IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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College of Pharmacy Student Presents at Tennessee Pharmacist Association’s Annual Convention

Fred O’NealFred O’Neal, a Belmont University College of Pharmacy student, was one of six student presenters at the Tennessee Pharmacist Association’s Annual Convention in July. In his presentation, “OTC Medication Clinical Pearls and Therapeutic Updates,” O’Neal educated more than 120 pharmacists and students about allergic rhinitis, the determination of allergy severity and recommendations on the best products for use. At the end of his 15-minute presentation, O’Neal provided several examples and a poll to encourage audience participation.

 

Faircloth Selected to Attend National Communication Association Conference

John Thomas FairclothJohn Thomas Faircloth, a 2015 communications studies graduate, was selected by the National Communication Association as one of 40 students nationwide to attend the undergraduate honors conference held in Washington, D.C. this summer.

The conference was designed to assist students with research and post-graduate plans and provides opportunities for interaction between students and scholars in communication studies. Faircloth plans to pursue graduate studies in communication at The University of Memphis this fall.

Cates Named 2015 Nashville Business Journal Woman in Music City

Sarah CatesBelmont’s Director of Development and Industry Relations Sarah Cates was recently lauded as a Nashville Business Journal’s 2015 Women in Music City Award recipient.

Done annually, the NBJ firsts asks for nominations of women working in the music business who are making a creative and economic impact on the industry. A judging committee comprised of women music professionals from Los Angeles and New York City score the nominations and NBJ’s internal judges made the final selections.

Cates and the 25 other recipients will be honored at an awards dinner held at the Omni Hotel on Sept. 24 and in a special NBJ printed publication.

Belmont’s College of Pharmacy Designated as HIMSS Education Partner

Dr. Anthony Blash Head ShotAs a result of meeting the Healthcare Information and Management System Society’s (HIMSS) rigorous standards for quality health IT or healthcare education, Belmont’s College of Pharmacy has been named as a HIMSS Approved Education Partner (AEP).

The College joins an exclusive group of organizations authorized to offer HIMSS-approved review courses and training programs to prepare candidates for advanced knowledge in health IT or healthcare. Additionally, this curriculum serves as a solid foundation to prepare students for the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CAHIMS) or Certified Professional in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS) exams. HIMSS sponsors both certifications.

As a HIMSS Approved Education Partner, Belmont becomes the only pharmacy school in the nation with a Healthcare Informatics concentration leading to an internationally recognized certification in Healthcare Informatics which may be obtained before the students’ experiential rotations, residency inquiries and job searches begin.

CAHIMS is a new health IT certification designed for emerging professionals within the industry. CPHIMS is a professional certification program for healthcare information and management systems professionals with more than five years’ experience in health IT.

Belmont’s program sponsor is Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Informatics and Analytics in the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences Anthony Blash, Pharm.D., BCompSc, CPHIMS. Blash has created a four-course, web-based sequence of classes to prepare Belmont student pharmacists for the CAHIMS certification. The college saw its first two students certify at the CAHIMS level last month and expects twenty to thirty students to certify each year moving forward.

“Nashville is considered by many to be home to the U.S. healthcare industry, with nearly 300 companies providing healthcare synergies found in few other places,” said Blash.  “If your interests lie in pharmacy and informatics, our program stands apart. With experiential rotation sites at the headquarters of the largest healthcare organizations in the world, faculty with experiences in the corporate boardrooms of many American healthcare companies and a Pharmacy / Healthcare Informatics experience facilitated by the current national chairman of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Educational Steering Committee on Informatics and Technology, our faculty represents the pinnacle of teaching experience.”

Belmont will expand the CAHIMS certificate program in both self-paced and accelerated formats to professional pharmacists and other healthcare or IT professionals in the very near future.

“We are pleased to welcome The College of Pharmacy at Belmont University as a HIMSS Approved Education Partner,” said JoAnn W Klinedinst, M.Ed., CPHIMS, DES, PMP, FHIMSS. “By earning this AEP designation, The College of Pharmacy has demonstrated that its  educational development activities meet the rigorous standards for quality as identified by HIMSS.”

College of Pharmacy Team Serves in Guatemala

A team from Belmont’s College of Pharmacy recently spent 10 days in Guatemala City, Guatemala as part of a multidisciplinary surgical mission team serving at The Moore Pediatric Surgery Center. Led by Professor of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences Dr. Eric Hobson, three students – Shelby Blalock, Anais Fraire and Tayler Storrs – served the hospital’s hospitality and outreach team, charged with meeting the patients’ and hospital staff’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Beyond providing chaplaincy services, entertaining patients and anticipating the medical team’s needs, one student was always stationed in the Moore Center’s pharmacy where they served as a pharmacy technician to the hospital’s full-time pharmacist. Each student also observed multiple surgeries including cleft palate repair, tonsillectomy and scar rescission.

Throughout the week, the team cared for 108 children who received life-changing surgery at no cost. Dr. Hobson said a highlight of the care process was sitting, talking and praying with parents while their children were in the operating room. The team reconnected with families the day after surgery and provided each with a Spanish language Bible and a printed set of the prayers team members prayed during the major stages of each child’s hospital stay.

Hobson developed a relationship with the hospital after meeting Executive Director of The Shalom Foundation Allison Bender and realizing the need for a pharmcey. He co-designed the pharmacy and brought the first Belmont students there to open it in 2011. Now, 95 percent of the pharmacy’s services have been performed by Belmont students, and the facility has completed more than 3,000 surgeries performed by doctors from all over the United States. Hobson returns regularly to the hospital, and now his siblings have taken on roles with the clinic as well, making what USA Headlines calls a “Family Affair.” The family hopes to continue helping the clinic grow.

Upon returning from the trip, Blalock said she is thankful for Belmont for allowing her to be a part of something so special. “I woke up this morning full of emotions: sadness because I wasn’t at the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center today, happiness because I remember the impact we were able to make and gratefulness because those kids changed my life more than I could ever imagine changing or impacting theirs,” she said. “It was truly an honor to be able to serve all week and is something that will always be close to my heart.”

Belmont University Initiates Post-Graduate Pharmacy Residency at St. Thomas Rutherford

The two-resident program will be funded by the Christy-Houston Foundation

(L to R) Dean of College of Pharmacy Dr. Phil Johnston, Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice Dr. Cathy Ficzere, Executive Director of the Christy-Houston Foundation Mr. Bob Mifflin, President and CEO of St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital Gordon B. Ferguson, Residency Director at St. Thomas Rutherford Dr. Amy Hodgin, Director of Pharmacy at St. Thomas Rutherford John Farringer, and the inaugural residents, Dr. Nick Brakefield and Maggie Goodman (Belmont COP ‘15).
(L to R) Dean of College of Pharmacy Dr. Phil Johnston, Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice Dr. Cathy Ficzere, Executive Director of the Christy-Houston Foundation Mr. Bob Mifflin, President and CEO of St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital Gordon B. Ferguson, Residency Director at St. Thomas Rutherford Dr. Amy Hodgin, Director of Pharmacy at St. Thomas Rutherford John Farringer, and the inaugural residents, Dr. Nick Brakefield and Maggie Goodman (Belmont COP ‘15).

Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy was established in 2007 and has graduated more than 270 students who have gone on to serve the pharmaceutical community through a variety of opportunities including hospital and corporation placements, community pharmacy placements, missions, managed care and research, among others. With the ever-increasing complexity and fast pace of health care service innovation, there is an increasing demand for pharmacists with post-graduate residencies that provide training in management, clinical service provision, alternative therapies and budgetary controls.

Nationally, there are 32 percent more pharmacists who desire post-graduate residencies than there are residency training sites, and last year, 3,933 pharmacists applied for the 2,964 available positions. To meet the needs of its students, Belmont University has partnered with the Christy-Houston Foundation to initiate a two resident post-graduate program at St. Thomas Rutherford. On July 1, Drs. Nick Brakefield and Maggie Goodman began residencies at St. Thomas Rutherford.

Dean of the College of Pharmacy Dr. Phil Johnston said “We are particularly pleased to work with the Christy-Houston Foundation and St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital in this venture. Drs. Hodgin and Farringer will serve as wonderful role models and mentors along with various health care personnel. This helps create jobs in Rutherford County, where the Christy-Houston Foundation focuses, helps the hospital expand its clinical and administrative services and helps Belmont establish additional training sites. Together, this partnerships will benefit recent graduates, the patients of St Thomas Rutherford Hospital and the residents of Rutherford County.”

The Christy-Houston Foundation has provided $123,740 as seed money for the newly designed program, dollars that will support the program and ensure future sustainability. In addition to this gift, The Christy-Houston Foundation has provided funding for state-of-the-art equipment for Belmont’s School of Occupational Therapy and the Christy-Houston Drug Information Center at Belmont’s College of Pharmacy, a center that is utilized continuously by 300 students, 30 full-time faculty and over 700 volunteer pharmacists.

Marissa Begin Heads Up Belmont’s Pipeline Project 5.0

Marissa Begin, student supervisor of the Pipeline Project 5.0 and junior entertainment industry studies major, will lead a team of eight other students to present the group’s research findings to six big-name companies in the music industry including TuneCore, Warner Music Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry next week.

The team has spent the last 10 weeks pulling extensive research by conducting surveys, focus groups and interviews to provide insight and suggestions on topics provided by the sponsors. Begin is a returning member after spending last summer with the Pipeline Project 4.0, and accepting the invitation to serve as the student supervisor this year to help guide and prep the team through the unique process.

Begin said the program has taught her invaluable career lessons including flexibility, building community within a team, the importance of hard work and most importantly, humility. “At the end of the summer we present our findings to the sponsors. Most of the time, they’re not checking in on our progress every week so it’s our job to answer their questions concisely and accurately. You can’t fake 10 weeks of research, and you certainly can’t do it alone,” she said. “I’ve learned so much, and yet I still know nothing. Being able to speak on specific topics we’ve worked so hard for is a great feeling, but also being aware there is still so much to learn is something I have greatly accepted.”

Marissa Begin
Marissa Begin, student supervisor for Pipeline Project 5.0

One reason Begin calls the Pipeline Project her favorite experience at Belmont is the sense of close community she feels within her team. She told the story of the Pipeline Prom, that began as a joke, but quickly turned into a tradition. Created by Pipeline 4.0 team, the group dresses up and goes to a nice restaurant for dinner. When Begin told this year’s group about it they immediately wanted to plan one of their own. “Last Sunday we dressed up and went to a nice restaurant to listen to one of our members play piano, which was another special moment. We took pictures and talked about anything but work, and it was nice. I love being a part of these kind of traditions…as nerdy as they may be,” she said.

Begin stressed that the Pipeline Project is a great program to enhance academic learning and build strong relationships. She recommends other schools start similar programs that teach hard work, preparation and forward thinking, even if it isn’t focused on the music industry. She said the sponsors invest in this project because they value education and want the students to learn more about the business so they enter the work force as strong, intelligent and innovative individuals who can be catalysts for positive change in the music industry. Programs like these push students to work harder and build important professional relationships before they graduate.

Begin’s advice to other students interested in the industry is to
surround themselves with like-minded people who have similar values and goals, because it becomes a lot easier to succeed if there are others around to keep participants accountable.

Begin gives credit to the supportive professors and advisors, as well as other driven students, for her success in this role. “Belmont has provided me with endless opportunities to build meaningful relationships and constantly look for what’s missing in the market place. I feel well-prepared going into my last year and a half at Belmont and look forward to post graduation,” she said. “I hope down the road I am performing, whether it be in theater, live performance, acting or public speaking. Regardless of where I end up, I love Nashville, these people and the art of entertainment and hope to be as involved as I can.”

Carr Releases New Album

Cheryl Carr ConcertAssociate Professor of Music Business Cheryl Carr recently celebrated the release of her new album, Invocation with a concert and listening party at Steinway Piano Gallery’s Recital Hall.  Invocationis a collection of jazz-styled hymns and standards.

Carr, a vocalist, performed with a host of Belmont-affiliated musicians including Associate Professor of Music Dr. Anthony Belfiglio,  Adjunct Instructor of Music Chester Thompson, alumnus James DaSilva and Joe Davidian.

Pharmacy Faculty Publish New Drug Review Article

Faculty members from Belmont’s College of Pharmacy Drs. Lindsay Hahn, Ashton Beggs, Leela Kodali and Kristy Wahaib recently published a peer-reviewed therapeutic review article in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. The article, “Vedolizumab: An integrin-receptor antagonist for treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis,” serves as a review of the currently available literature for this newly approved medication. The article was also co-authored by Vanessa Kirkwood, a recent College of Pharmacy graduate.

The American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy publishes peer-reviewed scientific papers on contemporary drug therapy and pharmacy practice innovations in hospitals and health systems. With a circulation of nearly 40,000, it is the most widely recognized and respected clinical pharmacy journal in the world.

Lovvorn Co-Authors Published Article

Jason LovvornAssistant Professor of English Jason Lovvorn co-authored an article recently published in The Elementary School Journal (Volume 115, Number 4) with Bridget Dalton, lead author at University of Colorado – Boulder, Kristin H. Robinson, CAST Inc., Blaine E. Smith, University of Miami, Tara Alvey, Austin Peay State University, Elaine Mo, University of the Pacific, Paola Uccelli, Harvard University and C. Patrick Proctor, Boston College.  

The article, “Fifth-Grade Students’ Digital Retellings and the Common Core: Modal Use and Design Intentionality,” resulted from a research project examining how students retold folktales in digital fashion, using images, sounds and animations alongside written text. The study highlights students’ intentional designs and their awareness of complementary compositional modes and suggests that educators need more complex models and more efficient teaching practices regarding multimodal composition.