Pharmacy Dean's Report

BELMONT UNIVERSITY • DEAN’S REPORT

College of Pharmacy A

B

THE BELMONT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY IS A COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO RIGOROUS AND PURPOSEFUL TEACHING, SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP IN PHARMACY TO DEVELOP PHARMACISTS PREPARED TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF EVOLVING CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE.

DEAN’S MESSAGE Greetings from Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy!

Our team is truly excited about the many activities and accomplishments that are happening at the College and this report will highlight several of them. Our values focused on integrity, service and humility will shine in the stories that are shared within this issue. I am so grateful for our students, staff, faculty and community partners that work tirelessly to improve the health of our patients. Keeping the patient at the forefront of all we do is paramount. We consistently remind ourselves and our students that their patient is someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, spouse and friend. To have a transcendent call in the care of patients is a cherished honor, and we strive to demonstrate this action in all that we do.

The College continues to thrive within the world class health community of Nashville. Our NAPLEX and MPJE pass rates remain in the top 90th percentile or greater, our residency match rates are well above the national averages, and our students achieve a greater than 95% hire rate after completion of the degree. We partner with wonderful practitioners in the community from our profession as well as many interdisciplinary partners. At Belmont, we strive to be a collaborative and well-respected member of the health care community. We also are excited about our numerous opportunities to help the underserved in both the local and international communities.

Belmont has continued to focus our efforts on recruitment of underrepresented minorities for opportunities in pharmacy to better address diversity needs within our profession. As part of Belmont’s mission, we are pleased that we continue to have one of the largest underrepresented minority student populations in the country and will continue these efforts in the future.

I hope you enjoy this report from the College of Pharmacy.

Please stop by when you are in Nashville for a visit.

It is an honor to serve as your Dean.

“To have a transcendent call in the care of patients is a cherished honor, and we strive to demonstrate this action in all that we do.”

Dean David Gregory

STUDENT PROFILE

THE ENTERING CLASS OF 2023

37% 63%

MEN

WOMEN

Students come from 25 states and Puerto Rico

69

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

44%

STUDENTS OF DIVERSITY

26

FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS

4

5

6

C U LT U R E & C O M M U N I T Y Nashville combines big-city charisma with small-town charm to create an enriching experience for Belmont Pharmacy students. As Tennessee’s capital city, Nashville is a major urban, government and not-for-profit center. Nashville is home to a variety of industries, including printing and publishing, health care management, insurance, tourism, banking, advertising and media. Nashville is music, sports and culture; quiet parks and rowdy festivals; cowboy boots and business suits. Welcome to Music City.

INDUSTRIES IN THE “IT” CITY GOVERNMENT NON-PROFIT PRINTING AND PUBLISHING H E A LT H C A R E M A N A G E M E N T INSURANCE TOURISM BANKING ADVERTISING AND MEDIA

NASHVILLE IS HOME TO

900+

C O M PA N I E S W O R K I N G I N H E A LT H C A R E

NASHVILLE HAS SEEN

$1 BILLION I N V E N T U R E C A P I TA L I N V E S T M E N T S I N H E A LT H C A R E O V E R T H E P A S T D E C A D E .

G L O B A L LY, N A S H V I L L E ’ S H E A L T H C A R E I N D U S T R Y G E N E R AT E S M O R E T H A N

$92 billion

IN REVENUE AND MORE THAN

570,000 jobs 7

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

S T U D E N T S C R E AT E A R T I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E SOFTWARE FOR AMAZON ALEXA Amazon Alexa is an artificial intelligence platform capable of interacting with various types of information from thermostats to medical devices.

According to Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, the purchase of individual Amazon smart speaker units has surpassed 20 million in the United States, up from 10.7 million in March 2017 and 5.1 million in November 2016. Now, Belmont students are adding to the body of knowledge that Alexa possesses.

Last May, 12 students from Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy were recognized by Amazon Alexa’s certification team for acceptance of their artificial intelligence submissions. Since the inception of this initiative in fall 2017, Belmont’s team of student pharmacists has grown from eight initial members to a group of 20 skill-certified Amazon Alexa developers. To date, the student pharmacists have developed more than 25 skills that have been peer-reviewed and certified by the Amazon Alexa team and subsequently made available in the Amazon store. Belmont has created a sequence of five courses and one-month intensive experiential rotations to prepare student pharmacists to become future leaders in healthcare informatics.

Students worked to develop voice activated applications, or “skills,” as part of a co-curricular component of the Introduction to Healthcare Informatics I course. Each skill can be downloaded and activated on-demand to answer drug information questions with accurate medical information. While none of Alexa’s skills should replace a consultation with a licensed health care professional, these skills can be downloaded for free online or through the Alexa app, which is now available for Amazon Fire, Apple and Android devices. (To download a skill, choose “Skills” from the Alexa app menu and search for the skill by name.)

25+ SKILLS

available in the Amazon store

TEAM OF

20

SKILL-CERTIFIED DEVELOPERS

8

12

STUDENTS recognized for their AI submissions

PHARMACY STUDENTS RECEIVE T H E I R W H I T E C O AT S Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy firstyear students, 82 in total, received their white coats on January 11, a practice that symbolizes their transition into pharmacy practice experiences in institutional and community settings. The Tyler Duke family received the Friend of the College Award in recognition of their sustained support through the Tyler Duke Endowed Scholarship and support of student missions.

Dr. Condit Steil, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, received the Professional Stewardship Award which recognizes a health care professional who has answered the call to service that comes with professional standing in the community.

The Being Belmont Award is given each year to a person or entity that has exemplified what it means to uphold the values of the University and has benefitted students and the pharmacy program. Belmont’s Counseling Services received this year’s award.

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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY SENDS S T U D E N T S , F A C U LT Y O N G L O B A L MISSIONS TRIPS Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy sent students abroad this summer on medicalrelated missions trips to both Honduras and Cambodia led by faculty members Drs. Tracy Frame, Adam Pace, Leela Kodali and College of Pharmacy Dean, Dr. David Gregory. Though each trip visited a different place, they sought out a similar goal—to impact the lives of the patients they served.

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, Tracy Frame’s interprofessional team, made up of both undergraduate and graduate nursing students, pharmacy students, a social worker and five faculty members, spent 10 days in Cambodia facilitating an all-student run clinic that saw more than 700 patients. Developed by the students before leaving the States, the clinic’s protocol allowed each patient the opportunity to be seen by undergraduate nursing students to have vitals evaluated, treated by a graduate nursing student and then counseled and prescribed medication by a pharmacy intern.

“It’s about fulfilling human needs, not just medical ones.

And that’s a transcendent cause.”

Dean David Gregory

Frame’s dedication to student service experiences is a foundational part of her teaching philosophy. “This generation of students loves experiences and getting involved,” she said. “They want to take initiative, have a voice and be transformed. Additionally, students learn more by getting involved in hands-on service experiences than by sitting in my classroom. Watching them serve and love others is when I see them happiest and the most content in their own lives.”

Traveling to Gracias, Honduras with the “Mission of Harmony,” Gregory’s team included two pharmacy students and one undergraduate Spanish major who spent time serving throughout the group’s clinic. The pharmacy students worked with each patient after they had seen the health care provider, selecting the proper medication for the patient’s disease along with the appropriate medication management parameters. But their work didn’t stop there.

Though a considerable amount of the group’s efforts was medical in nature, Gregory said the service they completed in Honduras goes so much deeper than what can be seen in a health record. “A patient’s life is so much more than their medication,” he said. “Pharmacy can be a tool in helping each person live a better life, but it’s not the most important aspect. Pharmacy is what God has allowed me to do with my life, but these trips are about so much more than that. It’s about fulfilling human needs, not just medical ones. And that’s a transcendent cause.”

Associate Professors, Drs. Adam Pace and Leela Kodali took their group to Copan, Honduras, where they implemented a clinic that facilitated health care to local residents and provided “family packs” complete with hygiene items, vitamins and parasite medications. In addition to church services led by a partnering Honduran pastor, the group was able to share their faith with the patients they served.

“After the completion of this trip, I feel more confidence in my pharmacy knowledge and reassured of my passion for missions.”

Camry Kerley

Pace said he sees service learning as the ultimate expression of his faith. “As Christian faculty, it is our duty to model Christian love before our students,” he said. “I can think of no better way to do that than to take them with me as I serve and try to show the love of Christ to the world.”

Beyond a physical expression of her faith, Kodali said she sees the experience as a way to ensure that students have the opportunity to experience the blessings of their lives in a tangible way.

“I hope they gain a fuller sense of the privilege we all enjoy and the obligations we have in this privileged environment. I hope they also have a heightened sense of the importance of what our profession offers by seeing what happens in its absence.”

Trip participant and Pharmacy student, Camry Kerley said the opportunity to travel alongside her team to Honduras was an excellent experience that only strengthened her passion for missions through medical care. “Everything was so different from home,” she said. “The language, the lifestyle, the surroundings and peoples’ attitudes–Honduras is unlike any place I’ve ever been, and this experience was definitely one of a lifetime. After the completion of this trip, I feel more confidence in my pharmacy knowledge and reassured of my passion for missions.” Collectively, students served more than 3,300 patients during 18 days of clinics.

All mission trips facilitated by the College of Pharmacy are open to non-health care majors who are interested in participating and are financially supported by the College’s Golf Fundraiser.

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C O L L E G E O F P H A R M AC Y N O M I N AT E D F O R S T R O B E L AWA R D The College of Psychiatric & Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) chapter within the Belmont College of Pharmacy has been nominated by Renewal House to receive the Strobel Award. This award recognizes Middle Tennessee volunteers who dedicate their time and service to improve the community.

Renewal House is a long-term comprehensive addiction treatment and recovery program for women and their children. Since 2010, faculty and students in the College of Pharmacy have supported Renewal House through backpack and diaper drives, painting projects and furniture assembly efforts. Each year, CPNP organizes an Easter egg hunt and Trunk-or-Treat event for the children living at Renewal House. CPNP President, Teresa Zhen said, “It has been an ongoing privilege serving our community here in Nashville, and I look forward to all our future events with Renewal House.�

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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY STUDENT P R E S E N T S AT H E A LT H I N F O R M AT I O N MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOCIETY GLOBAL CONFERENCE

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Angelina Babakitis, a Doctor of Pharmacy student in the pharmacy informatics focus track at the Belmont University College of Pharmacy, recently presented a poster at the Health Information Management System Society (HIMSS) 2019 Global Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The poster, entitled, “Enhancing pharmacist intervention effectiveness by implementing custom clinical decision support,” was authored by Babakitis, PharmD Candidate 2020, Wesley Geminn, PharmD, BCPP and Erica Schlesinger, PharmD. It describes the development of clinical decision support (CDS) tools to aid pharmacists when verifying medication orders for pregnant patients at four state-funded regional mental health institutes. When medications carrying a high risk for pregnant patients are ordered, the pharmacist is warned with a custom notification. Before the pharmacist approves the order, they must weigh the benefits and risks of using the medication or contact the physician regarding risk. This custom CDS tool has led to more meaningful and direct communication between the pharmacist and physician and increased safety for patients. Belmont’s College of Pharmacy is the only pharmacy school in the United States to be recognized as a Health Information Management System Society (HIMSS) Approved Education Partner (AEP). As the sponsor of the HIMSS/Belmont partnership, Associate Professor Anthony Blash, PharmD, CPHIMS has created a four-course sequence of classes that meets the HIMSS rigorous standards for quality health IT or healthcare education. The informatics courses provide student pharmacists in the healthcare informatics focus track an advanced knowledge of health IT upon graduation. Additionally, through a combination of expert conversation, live projects and traditional study, students gain the advanced knowledge of healthcare informatics needed to successfully achieve the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CAHIMS) certification, further demonstrating the certificate holder’s knowledge of health IT and management systems.

Babakitis was the only student of the nine presenters, which included an emergency medicine professor from Harvard Medical School, a quality performance management associate from Athenahealth, a manager from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine HR Center of Expertise, a program manager of patient access at Emory Healthcare, an associate professor of health informatics from Florida Polytechnic University, a nurse manager at the University of Colorado Health’s Virtual Health Center and a clinical assistant professor of informatics at Georgia State University’s College of Nursing.

KRISTINA FRITCH CHOSEN FOR APHA-ASP N AT I O N A L S TA N D I N G C O M M I T T E E Kristina Fritch has been chosen to be a part of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists’ National Standing Committee (APhA-ASP). This committee seeks to showcase the efforts of APhA-ASP chapters from across the country through social media, printed publications, on-line resources and e-communications. The committee is comprised of four student pharmacists who represent their college of pharmacy at various conferences and work closely with APhA staff throughout the year. Ms. Fritch will assume this role during her final year of graduate school where she is pursuing a dual PharmD/MBA. Kristina has served in a number of leadership roles at Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy. She has helped with recruitment as a Student Ambassador. She has served the past year as the Belmont Student Pharmacist Alliance president. In addition to these roles, she has also served as vice president of the Christian Pharmacist Fellowship International.

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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS RETIREMENT OF DR. CONDIT STEIL Condit F. Steil, PharmD, CDE, FAPhA retired in July 2019 after serving the Belmont College of Pharmacy since 2008 in exemplary fashion. Dr. Steil is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. His career has included service as a part-time field professor, practice in an ambulatory care clinic, hospital pharmacy director, ownership of community and long-term care pharmacy practices, and faculty positions in pharmacy and also family medicine residency training programs. He has served as a faculty member at the University of Kentucky (part-time), Samford University and finished his full-time career as Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy, where he previously served as Chair of the Pharmacy Practice Department.

He was recently named a Professor of Pharmacy Practice Emeritus, as he completed his final year of full-time service. His long time professional interest has been ambulatory/community-based care roles for pharmacists in chronic diseases, with a focus on diabetes care. He has been active in the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Diabetes Educators at local, state and national levels providing service including board and officer leadership roles. Dr. Steil maintained a practice site at a local ambulatory clinic which he utilized for teaching fourth year pharmacy students. He has authored over one hundred articles and textbook chapters. He is a certified diabetes educator and has been recognized as a fellow by the American Pharmacists Association.

The College of Pharmacy has been blessed by Dr. Steil’s long time service and we salute him for all he has done and will continue to do, to impact the profession that improves the care of patients.

authored over

100

ARTICLES AND TEXTBOOK CHAPTERS

DR. ERIN BEHNEN JOINS BELMONT PHARMACY A D M I N I S T R AT I V E T E A M Dr. Erin Behnen joined the College of Pharmacy in the summer of 2018 as our Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Assessment. She came to Belmont from the University of Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) where she served as the Assistant Provost for Academic Innovation and Effectiveness with prior leadership roles in the SIUE College of Pharmacy. Dr. Behnen is a stellar addition to our College and brings tremendous experience in assessment and academic affairs that continues to advance our team.

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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

P R E S I D E N T I A L F A C U LT Y A C H I E V E M E N T A W A R D Dr. Edgar Diaz-Cruz, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical, Administrative and Social Sciences, was named the 2017–2018 Presidential Faculty Achievement Award recipient on April 11, 2018. This award recognizes faculty who have gone above and beyond to serve students both in and out of the classroom. As a testament to Dr. Diaz-Cruz’s commitment to student success, he had been named a finalist for the award three times prior to receiving it. A further testament to his enthusiasm in student mentorship through service, Dr. Diaz-Cruz was recognized with the Professional Stewardship Award by his peers and voted as the Most Influential Faculty Member by his students in 2017. Dr. Diaz-Cruz is passionate about increasing diversity and ministering to the underserved, as evident by his efforts as the founding advisor to the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) chapter, HIV/AIDS “My Voice” council and leadership in co-facilitating Diversity and Inclusion development efforts across campus. Upon accepting this prestigious award, Dr. Diaz-Cruz reflected on what it means to teach in a student-centered institution: “It’s not only educating, it’s also fostering an environment of equality. We are all individuals that are so diverse, and we have to really foster a place where we can include all.” It was a message that served as the inspiration for his 2018 summer commencement speech titled: “Building a People-Centered World Through Service and Humility.”

D R . G R E E N F E AT U R E D O N COVER OF PHARMACY TIMES Dr. Montgomery Green was featured in the August 2019 issue of Pharmacy Today for her work in antimicrobial stewardship at Williamson County Medical Center. Dr. Green leads daily prospective reviews of antimicrobial therapy to ensure proper utilization of the regimens employed for the management of the respective infection. She is part of a multidisciplinary approach with physicians, nurses and other members of the health care team to optimize treatment for the patients at the medical center. Dr. Green and her team demonstrates the important role of pharmacists in antimicrobial stewardship in health care systems.

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R E S E A R C H AC T I V I T I E S AT B E L M O N T C O L L E G E O F P H A R M AC Y

Faculty within the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences faculty engage in a number of research areas. Dr. Bynum engages in research that focuses on human resources and management, whereas Dr. Hagan’s scholarship involves diversity and inclusion issues. The pharmaceutics faculty, Dr. Reed and Dr. Stodghill have very different interests. Dr. Reed is involved in drug delivery to the eye, while Dr. Stodghill investigates pharmacokinetics of drugs in large and small animals at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

The remaining scientists are medicinal chemists (Dr. Webster) or basic medical scientists. Several faculty focus on cancer research (Drs. Kiningham, Odom, Ham, Diaz-Cruz), albeit in different aspects.

Faculty train both pharmacy and Belmont undergraduate students in their labs. Fourth year pharmacy students can choose to take one of their Advance Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations in a research environment. During 2018, nine pharmacy students took advantage of this opportunity. Several faculty also participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in the Sciences (SURFS) program. Undergraduate students worked in the lab for six weeks. This was the second year the College of Pharmacy had participated in the program. For Dr. Diaz-Cruz and Dr. Odom, this led to undergraduate students choosing to stay in their lab for their senior undergraduate research.

P H A R M A C Y F A C U LT Y I N T H E C O M M U N I T Y The faculty and staff of the Department of Pharmaceutical, Social and Administrative Sciences (PSAS) continue to be incredibly generous with their time, energy and finances in support of the Belmont academic community as well as the communities in which they live. Faculty utilize their professional knowledge and experiences to support educational programs and experiences including: serving on the Board of Directors for Stem Prep Academy, supporting minority students through school presentations and scholarships, Bridges to Belmont mentorship, judging science fairs and science presentations at Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University and providing job shadowing opportunities. Faculty are active in their support of community health through events such as a Belmont Student Pharmacists Alliance (BSPA) sponsored heart screening event, participating in the Nashville Cares HIV Walk, HIV testing and counseling training, My House (a group that addresses health disparities in gay and bisexual men), Ronald McDonald house and many additional walks and fundraisers to support health-affiliated groups.

Faculty also volunteer at their local primary schools.

Faculty support the scholarship of their colleagues and broader academic community by serving as reviewers, board members or editors for journals including Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, The International Journal of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Annals of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutics.

Community outreach includes support of the military through the Society of the Third Infantry Division and the American Legion. Community service in support of the individual and families in our community includes volunteering with support of: Second Harvest Food Bank and The Little Pantry That Could, Tails of the Trail (walking and socializing shelter animals), Team Lightening (promotes hikes and outdoor activities for healthy living) and leadership and service activities with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Spiritual and emotional service is provided through leadership of Sunday School classes for children and adults, as well as numerous specific projects in direct support of the physical needs of local churches and missions both domestic and foreign.

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DR. LEELA KODALI: PRACTICE SITE HIGHLIGHT

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. Leela Kodali serves as the clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) at a community-based outpatient clinic at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center­ –Tennessee Valley Healthcare Healthsystem. Her role is integral within the primary care clinic and serves as the CPS on the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) at the Meharry clinic. The clinic serves about 5,000 veterans and is comprised of a multidisciplinary team with primary care physicians (PCPs), registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, a nurse practitioner, social worker and clinical psychologist. Veterans that have poor or suboptimal control with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic heart failure and COPD are referred to the Pharmacotherapy clinic by a PCP or if they were recently hospitalized with a complication from the corresponding condition. Dr. Kodali manages these patients until they are at goal and then they are discharged back to their PCP. This site serves as an ambulatory care APPE site and pharmacy students serve as an extension of Dr. Kodali in clinic. Dr. Kodail’s practice is innovative in that she has prescriptive authority and can revise, initiate and discontinue therapy accordingly. Students are responsible for preparing for clinic the previous day and discussing potential plans for the patient. Students present their patients before seeing the patient, interviewing the patient and evaluating the patient’s laboratory data. Students then formulate a plan and make recommendations accordingly. Students are also responsible for telephone follow-up and telehealth visits in addition to patients that are seen in clinic. Students play an integral role interviewing patients and providing drug information to the providers in clinic exposing students to a progressive ambulatory care practice, and allowing them to see a site where a pharmacist practices at the top of their license.

DR. TRACY FRAME

DR. KELLEY KININGHAM

DR. MICHAEL MCGUIRE

TRISHA MCHUGH

P R O M O T I N G A C U LT U R E O F W E L L - B E I N G Dr’s. McGuire, Frame, Kiningham and second year student, Trisha McHugh attended the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 2018 Fall Institute in Washington, D.C., in October, 2018. The focus of the meeting was pharmacy student mental health and well-being. The meeting was sold out with representatives from approximately 50 pharmacy schools. Topics discussed at the meeting included rates of depression, anxiety, amd suicide among college age students, burnout among faculty and students and its consequences and strategies to help students. The Belmont team left with multiple ideas to target well-being among Belmont students including changes to class times to allow convocation attendance, well-being assignments throughout the curriculum, a well-being elective class, a reporting system for peers to anonymously inform faculty of colleague concern, and others. Dr. McGuire has incorporated a well-being assignment in his Advanced Psychiatry class for 2019 and a student has already positively responded that faculty often promote well-being but don’t offer suggestions. The College of Pharmacy hopes to provide concrete suggestions to students to promote their well-being while in pharmacy school and beyond.

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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SESSIONS One of the core components of Belmont University’s Vision 2020 is to increase diversity and cultural competency to create a culture of inclusion. To achieve this objective, the Welcome Home Diversity Council sought the firsthand experience of faculty immersed in Belmont University’s culture who were passionate about diversity and inclusion. Resident expert Edgar Diaz-Cruz brought his experience teaching health disparities, Hope Campbell brought her clinical experience interacting with diverse patient populations, while Angela Hagan brought her background and scholarship in social science, to create and facilitate a tailored three-part faculty development series. Over forty 90-minute sessions were conducted with Belmont faculty and administration during the Spring Semester of 2018. Session topics included cultural proficiency, implicit bias, macroaggressions and campus climate. Faculty were led through active learning exercises and structured dialogue to explore what a campus of inclusive excellence would look like. This exposure has led to other speaking engagements in the student population, and new initiatives in the College of Pharmacy to better prepare student pharmacists to effectively communicate and advocate for all patients regardless of their culture.

PRECEPTOR OF THE YEAR Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy recognizes an Internal Preceptor of the Year and an External Preceptor of the Year. Those pharmacists selected for this distinction are voted on by the fourth year students. Pharmacists are nominated for their excellence in teaching, dedication to promoting the profession and innovations in their practice setting. Dr. Lynn Marchetti of Kroger Pharmacy was recognized in 2018–2019 for External Preceptor of the Year. Internally, faculty member Dr. Lindsey Hahn was honored for her achievements.

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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY NEWS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY HOSTS ANNUAL ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP SYMPOSIUM Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy hosted the Third Annual Middle Tennessee Antimicrobial Stewardship Symposium on February 1, 2019, in the Janet Ayers Conference Room on Belmont’s campus. The event was planned and hosted by Dr. Montgomery Green, associate professor of pharmacy practice, Dr. Erin Behnen, Associate Dean for Assessment and Academic Affairs, Laura Hyde, Continuing Education Coordinator and Dr. Shaefer Spires, Assistant Professor with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

The symposium was attended by more than 125 health care professionals from multiple disciplines including pharmacists, physicians, nurses and those involved with infection prevention and patient safety and quality from seven states and more than 50 health care facilities. Several alumni, preceptors and Belmont faculty were in attendance as well.

“Being a part of the Symposium and witnessing its continued growth and development over the last three years has been thrilling,” Green said. “Our vision to create an avenue for health care professionals to network and collaborate to enhance antimicrobial usage throughout our state and region has continued to be realized. This event continues to reinforce Belmont University and the College of Pharmacy as innovators and advocates of this important issue in health care in our state and beyond.”

Morning sessions featured a lineup of experts in antimicrobial stewardship. These included Christopher Evans, PharmD, BCPS, HAI pharmacist, Tennessee Department of Health Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program; Whitney Nesbitt, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Kristi Kuper, PharmD, BCPS, senior clinical manager, ID at Vizient, Inc. and Elizabeth Dodds Ashley, PharmD, MHS, FCCP, BCPS(AQ-ID), Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network (DASON).

The morning’s keynote speaker was Capt. Arjun Srinivasan, MD, Associate Director, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who gave an update on national activities regarding antimicrobial stewardship.

During the afternoon, participants attended workshop sessions led by pharmacists, physicians and laboratory personnel, allowing them the opportunity to discuss topics in a small group format. Topics included antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs in long-term care facilities and emergency departments, procalcitonin, AS practices in the NICU, national reporting and joint commission requirements. This symposium brought together key stakeholders and practitioners to learn about these topics and discuss ways to work together as a medical community to improve appropriate antimicrobial use and mitigate risks.

“This year’s Symposium was a monumental success, bringing together participants from multiple states for networking, collaborating and to learn from nationally and internationally recognized experts,” Spries said. “It has become a reliable venue where the ‘boots on the ground’ have a place to come together and be rejuvenated and bring back tangible outcomes to their respective Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs. The growth and support this Symposium garners each year is invigorating to see and just be a part of.” The 4th Annual Symposium is scheduled for January 31, 2020.

more than

125

H E A LT H C A R E PROFESSIONALS

in attendance

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B E L M O N T / H E A LT H T R U S T PA R T N E R S H I P In 2018, the drug information center added its second post-graduate fellowship program with HealthTrust, a group purchasing organization located in Nashville, Tennessee. The program is a two-year experience focused in drug information, evidence based practice, corporate management, teaching and research. The fellow spends the first year at Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy teaching two didactic courses within the required pharmacy curriculum and supporting the drug information center in answering drug information inquiries.

The fellow then spends the second year at HealthTrust creating drug monographs and class reviews for HealthTrust’s clinical initiatives and answering drug information inquiries from HealthTrust’s members.

Dr. Emily Singleton, the inaugural fellow, started her program in June 2018, completed the Belmont portion in May 2019 and is now at HealthTrust. The following fellow, Dr. Andrew Douglas, started in July 2019 and is completing his portion at Belmont.

From its inception in late 2017, the Belmont/HealthTrust relationship has flourished. Under the leadership of Dr. Kate Claussen, as of July 31, 2019, the HealthTrust Drug Information Service answered 90 drug information inquiries, produced 53 class reviews and monographs, and compiled various additional strategic documents surrounding product conversion, provider letters, indication comparisons, etc. Within Belmont’s experiential education program, six fourth year pharmacy students have been able to gain knowledge of the day-to-day proceedings of a group purchasing organization. Additional visibility has been given to the Belmont/HealthTrust relationship through HealthTrust University and American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) midyear meetings, both of which are annual pharmacy-centric conferences attended by various health care providers, manufacturers and HealthTrust member facilities.

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COLLEGE OF PHARMACY NEWS

B E L M O N T I N T E R P R O F E S S I O N A L E D U C AT I O N P R O G R A M Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy has developed an Interprofessional Education (IPE) curriculum designed to provide students from multiple disciplines opportunities to learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes, in accordance with the WHO definition of IPE. During their first year, students learn about roles and responsibilities of health care team members through an IPE orientation program. In their second year, they build upon this knowledge and learn effective IPE communication practices for health care team members through a structured IPE event. In their third year, students incorporate interprofessional team-based practices through a patient case event which occurs at Meharry Medical College. Finally, during their experiential rotations students can incorporate all of their IPE experiences in a realworld, team-based care setting. Throughout these experiences, Belmont is preparing students to enter interprofessional practice and improve patient care.

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FRIEND OF THE COLLEGE AWARD 2019 The Friend of the College Award recognizes individuals who make significant and sustained contributions to the Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy through service, advocacy and support. The 2019 winner certainly fit all three of these metrics. The College of Pharmacy was honored to name the Tyler Duke family for this year’s award for their sustained contributions in the midst of significant personal tragedy.

The Duke family has supported Belmont in numerous ways over the years after enduring the personal tragedy of losing a beloved son, brother and nephew. Tyler Duke was admitted to the class of 2014 and unfortunately passed away before starting at the College of Pharmacy. The family initially established the Tyler Duke Book Scholarship which provided substantial support for the purchase of books for students within our program. Notably, this scholarship has grown significantly since its inception due to the contributions of the Duke family and has been renamed the Tyler Duke Endowed Scholarship that supports important student scholarships with an emphasis for students from east Tennessee. We are truly indebted to the Duke family for their generosity.

B E L M O N T H O S T S H E A LT H ACADEMY SUMMER CAMP Belmont College of Health Sciences and Nursing and College of Pharmacy recently hosted a Health Academy Summer camp, a week-long experience for middle schoolers that provided exposure to a wide variety of health professions and hands-on experience with a variety of health skills. The campers learned about EMT, respiratory therapy, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, speech–language pathology and many other health professions. They learned to take vital signs, complete CPR, work with “patients” in the nursing simulation labs, formulate troche and extract DNA from strawberries in the Pharmacy labs and work on their mobility skills in the physical and occupational therapy labs. The highlight of the week was the visit from Layla, the rehab Labrador Retriever who helped students learn about pet therapy, service animals and emotional support animals. Exposure to this wide variety of health professions helps to generate enthusiasm in middle schoolers for the sciences and encourages them to pursue careers in health professions.

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College of Pharmacy 1900 Belmont Boulevard Nashville, TN 37212 615.460.6748 BELMONT.EDU/PHARMACY

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Belmont University College of Pharmacy

Belmont University is a Christian community. The University faculty, administration, and staff uphold Jesus as the Christ and as the measure for all things. As a community seeking to uphold Christian standards of morality, ethics, and conduct, Belmont University holds high expectations of each person who chooses to join the community. In compliance with federal law, including provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Belmont University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or sexual orientation in its administration of education policies programs or activities or admissions. The Director of Title IX Compliance and Prevention Programs serves as coordinator of compliance for these policies. Inquries should be directed to: Lauri Chaudoin, Director of Title IX Compliance and Prevention Programs, Freeman Hall 3rd floor, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212. Phone: 651-460-5661. Email: lauri.chaudoin@belmont.edu.

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