Category Archives: Inman College of Health Sciences

PT Students Serve the Community by Building a Wheelchair Ramp for Someone in Need

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Second year students on built ramp

In April, second-year students in the Belmont Doctor of Physical Therapy program volunteered to construct a wheelchair accessible ramp on the home of a community member in need who uses a power wheelchair. The previous ramp was not built to ADA-compliant regulations and was too steep and slippery when wet, creating a hazard when leaving the home. The students performed well under pressure and completed the project quickly during the community member’s doctor appointment so as not to be an inconvenience.

The ramp build is an annual project between second-year DPT students and United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee. This year’s ramp build was coordinated by Dr. Cathey Norton, assistant professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Belmont. During the course of the project, 21 students with a range of talents and experience came together to run power saws and nail guns to complete the ramp in five hours, with careful monitoring from Professor Dr. Renee Brown.

Due to the rapid shift to remote learning last spring, this project became a casualty of the pandemic. This was a welcome opportunity to get back out and serve the community.

Belmont’s New College of Medicine to Be Named in Honor of HCA Healthcare Co-Founder Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr.

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Thomas F. Frist Jr. head shot

Belmont University announced today that its new College of Medicine, first announced last October, will be named in honor of health care icon Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., co-founder of HCA Healthcare. In addition to its name, the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University enjoys strong ties with HCA Healthcare, whose Nashville-based TriStar Health will provide residencies and clinical rotations for students of the college. 

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “We have exceedingly high aspirations for this new College of Medicine. We know that we will have to earn a world-class reputation over time, but we intend to deliver a world-class learning environment beginning on day one with outstanding faculty, staff, students, physical resources and clinical experiences. It’s been said that a good name is more valuable than anything else, and the name ‘Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine’ signals our determination to create an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to compassionate, patient-centered care that will settle for nothing less than the very best. We are deeply honored by the trust that Dr. Frist has shown in us by linking his name with our College of Medicine, and we are committed to build on the legacy of Dr. Frist and his fellow HCA Healthcare co-founders Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Sr. and Mr. Jack Massey.” 

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PT Student Jessica Smith Receives Belmont University Graduate Student Scholarship Award

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Jessica Smith, a current 3rd year student in the Belmont Physical Therapy program, has been awarded the Belmont University Graduate Student Scholarship Award.  The Award recognizes an exceptional student within all Belmont University graduate programs distinguished through outstanding academic performance as demonstrated through a consistent pattern of academic success coupled with the production of original scholarly research, writing, creative output and/or performance, as appropriate to the student’s discipline and graduate degree. This award is conferred in recognition of the recipient’s capacity to engage with insight, integrity, diligence, creativity, and reflection in professional activity relevant to the graduate degree sought, while demonstrating habits of mind reflective of open-mindedness, maturity, and generosity essential to becoming an inspiring professional in his or her chosen career path.

Jessica has gone above and beyond in her research efforts, and has served as a leader and inspiration in the area of scholarship within the DPT program.   As part of the requirements for the physical therapy program, students are placed in groups of 4-5 to conduct their research. The students then develop their review of literature, research question(s), determine the best methods to address their question(s), collect and analyze their data and then present their data at our research symposium, held in the fall semester of their third year. All of this work has to be performed at the same time the students are taking their course work (average of 20 hours per semester) throughout the program.  Students are connected with a faculty research mentor for their projects, and in this case, Smith worked extensively with Dr. Kevin Robinson, PT, DSc, OCS, on data collection related to the Nashville Ballet.

Dr. Robinson notes, “I have been working with the Nashville Ballet for the past 6 years, studying ways to identify performers who are at risk for musculoskeletal injuries during the course of their season. Jess was the lead member of her group. As the lead member, she took on the responsibilities of coordinating the data collection with the dancers and the Ballet staff, analyzing the 3 dimensional data and strength data that was collected, and she was the lead editor of the group paper.”

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Belmont University Announces Plans to Return to In Person Classes, Events for Fall 2021

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tulips in front of Belmont

In an email to current and incoming students on April 6, Belmont University announced plans to return to in-person classes this fall following more than a year of a combination of in-person, remote and hybrid courses due to the impact of the worldwide pandemic.

“We are nearing the conclusion of what has been one of the most unique and challenging years for our campus community and for higher education in general,” said Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. “Thanks to the vaccine rollout and improving trends related to COVID data, we have every reason to be optimistic about providing a more traditional learning and living experience on campus this fall. And most importantly, the outstanding leadership of our Health Services team and truly extraordinary cooperative spirit and actions demonstrated by our students, faculty and staff this past year have shown our commitment to living together in community.”

Campus leaders will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and shift or evolve plans as needed based on trends and insights from local, state and federal public health officials. In addition, the University will implement recommended protocols as needed to ensure the health and safety of the campus community.

At this point, the campus expects to operate in-person classes at full or near-full capacity with more robust campus life experiences in place, including in person meetings, events and activities. The University is also making plans for a traditional fall schedule, allowing for observance of traditional holidays and Fall Break.

Belmont’s Spring 2021 semester concludes over the next two weeks with final class meetings and exams. The University will be hosting four separate, socially distanced in-person commencement ceremonies to honor graduates on April 22-23.

PT Professor Receives 2021 Hall of Fame Award from American Physical Therapy Association of Tennessee

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Dr. Gail Bursch head shotGail Bursch, professor in Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy, was recently presented with the 2021 Hall of Fame Award from the American Physical Therapy Association of Tennessee. The award is granted to an APTA TN member who has a minimum of 25 years of continuous contribution to APTA TN as a clinician, educator, clinical educator or a combination of these roles.

Previously, Bursch became a national trainer for the APTA Credentialed Client Instructor Program and has taught more than fifty clinical instructor credentialing courses.

The recipient must also have a history of service to the APTA TN Board of Directors, contributions to the growth of the profession through the formal state, national or international presentations and demonstrated exceptional contributions to APTA TN and the profession.

Dr. Liotta-Kleinfeld Serves on Advisory Board for Tennessee Men’s Health Report Card

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2020 TN Report CardDr. Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld, Professor of Occupational Therapy at Belmont, served as a collaborator on the 2020 Tennessee Men’s Health Report Card.  Vanderbilt University Center for Research on Men’s Health recently released its 5th health report card filled with data to guide policy and practice for the improvement of men’s health.

In a video issued with the press release of the health report, Dr. Derek Griffith, director of Vanderbilt’s Center for Research on Men’s Health, shared that “the report card is meant to stimulate conversations, efforts, policies and practices to improve men’s health, not to just sit on the shelf.” He closes by sharing the goal of the report card is to recognize men’s health in addition to family members and other members of the Nashville community.

Dr. Liotta-Kleinfeld, who has served on the advisory board for the last three report cards, shared how hopeful she was that “the report card findings will be carefully considered and will lead to action planning and continued implementation of strategies to promote men’s health.” She emphasized the vital role that students who are enrolled in health-related fields play in promoting health in the future.

The report card, although focused on men’s health, also provides general information to the public on how to support the health and wellness of everyone. Read some of the key findings here.

Nursing, Pharmacy Students and Faculty Staff Nashville’s Mass Vaccination Event

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More than 100 Belmont School of Nursing faculty and students and approximately 50 College of Pharmacy students and faculty staffed what Nashville Mayor John Cooper called a “watershed moment” for the city as it hosted a mass vaccination event on March 20 at Nissan Stadium.

Joining forces with city health officials and volunteers, Belmont representatives aided in 10,000 people receiving their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination by the end of the event.

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Health Science Faculty Members Selected for Lilly Faculty Fellows Program

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Drs Elisa Green and Jamie Adam

Associate Professors Dr. Elisa Greene, from Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, and Dr. Jamie Adam, from Belmont’s School of Nursing, were recently selected for the 2021-23 cohort of The Lilly Faculty Fellows Program through the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities. The program is designed for mid-career faculty leaders across the disciplines to creatively engage the intersections of Christian thought and practice with the academic vocation.

The initiative’s goals are to refresh and enliven a sense of calling for participants as people of faith, as teachers and as scholars and to provide funds for Fellows to develop and pilot Faculty Fellow programs on their own campuses.

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School of Nursing Introduces Early Entry Program for Graduate Nursing Degree

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Belmont University School of Nursing is pleased to provide an exciting new opportunity for students.  High achieving BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) students are now eligible to get a head start on an advanced nursing degree from Belmont by completing approved graduate level courses within their undergraduate program of study.  The Early Entry Program provides opportunity to earn up to 14 credits toward either a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Master of Science in Nursing, saving students time and money in a graduate degree designed to prepare them to be Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP).

Eligible students must meet qualification requirements by the midpoint of their sophomore year to participate in the program during their junior and senior years. Students have the potential to complete a full semester of graduate coursework while at the same time earning undergraduate credit toward their BSN degree.

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PT Alumna Dr. Grace Cronin Honored by Vanderbilt Medical Center

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Photo from VUMC Voice by Donn Jones

Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently honored Belmont DPT alumna Grace Cronin with their Credo Award which recognizes an employee who provides excellence in healthcare, research and education; who treats others as we wish to be treated; and who continuously evaluates and improves their performance.

Dr. Cronin graduated from Belmont’s DPT program in 2016 and then completed the Pediatrics Residency offered jointly by Vanderbilt and Belmont in 2017.  Her residency led to a position in Pediatric Rehabilitation Services for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as a physical therapist with a specialty in pediatric oncology, where she now serves with distinction.

Dr. Gary Austin, Chair of Belmont University School of Physical Therapy, acknowledged, “For years, we have touted ‘our students and our graduates are our credentials’ and Dr. Cronin is a true representative of that ideal.”

You won’t want to miss the story and video linked here by the VUMC Voice which highlights Dr. Cronin’s exemplary service.

Arthritis Foundation Honors Nursing Professor Dr. Angela Lane

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Dr. Angela LaneDr. Angela Lane, Associate Professor of Nursing at Belmont, was recently recognized as the 2021 Walk to Cure Arthritis Adult Honoree with the Arthritis Foundation. As a current associate professor of Nursing, Lane has worked for the past 30 years as a nurse tech, registered nurse and advanced practice nurse.

When Lane was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age eight and then again at age 20, she recognized a passion for giving back to this community. Through her experience with arthritis, she has demonstrated selflessness as she continues to serve others in the Arthritis Foundation community.

Lane is currently on the board with the Nashville Arthritis Local Leadership Board and has just commenced her work as chair. In addition to her work with this community, she serves as the Pediatric Clinical Course Coordinator at Belmont and continues to educate nursing students.

Tennessee Nursing Scholarship Honors Belmont Alumna Patty Cornwell

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Tana Logo

Many dedicated, hard-working individuals leave their imprint on a profession, but few are deserving enough to have both a scholarship and an award established in their honor. Belmont University School of Nursing alumna Patty Cornwell is one of the deserving ones.

Cornwell, a retired certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), devoted her professional career to providing exceptional anesthesia care to patients for surgery, labor and delivery, and other healthcare needs, and she devoted her spare time to serving the nurse anesthesia profession she loved. After graduating from Belmont, she worked for several years as an intensive care nurse before entering the Middle Tennessee School of Nurse Anesthesia to become a nurse anesthetist. She joined the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) in 1972 and the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TANA) in 1976.

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OT Alumna Opens Occupational, Speech Therapy Practice

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Jennifer PacileoAfter years of hard work and determination to making her dreams a reality, Belmont alumna Jennifer Pacileo has succeeded in opening her own clinic – Southern Pediatric Therapy.

As freshman at Arkansas State University, Pacileo accepted a position at an outpatient pediatric clinic, owned by another Belmont alumna, to clean bathrooms, file papers, schedule patient appointments and answer the phones. The moment she started the position and saw the impact of occupational therapy on a child’s life, she knew she not only wanted to be an occupational therapist, but she also wanted to own her own clinic. Two years later, as a junior in college, she wrote her business plan for Southern Pediatric Therapy.

Due to financial hardships, Jennifer was unable to finish her degree at Arkansas State and had to return home. She applied to and graduated from the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at Concorde Career College and set her next goals of finding employment and working to apply to the Bridge Program at Belmont University.

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Belmont University Earns 2021-22 Military Friendly® School Designation for Seventh Year in a Row

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Belmont University has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation for the seventh consecutive year. Belmont was highly rated on culture and commitment, admissions and orientation and academic policies and compliance.

“It’s an honor to once again receive this designation that recognizes Belmont’s commitment to support our student veterans and military family members,” said Dr. Mimi Barnard, associate provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education, home to Belmont’s Veteran Success Team. “Belmont faculty and staff are intentional in their goal of providing educational environments that support student veterans and military family members in meaningful ways.”

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Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame Opens Nominations for 2021 Class

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TN Health Care Hall of Fame LogoThe Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame announced today that the nomination process for the class of 2021 has officially opened. Nominations may be submitted at www.tnhealthcarehall.com through March 24.

Created by Belmont University, and supported by founding partners The McWhorter Society and The Nashville Health Care Council, the Hall of Fame’s mission is to honor the men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industry. The Health Care Hall of Fame seeks to recognize and honor pioneers and current leaders who have formed Tennessee’s health and health care community and encourage future generations of health care professionals.

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Nursing Alumna Savannah Ramsey instigates changes at Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

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Savannah Ramsey, RN, and colleagues designed a series of interventions to reduce noise levels in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. One of those interventions is sound-dampening curtains around certain patient bays. (photo by Susan Urmy)

Belmont alumna, Savannah Ramsey, was recently featured in a Vanderbilt Medical Center story about changes she instigated in the post-anesthesia care unit at Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital.  Click here to read the entire story.

MSOT Alumna Elected Vice President of Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA)

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Whitney Joy head shotSchool of Occupational Therapy 2018 alumna Whitney Joy was recently elected as Vice-President of the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA). With a B.A. in Communications from Austin Peay State University and an A.A.S. in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Lewis and Clark Community College, she moved on to obtain an M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University.  Joy is currently the owner of Aspire Therapies, a home-based pediatric occupational therapy practice. She previously worked as a production assistant at the CBS affiliate but with no findings of a full-time position, she went back to waitressing and bartending.

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OT Professor Dr. Natalie Michaels Receives National Award for Aquatics Research

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Dr. Natalie MichaelsOccupational Therapy Department professor Dr. Natalie Michaels was awarded the 2021 Richard Ruoti Research Award for Excellence last week by the Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy, a section of the American Physical Therapy Association.

One of the association’s most prestigious awards, the Richard Ruoti Research Award for Excellence was established in 2002 and is named after Dr. Ruoti, whose achievements have helped to set the standards of volunteer leadership for the academy. He spent years combining bench research with the application with a focus on aquatic physiology and rehabilitation.

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Searcy Serves on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Taskforce

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Joyce SearcyBelmont Director of Community Relations Joyce Searcy participated on a COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Taskforce to make recommendations to the Metro Nashville Department of Health on how the city can improve administering the COVID-19 vaccine to communities of color and vulnerable populations.

As vaccine doses continue to reach states for distribution, the Tennessee Department of Health has released early data suggesting minorities are not receiving the vaccine in percentages that mirror their share of the population or even their share of COVID patients. As of January 13, 2021, less than 4 percent of Tennesseans who identify as African American and less than 2 percent of Hispanics have received the vaccine. By contrast, African Americans account for 13 percent of the state’s COVID-19 cases and more than 25 percent of hospitalizations.

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OTD Alum Celebrates First Publication with Mobility & Telehealth Study

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Belmont Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OT) Alumnus Joe Straatmann (2017) is published in the fall 2020 edition of the International Journal of Telerehabilitation. The study, “Functional Mobility Outcomes in Telehealth and In-Person Assessments for Wheeled Mobility Devices,” found telehealth to be an appropriate care and delivery source for patients with mobility needs, traveling from rural communities to city clinics. The research was conducted in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.

“As occupational therapists, we look for ways we can best serve the people and communities we live and work in, better addressing healthcare disparities,” said Dr. Straatmann. “This study was promising because it provided us with a safe way to see patients from afar while also meeting their needs and expectations.”

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Nursing Alum Honored as 2020 Memphis Communicator of the Year

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Credit: Shelby County Health Department

Author: Memphis Tourism News Release

MEMPHIS, Tenn — The Memphis Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has selected Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN., Director of the Shelby County Health Department, as its Communicator of the Year for 2020.

The 2020 Communicator of the Year Award reflects Dr. Haushalter’s unflappable courage in leading the community throughout the pandemic, always with eye toward what is best for the residents of Shelby County, even when her message has met criticism at times. She has led regular media briefings exhibiting communications skills that are honest, direct, understandable, and always focused on protecting the community and moving it safely through the pandemic.

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Nursing Alumna Sherrill Featured on Cover of Nashville Scene

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Wren Sherrill, photo by Eric England

Photo: Eric England

Belmont Alumna Wren Sherrill was recently featured on the cover of the Nashville Scene in a tribute to the Nashvillians of the Year: Health Care Workers. The article shares Vanderbilt’s healthcare workers and their fight to save lives in the midst of a global pandemic.

Sherrill graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has continued on to work as a part of Vanderbilt’s COVID-19 ICU staff. With challenging work and eye-opening experiences every day, Sherrill considers the ICU staff “the final fighters in this war.”

The article shares the words of another ICU worker Olivia Kirkpatrick who says to “give some grace to our leaders, and the scientists that are making recommendations.” Healthcare workers in Nashville and across the country are working diligently to protect their city and its residents.

The Nashville Scene covers more of Vanderbilt’s ICU staff and daily experiences in their 2020 Nashvillians of the Year: Health Care Workers.

Nursing Alumna Ensley Talks COVID-19 Vaccine with Tennessee Tribune

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Jessica Friley Ensley head shot

Photo from Tennessee Tribune

Alumna and nurse practitioner Jessica Friley Ensley is currently featured in the Tennessee Tribune sharing her experience after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccination against COVID-19 in the recent article entitled “Saluting One of Tennessee’s Essential Workers: Nurse Practitioner Shares Importance of Getting Vaccinated.”

In her feature article, Ensley shares the challenges and circumstances that come with being a healthcare worker. She currently works at the Nashville Centennial Hospital where she courageously sees and assists patients of all ethnicities and ages fighting the virus. She explained, “Black people are more likely to die from COVID, and it’s my hope that seeing a Black person getting vaccinated will encourage some trust in science and the medical community.”

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Belmont Graduate Nursing Student Named Ascension 2020 Community Commitments Advanced Practice Provider

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Erick Hernandez-CamposAscension Medical Group named Erick Hernandez-Campos, MSN, FNP-BC, the winner of their national 2020 Community Commitments Advanced Practice Provider Award. Hernandez-Campos earned his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Belmont and is currently working on his Doctorate of Nursing at Belmont.

Nursing Professor and Director of Graduate Nursing Linda G. Wofford, DNP, RN, CPNP, said, “Erick exemplifies the Core Values of Belmont Graduate Nursing – communication and collaboration; critical thinking and problem solving; commitment to learning; compassion and caring. Of course, while Erick is an accomplished clinician, we are pleased to be working together to provide Erick with a transformative and positive doctoral experience.”

Hernandez-Campos practices at the Family Medicine Respiratory Clinic in Antioch, Tennessee, and provided primary care prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Hernandez-Campos has been seeing respiratory clinic patients and also making sure they receive appropriate follow-up. He has spent countless hours before his workday and after his workday calling patients to make sure they are doing well and coordinating care with primary care physicians.

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Nursing Alumnus Brad Koss Named President-Elect of Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists

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Brad Koss, DNAP, CRNA, APN

Brad Koss, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and 2005 graduate of the Belmont University School of Nursing, was recently named the 2020-21 president-elect of the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists (TANA). Koss, who is the CRNA Manager of Education at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will take office as the TANA president in October 2021.

“It is both humbling and an honor to have been elected by my peers to represent them as a leader in our profession and to help carry forth the tradition of serving to protect our practice and be a voice for more than 2,000 CRNAs across our great state,” said Koss, a resident of Franklin. “My hope as we make the turn to 2021 is that the new year will bring about renewed promise for us as a nation and as providers of anesthesia.”

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