentley was also impressed with the volunteers. “We could not have taken this event to the level it now is without the help of my friend Mike Voight and his students at Belmont University School of Physical Therapy. The Belmont students have been integral to the success of this event from the inaugural ride six years ago to its current size. I look forward to working with them again in the future,” Bentley said.

Since the inception of this annual event, $2 million has been raised to benefit the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Just one week later, Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy brought more than 100 student volunteers to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Maryland Farms YMCA. With 14,000 racers and more than 10,000 spectators, the volunteers were needed to assist with course setup and takedown, serve as course marshals at the start and finish line, hand out water at course stations and help manage the crowd.

Megan Tisdale, a third-year physical therapy student and student organizer of the volunteer efforts, had a special connection with the event and the people it serves. “Since my mother has breast cancer, I think it’s very important to present people with great opportunities to come together to celebrate life and give to support a cause that is near and dear to millions of hearts… The reward is seeing people come together with passion they have for a loved one.”

The Komen affiliate members, as well as the event management group, were thankful for the dedicated volunteers who participated in the event. “The Belmont team of volunteers from the School of PT made a huge difference to this year’s race,” said Komen Executive Director Patty Harman. “The Race wouldn’t have been so successful without them. We had more people participating this year than ever before, and Belmont jumped in to do whatever was needed to make it a wonderful experience for each person. We can’t thank them enough for all they did.”

Marc Overlock, chairman of the board for the Komen Affiliate, added , “Thank you so much for your every effort, through planning efforts, logistical team packing and mailing and hand-outs, and last but not least Race Village clean up. The Board, Komen Staff and I owe you everything. Please know we today honor your gift of time.”

Pharmacy students reach out to Renewal House

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Students in the Belmont University School of Pharmacy Classes 2013 and 2015 participated in a “Trunk or Treat” service project for Renewal House this week.   Renewal House is a community where women diagnosed with the disease of addiction undergo comprehensive treatment. Not only does the professional staff at Renewal House serve women battling this disease, but they foster healing, resiliency and educational enhancement for all members of the patient’s family.  Students dressed in costume and provided an afternoon of entertainment for the children living at Renewal House.

Students Pilot Project with InspireHealth

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Belmont University students are working with a local nonprofit organization to create a national template for communities to improve their residents’ body, heart, mind and spirit using free resources.

In early October, Adjunct Instructor Dane Anthony’s freshman seminar “The Art of Paying Attention” classes worked with Neighborhoods InspireHealth to interview senior citizens in the Sunnyside and 12South neighborhoods. Together the students and nonprofit conducted the first focus group to determine the biggest healthcare challenges facing seniors. The focus group launches a 12-month project within the neighborhoods where students will meet with residents from various demographics.

“Interviewing this community of people widened my eyes to who I was as a part of the world. It was helpful to be a part of this process because it made me realize my role in the community and how important it is to become involved. This process taught me to pay attention to myself, others and the community as a whole,” said Sophie Martin, a freshman studying exercise science, who added that she learned more in casual conversations with the seniors than while asking the assigned questions.

“The amount of rich knowledge and wisdom with which they spoke about their personal experiences was heartwarming. Just in one simple hour I felt I had gained more from a conversation with strangers than I had in a semester of school. They were full of advice on how to avoid certain health issues as we aged, hints on where to go in town, and simply to live life to its fullest,” Martin said. “I left that morning feeling as if I had learned how to appreciate life more than ever before. I am forever grateful to have been presented with this amazing opportunity for self-growth and to have met such exquisite individuals.”

Student worked in groups to weave through the narratives they captured and to look for solutions for overarching themes, such as lack of transportation, access to healthy food options and financial constraints on a fixed income.

“A number of the things that we do in the course are to identify things that contribute to your world view and things that you take for granted. This was a great exercise for them to realize the things that they may take for granted, such as healthcare, insurance, means of income, access to transportation,” Anthony said.  “The students were excited that this is the initial project for something they hope will become a national model. We had an opportunity to participate on the ground floor.”

Students will present their findings and propose solutions to Neighborhoods InspireHealth on Oct. 20.

“Having worked on projects with Belmont in the past, the president of the Sunnyside Association first suggested working with the university, and then actually helped us out by setting up an introduction. We were very excited to work with Belmont because we knew how service oriented it is, and honestly we feel as if the University is simply an extension of the neighborhood so it seemed like a great match,” said Heather Dubuque, Neighborhoods InspireHealth’s vice president of marketing and communications. “One of our main goals is to bring all of the different parts of our community together, so bringing the students in to work with the seniors, growing families, teenagers, shut ins, artists is another step towards reaching that goal.”

Neighborhoods InspireHealth President Dana El Gammal said Belmont students’ participation in this initial focus group will drive the direction of the pilot program. The nonprofit launched its 7 Habits of Healthy Neighborhoods program in August with a plan to create a template that provides all of the tools necessary for others communities to execute it successfully. The pilot program will conclude next summer.

“We chose to launch the community initiative within the 12South/Sunnyside community not only because as an organization we are connected to it, but because of its diverse group of people, the active neighborhood associations, the compassionate business community that has been growing within it, and the resources we knew already existed,” Dubuque said. “The whole intent of the program is to learn, assess and create avenues that help the entire community reach their health goals and obtain the health tools necessary to becoming their healthiest self.”

Belmont students earn trip to national Clinical Pharmacy Challenge

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Students from Belmont University School of Pharmacy are among eight elite teams competing in this weekend’s national Clinical Pharmacy Challenge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   Sponsored by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), the competition began weeks ago with student teams from 86 pharmacy schools throughout the United States.   The Belmont team has advanced through several online rounds of competition and will face a team from Campbell University School of Pharmacy on Saturday in the national quarterfinals.  If they continue to win, they will advance to the semifinals on Sunday afternoon and finals on Monday morning.  Each match is divided into 3 segments: a trivia/lightning segment, a clinical case segment, and a Jeopardy-style segment.

Members of Belmont’s team include:  Kimberly Bentley, a third-year student; Rebecca Lucas, a fourth-year student; and Lee Rembert, a fourth-year student.  Team alternates include: John Barnwell and Cortney Manning, both third-year students.  Serving as faculty sponsors for the team are Dr. Cathy Ficzere and Dr. Rachel Franks.

According to Dr. Ficzere, “Our students would not be able to accomplish what they have done without the foundation they have received here at Belmont.  The questions that they have to answer cover almost every aspect of pharmacy practice. They must draw upon knowledge of pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic drug activity, current recommendations for drug therapy, and biostatistics and clinical trial design. Added to this, they must answer the questions as a team, under time constraints, and, in some cases, choosing the best answer, not a ‘black-and-white’ right answer.”

Dr. Philip Johnston, School of Pharmacy Dean, added:  “We are in some tough company in the finals, but we have been competing with well established schools in all the previous rounds and obviously scoring very well.  What is so impressive to me is that we have students competing who have not completed all of their electives nor their final clinical rotations, yet are showing they have great critical thinking skills, work well as a team, and can apply their knowledge.   We are absolutely thrilled with the success of the team, the faculty coaches and supporters, and happy that this reflects well on Belmont.”

The other six teams in the quarterfinals, in addition to those from Belmont and Campbell, are from pharmacy schools at Butler University, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, University of the Pacific, University of Utah, and Western University of Health Sciences.

More information about the competition and results this weekend can be found at www.accp.com/stunet.

UPDATE:  The Belmont University School of Pharmacy rose above 85 competing schools to rank No. 5 in a national pharmacy and clinical skills competition.  The team lost to Campbell University College of Pharmacy by less than 300 points in the quarter-final match. Both teams were quick on the buzzer and displayed a broad knowledge of clinical pharmacy. Ultimately, the winner of the match came down to the last 300 point question.