Tag: CHS Missions

Student Take: Hillary Barry

Today, Hillary is sharing about her anticipation in serving with the College of Health Sciences over spring break. We are excited for you to hear Hillary’s  take on preparing to go on Mission with Belmont!

“Over spring break, a multidisciplinary team full of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students from Belmont will be traveling to Antigua, Guatemala. I am getting the privilege to participate in the hopes of seeing the hearts and joy of the Guatemalan people and honing my own nursing skills through patient centered care.

Throughout our trip, we will immerse ourselves into the culture of the Central American country where we will spend 4 “work days” treating the Guatemalan people using our nursing, pharmacology, occupational therapy, music therapy, and interpreting skills. We will be promoting health, safety, and wholesome lifestyles by assessing and educating a wide population of the Guatemalan people.

Upon reflecting on my anticipatory feelings about the trip, I am looking forward to meeting the Guatemalan people and seeing the gifts and talents within my team. I am looking forward to seeing how each person’s specialty and love for Jesus will be utilized in a way that will truly bring value to patient health by enabling a wholistic approach.

This trip and this team is a gift from Jesus but the biggest gift of all is to simply be reminded that are lives are not about us, but about how we can best serve God’s people.”

If you have any questions for Hillary or about Belmont on Mission, CHS Missions or any of the upcoming trips, please reach out!

Trip Spotlight: CHS Guatemala and CoffeeMed

In addition to the immersion and international Belmont on Mission trips over spring break, many colleges within Belmont hold discipline specific trips. The College of Health Sciences routinely runs international trips to conduct health screenings for the people they serve. Over the past few springs, CHS has travelled to Guatemala to serve in this way.

In March, students and faculty in nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and social work will be travelling to Antigua, Guatemala to provide some basic health care to the workers on Guatemalan coffee plantations. Students and leaders will provide health screenings, patient teaching programs, and medicines and vitamins to the citizens in Antigua. In providing this vitally important aid, the plantation workers are reminded of their humanity in the midst of less than ideal working conditions.

Students are expected to raise the funds to pay for this trip via the CoffeeMed program. The CoffeeMed program is a really important interdisciplinary partnership that enables interaction between the commercial coffee industry and the healthcare industry. Students sell coffee from Kafes Guatemals in their local communities to fund the trip, which covers the cost of medical supplies and more. Here is a video of Belmont student’s involvement with CoffeeMed from March 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OePGDG4wZA

If you have any questions about upcoming mission trips, or the CHS Guatemala mission, please reach out!