Belmont Health Services nurses Julie Hawley and Cilla Crane recently co-hosted a successful fundraiser as members of Fabulous Friends for Africa, a group of 10 women who raise money for the needs of Africa. On February 11, the organization hosted its fifth annual Valentine’s Dance at the Factory in Franklin, an event devoted to dancing and bidding on the event’s 125 silent auction items. More than 500 guests attended and raised $65,000 this year.

Started five years ago, the organization began as the 10 friends turned 50 years old. Instead of throwing a party for themselves in celebration, the women wanted to use the opportunity to raise money for Africa. Five years later they have raised more than $300,000 dollars for African Leadership (AL), an organization committed to developing projects and programs that meet the needs of Africans. The donations have included Bibles for pastor training; orphan care in Malawi; microloans in Gulu, Uganda; a childcare facility in Khayelitsha, South Africa; and partial funding for a vocational school in Kibera, Kenya. This year, in addition to African Leadership, the group highlighted and supported Amazima Ministries through 147 Million Orphans.

Dr. Kelley Kiningham, an associate professor in the School 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.

The American Occupational Therapy Association announced that Dr. Yvette Hachtel was elected by a vote of its membership as chairperson of the Ethics Commission for the national professional organization.  Hachtel is a tenured professor at Belmont University’s School of Occupational Therapy.

“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be elected chairperson-elect for the AOTA Ethics Commission.  As a former board member of a state professional licensure board and most recently as a consultant to Tennessee’s Occupational Therapy Practice Board, I know that occupational therapy practitioners have an outstanding reputation for providing quality, ethical intervention to their clients.  The AOTA Code of Ethics provides guidance for occupational therapy practitioners faced with potential and actual ethical issues. It is a living document that must remain current and reflective of the world we live and practice in. With the proliferation of the Internet and social media, we are all under increasing scrutiny by the public and it is important that we take even more rigorous precautions to protect the privacy and dignity of our clients,” Hachtel said. “As medicine offers new options for patients, occupational therapy practitioners must continue to provide accurate and current information to assist our clients in making informed, ethical treatment choices while being cognizant of their respective cultural backgrounds and values.”

The Ethics Commission is responsible for developing and revising the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards. Hachtel will take office on July 1.

Founded in 1917, AOTA represents the professional interests and concerns of more than 140,000 occupational therapists, assistants, and students nationwide.