Belmont Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Martha Buckner has been appointed to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam’s State Board of Nursing.
Buckner serves as executive director of Partners in Nursing at Belmont University and has a wide range of clinical experience with adult post-operative and nutrition support patients. She also has teaching experience in nursing pharmacology, nutrition and adult health.
Two occupational therapy doctoral students from Belmont University, Evan Pendygraft and Jevorius Price, began work this semester to provide ergonomic consultation to Spring Back Mattress Recycling in Nashville. The local non-profit was started in 2010 as a project by a Belmont University Enactus (then Students in Free Enterprise) team who explored mattress recycling as a means of achieving a triple bottom line, serving people, planet, and profit. Pendygraft and Price are working under the guidance of Dr. Teresa Plummer and Dr. Debra Gibbs, faculty members in the School of Occupational Therapy, and with Dr. John Gonas from the College of Business Administration, to assist workers at Spring Back to lessen the physical strain in their work activities and avoid potential injury. The consultation will continue during the next year.
For the tenth consecutive year, graduates of the Belmont University master’s program (MSN) for Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) has achieved a 100 percent first time pass rate on the nursing certification examination. The most recent class of 28 graduates all passed the exam on the first attempt this spring. Nationally, only 80% of new FNP graduates pass on the first attempt.
“This is a truly remarkable accomplishment,” said Dr. Martha Buckner, associate dean of nursing. She added, “We are so proud of the sustained level of excellence by our students and faculty and for the leadership of program director and professor of nursing, Dr. Leslie Higgins.” Continue reading
Belmont University School of Physical Therapy has received a 2014 nomination for the Mary Catherine Strobel Civic Volunteer Group Award presented by HCA/TriStar Health. Final awards were presented at an event hosted earlier this week by Hands On Nashville, Middle Tennessee’s largest volunteer resource center. “We’re honored to acknowledge your tireless commitment to enhancing our community’s quality of life,” stated Brian Williams, President & CEO of Hands On Nashville.
Receiving the nomination was Dr. Mike Voight, Professor of Physical Therapy, who helps lead PT student participation in community service throughout the year, which includes providing logistical coordination for annual events such as Dierks Bentley’s Miles & Music for Kids to benefit Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in Nashville.
In a ceremony marked by numerous standing ovations, students and faculty were honored this week during the University’s annual Scholarship and Awards Day convocation. All of the awards given reflected Belmont’s mission and commitment to scholarship, service and leadership.
In one of the most moving presentations, graduating senior and social work major Matthew Thompson was awarded the John Williams Heart of Belmont Award, which is given to a student committed to Belmont’s values including innovation, persistence, advocacy for change, community development and service. Before coming to Belmont, Thompson served in the Navy on the USS George Washington for five years. In 2005, he enlisted in the Army where he served an additional four years and afterwards completed one year of service in the Tennessee National Guard. After 10 years of service and three deployments, he was honorably discharged and began pursuing a degree at Belmont. Continue reading
Nursing students pictured left to right are Tiffany Jenkins, Erin Pettepher, Patrick Haltom, Emily Graehler and Elaine Seneff.
Belmont School of Nursing students and faculty participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies on April 13 at LP Field. The walk raises awareness and funding for the March of Dimes work to support community programs that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. The March of Dimes also funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies. The March for Babies has been going since 1970 and raised over $2 billion. Nine nursing students and two faculty members participated in the walk. The students were led by senior Patrick Haltom and were sponsored by Assistant Professor of Nursing Angela Lane and Instructor of Nursing Barb Padovich. The Belmont Nursing team raised $1,160 for March of Dimes.
Social Work senior Matt Thompson recently presented a poster at the Baccalaureate Program Director’s (BPD) national conference on social work education. His poster, which was selected to be a part of the student conference within the larger BPD conference, was entitled “Welcome Home: Current Military Pre and Post Separation and Transition Protocol.” This poster provided an overview of current practices that are followed as men and women leave the armed services. As Thompson discussed the poster with conference attendees, he noted areas where policies should be reviewed as well as areas where social work expertise could be utilized to provide more effective services to new veterans. Thompson, drawing on his social work education as well as his experience in the military, summed it up this way: “Compassion and caring are not substitutes for action and advocacy.”
Assistant Professor of Social Work Julie Hunt and Associate Professor of Social Work Sabrina Sullenberger also presented at the BPD conference. Sullenberger co-presented a workshop entitled “High-impact Educational Practices in Teaching Social Work Research” with colleagues from Indiana University. Hunt’s roundtable presentation was entitled ““Integrating Spiritual Sensitivity into Cultural Competence Education for our Changing World.”
Reflecting on her work at the conference, Hunt said, “It was an honor to lead a roundtable discussion with a diverse group of colleagues from universities around the country on ways to integrate spiritually sensitive content in their social work curriculum. We had a productive and meaningful sharing of ideas, and their interest in this conversation has continued as we have been corresponding since the meeting, sharing syllabi, and ideas for readings and course assignments.”
Social work juniors in Dr. Jennifer Crowell’s Policy II class recently participated in Social Work Day on the Hill at the Tennessee Legislative Plaza. They met with legislators, observed committee meetings and participated in a policy presentation and poster competition. Prior to the Day on the Hill, students worked in class to identify bills under consideration at the state level, and analyze the bills in the context of social work values, ethics and populations served, and then made recommendations on how to improve the bills they had studied. This collective work led the class to identify one topic to focus on for the policy presentation, the issue of Human Trafficking in Tennessee. At Day on the Hill, junior Christi Sidwell was selected as Belmont’s representative to speak in front of a crowd of students, faculty and social workers from across the state about Senate Bill 1655 and House Bill 1870. Christi spoke passionately about the issue in Tennessee and also about how the bills as proposed could be strengthened to ultimately provide better services and seek justice for people in Tennessee who have been trafficked. The hard work of all the students was recognized when Belmont University was announced the winner of the undergraduate competition.
Dr. Pat Sells, associate professor of physical therapy, and a group of doctoral PT students from Belmont University are in the midst of conducting research on how multiple sub-concussive hits affect children ages 5 to 12. The research team has enlisted The Brentwood Blaze, a youth football organization, for study participants, and those efforts were recently featured in an article on the Brentwood Home Page. The article, written by Jonathan Romeo, is linked here with an excerpt below.
Matthew Thompson, a senior Social Work student at Belmont University, recently was honored as the undergraduate Student of the Year by the Middle Tennessee branch of the National Association of Social Workers. The award honors a student who has created a positive influence on classmates for the profession, and maintained academic achievement.
“Matt has demonstrated a tremendous aptitude for scholarship and scholastic activity,” said Dr. Sabrina Sullenberger, Social Work Department Chairperson. She adds, “He is also a dedicated and courageous individual, respected and valued by his colleagues and peers.”
Thompson is a decorated Army veteran and a bronze star recipient who served honorably in the Middle East and Persian Gulf in 2002 and then was again deployed in Iraq in 2007. He was the recipient of a competitive national fellowship through The Mission Continues, in which he was awarded a 10 month grant designed to provide a stipend for veterans working in social service fields. He was one of 80 grantees from a field of just under 2200.
Thompson has deep and abiding commitment to the needs of veterans in the community. Continue reading
First inductees to be announced at McWhorter Society Luncheon May 1
With a mission to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the healthcare industry, Belmont University announced today the formation of a new Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame. Sponsored by Belmont’s McWhorter Society, the Healthcare Hall of Fame will announce its first inductees at the McWhorter Society Annual Luncheon on May 1 on Belmont’s campus.
Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns, co-chair of the McWhorter Society, said, “Tennessee has become a premier hub for healthcare and healthcare education in the United States. It’s only appropriate that we recognize and honor the countless men and women who have contributed to the growth of the industry, creating ever higher standards for patient care and well-being. With Belmont’s strong interdisciplinary programming in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, healthcare business and pharmacy, we’re proud to host this new Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame as these leaders can inspire our students for generations to come.”
Members of Belmont University’s Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) recently gathered to fill 62 boxes with school supplies and treats for the children of Safe Haven. The students asked for donation of fun age appropriate items and treats and the students gathered to wrap and fill the boxes; making the event a great time to spend with one another while serving others!
Safe Haven is a mission serving vulnerable populations with research-grounded, holistic methods. It is the only shelter-to-housing program of its kind in Middle Tennessee that accepts the whole homeless family. Executive director, Joyce Lavery, states that “Safe Haven is about preventing, reducing, and intervening in family homelessness with evidence-based and community-based solutions; moving the family from homelessness to self-sufficiency.” Currently there are 22 children at Safe Haven ranging from 2 months to 22 years of age, living in a beautiful new facility that houses up to six families at a time.
Belmont University physical therapy students recently assisted High Hopes, a non-profit preschool and therapy clinic serving children with and without disabilities, in moving to a new location in Franklin, Tennessee. The students sorted and packed High Hopes’ kitchen, classrooms and therapy clinic supplies. The evening packing sessions enabled High Hopes to move to their new location with minimal disruption in preschool or therapy services to children. The mission of High Hopes Inclusive Preschool and Pediatric Therapy Clinic is to equip children and youth with the skills necessary to achieve success thorugh education, rehabilitation and loving support. High Hope services as a clinical affiliation site for Belmont PT students.
Over 70 physical and occupational therapists attended a continuing education course, An Evidence Based Approach to Standing and Walking for Children with Moderate to Severe Motor Dysfunction, at Belmont University on Saturday, February 22. This course was sponsored by Belmont University Schools of Physical and Occupational Therapy along with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The course was taught by Ginny Paleg, a nationally-recognized expert in pediatric standing and mobility, and was underwritten by Prime Engineering. Course participants learned how to select and fit appropriate standing and walking assistive devices for children with special needs.
Dr. Mike Voight, Professor of Physical Therapy, has been recognized as a Pink Tie Guy by the Greater Nashville affiliate of Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest organization fighting breast cancer. The recognition was made at a Komen celebration dinner this week that honored a group of ten individuals from middle Tennessee this year.
The Pink Tie Program features influential leaders who help mobilize, energize and engage audiences in the breast cancer movement through their role within the community, within their organizations, and through their personal involvement. Pink Tie Guys bring a male voice to the urgency of finding a cure for breast cancer.
“Mike is the perfect Pink Tie Guy,” said Dr. Cathy Taylor, Dean of the College of Health Sciences. She added, “His positive energy is contagious, and he has worked tirelessly to mobilize others to race for the cure. We are so proud of his accomplishments and appreciate our Komen partners for rewarding his work in this way.”
On Tuesday, February 18, 70 physical therapy students along with 4 PT faculty participated in the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association Day on the Hill. They attended a session that covered an introduction to the legislative process, how to visit with a legislator, and how to become an advocate for the physical therapy profession. State Senator Doug Overbey spoke with them on the importance of getting to know their legislators. The students were then given a guided tour of the Legislative Plaza and the Tennessee State Capitol.
Dr. Cathy Taylor, dean of the College of Health Sciences & Nursing, was recently selected as a member of the 2014 class of the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows. The Fellows initiative engages industry leaders in clearly defining health care’s greatest challenges and exploring new strategies to meet these issues facing the U.S. health care system.
“It is an honor to be selected as a 2014 Council Fellow, and I am eager to expand my knowledge and network with others in the health care field,” Taylor said. “The Fellows class is an elite group of industry leaders, and I consider it a privilege to learn from and alongside each of them.”
The 2014 class, selected by the Council Fellows Advisory Committee led by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., includes 32 of the nation’s top health care executives.
During his recent visit to Thomazeau, Haiti, College of Pharmacy Dean Phil Johnston visited villages with LiveBeyond workers and a Belmont delegation to aid and dispense medications to a woman in postpartum, a father with high blood pressure, a small boy with worms and a man with a hip injury. The most powerful experience of them all was when a man who received medical attention sang a Christian hymn in Creole as his Voodoo-practicing neighbors gathered around and listened.
“It was like watching a Bible story about caring for the least of these,” Johnston said.
He, along with College of Health Sciences & Nursing Dean Cathy Taylor and Nursing Assistant Professor Robin Cobb, visited LiveBeyond’s base in Haiti last week to identify areas of student mission participation and to flush out unique partnerships between the University and the nonprofit organization that would allow Belmont Continue reading
Over 60 student, faculty and staff from the social work department recently celebrated the 30th annual departmental chili supper. The event began as a way to get to know students outside of the classroom, and has evolved into one of the main events that students look forward to each spring, often bringing their roommates, significant others, and even, on occasion, a pet or two. This year’s supper was held in the home of Dr. Jenny Crowell. Continue reading
Dr. Harry Jacobson, Chairman of MedCare Investment Funds and a founding partner of Tristar Technology Ventures, will present a public lecture at Belmont University this Friday morning, February 7. He will speak on healthcare innovation from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in McWhorter Hall Room 114, and the event is open to the public. The lecture is sponsored by the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing as part of their Diagnosing Our Future Speaker Series.
MedCare and its affiliated entities manage approximately $1 billion in assets, the substantial majority of which are related to the medical and healthcare services industry. Currently MedCare has a portfolio of fifteen healthcare companies representing most sectors of the industry including services, information technologies, medical devices, pharm and biotechnology. All of MedCare’s investments are targeted to companies bringing innovation to health care.
Dr. Jacobson is former Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at Vanderbilt University and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Continue reading
Left to right are Kelsey Maguire, Assistant Professor and Director of the College of Health Sciences Simulation Beth Hallmark and Patrick Haltom at the March of Dimes event.
Belmont nursing student Patrick Haltom was recently honored as Student Nurse of the Year at the fourth annual March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Awards held Dec. 10 at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs. This event recognized nurses who embody leadership, compassion and excellence in patient care across several nursing specialties.
“These nurses are very deserving of this honor, and we are pleased to play a role in saluting these patient champions for the care they provide daily,” said Susan Peach, chief executive officer of Highpoint Health System and chairwoman of the Nurse of the Year Event.
Haltom was one of 16 Middle Tennessee nurses to receive top honors at the March of Dimes event. More than 5,000 nurses were nominated nationwide including 160 in the Middle Tennessee area, including Belmont senior Kelsey Maguire. Winners were determined by a selection committee that included health care professionals. Continue reading
Second year Physical Therapy student Ashley Barrett recently was completing one of her clinical affiliations by working with a home health therapist, Dr. Maritza Garcia Williams, a Belmont DPT alumnus (’02). The two of them were working with an individual with multiple sclerosis who was confined to a wheelchair. In addition to exercises and mobility training, they worked to determine an emergency exit plan from his home, as he was alone most of the day and unable to get his wheelchair out of the house.
Since Ashley’s grandfather was in construction, she both recruited his help to build a ramp and ensured that the cost of the supplies was covered. After receiving permission from the patient and measurements needed for the ramps, Ashley and her grandparents went to the patient’s home and installed the ramp.
When Dr. Williams arrived at the patient’s home for the next therapy session, the patient actually met her outside. Dr. Williams shared that “This is the first time in five years that he has been able to exit his home, easily and quickly, without assistance. For him, this is major!”
Two faculty members from Belmont University School of Nursing recently assisted Hillwood High School’s Academy of Health Sciences in securing a $100,000 grant from the HCA Foundation made on behalf of the HCA/TriStar Family of Hospitals. The School of Nursing is a PENCIL partner with the Academy. Belmont faculty and students volunteer time to provide guidance to the school’s administration and career advice to its students. The PENCIL Foundation helps link community resources with Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Dr. Sandy Murabito, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Sandra Rosedale, Clinical Placement Coordinator for the School of Nursing, provided significant assistance in writing the grant application. Murabito is the school’s PTO president and Rosedale serves on the Academy’s advisory board. Continue reading
Pictured are (from L to R) Dean Pat Raines, student pharmacist Jessica Brinkley, Roland Achenjang, Healthcare MBA student, Mr. McWhorter, MBA student Jacqueline Youde, Dean Cathy Taylor, Student pharmacist Emily Doss, Nursing student Kelsey Maguire, and Dean Phil Johnston. Not pictured is Lauren Moss, who is a student in the Doctorate in Nursing Practice program.
Belmont University introduced the first six McWhorter Society Scholars on Dec. 4. The McWhorter Society, which was formed earlier this year, consists of members of the Nashville area community who are engaged in healthcare and the business of healthcare, and who choose to support future healthcare professionals from Belmont University.
The society is named in honor of long-time Belmont supporter Clayton McWhorter whose leadership and role in the development of healthcare industry giants HealthTrust Inc. and HCA have made a strong impression in the field of health care. In 1996, Clayton, his son Stuart and a close business friend created the venture capital firm Clayton Associates, which quickly evolved into a hub of strategic business development activities related to new firms in healthcare, technology and diversified services.
McWhorter was introduced to the newest scholars to hear their Belmont stories and how they intend to use the degrees they are pursuing at Belmont. Recipients included the following Belmont students.
Dr. Anson Rosenfeldt, a 2009 graduate of Belmont University School of Physical Therapy, has been named as one of 25 emerging leaders in physical therapy by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Dr. Rosenfeldt is a staff physical therapist with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH.
Each year, APTA recognizes therapists from across the country who have demonstrated extraordinary service early in their careers. The organization’s professional journal, PT in Motion, announced this year’s honorees in last month’s issue. In the announcement article, Pamela Dixon, an occupational therapist who nominated Rosenfeldt, comments about her involvement in elevating the use of evidence-based practice and increasing quality and education of all therapists.