Nursing student selected for Belmont’s Second Year Award

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Kelsey Maguire, a sophomore nursing student in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Belmont University Second Year Award.  The award recognizes an outstanding student who demonstrates values of leadership, service, scholarship and faith through actions and relationships which benefit Belmont and the larger community.

Kelsey is founding president of Belmont Nurse’s Christian Fellowship where she leads a weekly support group.  She is also a Towering Traditions leader, an Engaged Scholar, member of the Student Nurse’s Association and lab assistant for the School of Nursing.  She is an active member of Crosspoint Church and serves as assistant coach and choreographer for the Woodland Middle School JV Dance Team.

Kelsey was nominated for the award by Dr. Beth Hallmark and professor Dede Kuhn.   Dr. Hallmark said, “Kelsey makes intentional choices to be honorable and upright; yet she loves others with a grace that is contagious.   I have seen her develop into a maturing young lady who is thinking about the world, Belmont and her own life, and how her actions and beliefs affect all of these things.”

The award will be presented at the university awards convocation on April 18.

Ford Meets with Congressmen on Aging

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Dr. Ruth Ford recently attended the Aging in America Conference 2012 sponsored by ASA and NCOA in Washington, D.C. The political arena in Washington, D.C. was most vibrant with Supreme Court Hearings that week for the Affordable Health Care Act debate and the appropriation budget hearings for the Older American Act.

Ford met with Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander and Sen. Bob Corker as well as Keith Studdard, legislative director from Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s office, to discuss aging issues. She also attended a Capital Hill Advocacy Day to hear from several senators presenting on aging issues. The conference addressed many key issues with the Baby Boomer generation turning 65 and impacting wellness and healthcare in our society. Ford received a Belmont travel grant to help with funding her trip.

Ford has brought learning materials and class lecture content back for the doctoral of occupational therapy students. She is exploring a Maymester class for 2013 where students, faculty, and staff can learn about successful aging and ways to overcome barriers to aging.

OT students take class to community

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Occupational therapy students enrolled in the course,  Human Development for an Aging Population, recently  attended two community aquatic programs with aging adults to learn about health promotion and wellness. The class along with Associate Professor Dr. Ruth Ford engaged in aquatic exercises at Baptist Hospital Fitness Center and an arthritis aquatic program at the Dayani Center at Vanderbilt Medical center. Students identified water exercises as being a meaningful occupation for seniors and were able to distinguish the variance in demands on body structure and function while in the water while experimenting with the adaptive aquatic equipment.

The older adult swimmers shared their rationales for participating regularly in aquatic exercises to maintain strength, range of motion, control pain, and to stimulate overall well being and emotional health. The oldest male swimmer was 96 years old, another 86. Several of the women stated they had been attending regularly 3-5 times a year for up to 10 years. The class experience helped students identify community resources; provide inter-generational activity; and develop awareness of value of aquatic therapy.

OT students attend Legislative Day at State House

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Students from Belmont University School of Occupational Therapy recently attended OT Legislative Day at the state capital sponsored by the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA).  The students joined with peers from University of Tennessee at Memphis and Tennessee State University to meet with House and Senate members to educate them about the importance of OT services in the state of Tennessee. TNOTA President and Belmont Associate Professor, Dr. Jeanne Sowers has organized this learning and political advocacy initiative for the past several years. Lunch was provided by the association and enabled the different student groups to share their OT experiences.  Following Legislative Day, students and faculty from the universities toured Governor Haslam’s executive residence and the adjourning Celebration Hall.

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College of Pharmacy’s Mission to Guatemala

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Several weeks ago, a College of Pharmacy team traveled to Guatemala in partnership with The Shalom Foundation to provide chronic disease screening and general medical care to the residents of the Las Conchas community outside of Guatemala City. Members of the team were second-year pharmacy students Jennifer Corder, Mandy Newman, Marian Roufael, fourth-year pharmacy student Chris McKnight, and pharmacy faculty member, Dr. Rachel Franks (joined on the trip by her husband, Pastor, Dee Franks).

The trip was a powerful experience. As Mandy Newman stated, “Words cannot describe the trip! …Guatemala City and Las Conchas was an amazing experience…  The people of Las Conchas are so happy and thankful for what little they have. They taught me more about life than I could ever teach them about health. My life is forever changed because of them, and I hope to return next year.”

According to Allison Bender, Executive Director of The Shalom Foundation, “Belmont University continues to help us achieve our mission of improving the life of Guatemala’s children. We are blessed to partner with Belmont’s health programs (Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy); these students and faculty bring such gifts and energy to our work.”

L-R Front: Marian Roufael, Jennifer Corder, Ernesto (Translator); L-R Back: Dee & Rachel Franks, Mandy Newman, Victor (Driver)

Three Health Science professors nominated for University faculty awards

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Three health science professors have recently been nominated as finalists for two Belmont University faculty awards.

Dr. Martha Buckner, professor in the School of Nursing, is one of three finalists for the 2011-12 Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, the highest honor presented annually to a Belmont faculty member.  The award will be presented at graduation ceremonies on May 5th.  Learn more about Dr. Buckner at her profile page.

In addition, Dr. Leslie Folds, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, and Dr. Kelley Kiningham, Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy, have been nominated with two other Belmont faculty members as finalists for the Presidential Faculty Achievement Award for 2011-2012.  This award will be presented at Scholarship and Awards Day on April 18.  The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award recognizes excellence in helping to make Belmont University a student-centered community through their support of our students outside of the classroom.  Learn more about Dr. Folds at her profile page and about Dr. Kiningham at her profile page.

Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Buckner, Dr. Folds and Dr. Kiningham.

Graduate programs in the College of Health Sciences move up in US News rankings

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The three graduate schools in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing were recognized this week when U.S. News & World Report released its 2013 rankings of Best Graduate Schools, a tool to help prospective graduate students better understand the graduate school landscape and to identify programs that would be good fits. The rankings highlight the top programs in health, business, law, medicine, engineering and education, among other specialties.

In the 2013 rankings, Belmont’s Occupational Therapy program jumped from No. 90 last year to No. 58 out of more than 150 universities. Meanwhile, the School of Physical Therapy came in 51st out of nearly 200 other programs, and Belmont’s graduate nursing program was ranked at 234 out of 464 schools.

All the health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline who were asked to rate the academic quality of programs. Those schools with the highest average scores appear in the rankings.

Dr. Kiningham publishes chapter in new book

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Dr. Kelley Kiningham, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, will have her chapter titled “Receptor Independent Effects of Retinoids”  published in the upcoming book Nutrition and Cancer From Epidemiology to Biology, with editors Pier Paolo Claudio and Richard M. Niles from Bentham Science Publishers. The chapter is a unique look at the mechanisms by which retinoids work in the body to treat cancer.

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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