Clinic to serve communities and train future health care leaders
Belmont University celebrated today the launch of its first mobile health unit—the Flourish Health Clinic, with a ribbon cutting and blessing ceremony. The event brought together leaders from across the university’s twelve colleges, uniting artists, health care professionals and community partners to mark this important milestone.
The mobile clinic is an initiative of the University’s Center for Abundance, Resilience, Excellence and Spirituality (CARES). Founded in 2023, CARES is dedicated to empowering individuals to live abundant lives by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and drawing upon the vast expertise within the Belmont campus community.
This initiative is made possible through a generous $6.4 million, three-year grant from the State of Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council. The grant, known as BU TRAINS, supports the clinic’s mission of Treatment, Harm Reduction, increased Access, Innovative Interprofessional Training, and creating non-threatening community environments that reduce Stigma.
Flourish brings to life the vision for a multi-modal approach to innovative teaching and health care delivery envisioned by the CARES Clinic, with in-person and telehealth services to be implemented in the coming years. As a first step, the clinic will enable faculty and students from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS), Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing, and the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine to engage in direct service to the community while receiving transformative, real-world training.
Drs. Tracy Frame and Amy Henneman, co-recipients of the grant, emphasized the clinic’s role in addressing the opioid epidemic by serving vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing housing insecurity. Additionally, it will provide a robust training ground for our students, facilitating real world experiences in whole person care, equipping them to solve complex problems and help communities flourish. “This clinic is more than a vehicle—it’s a symbol of hope, dignity and healing,” said Belmont’s President Dr. Greg Jones, who offered a prayer of blessing at the event. “It represents our commitment to whole-person care, the strength of our academic community, and the faith that inspires our work.”
Equipped with two private exam rooms and staffed by licensed professionals and student clinicians, the Flourish Mobile Clinic provides low-barrier services such as health screenings, education, recovery support and referrals. As Belmont’s partnership with the Mental Health Cooperative expands, the clinic aims to offer an even broader range of services, including primary care, mental health counseling, physical therapy and occupational therapy—delivered by cross-disciplinary teams across the University’s health and social work programs.
“There are many in our communities suffering from the impacts of the opioid epidemic,” said Dr. Amy Henneman, associate professor and department chair in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “Dr. Frame and I are excited to see what began as a vision of bringing interdisciplinary care directly to the community through the mobile clinic come to fruition as we champion the pursuit of life abundant for all.”
University Provost Dr. David Gregory highlighted the clinic’s role as a living classroom: “Our students will gain real-world experience, developing the clinical expertise and cultural humility needed to deliver trauma-informed, community-based care. This is how we prepare them not just for careers, but for lives of meaning and service.”
Beyond serving as a bridge to care, the Flourish Mobile Clinic also advances the broader vision of CARES by connecting the health sciences with the performing arts to support holistic wellness. Already, collaborative initiatives are emerging—from mental health programs focused on the entertainment industry to preventive care training tailored for singers and dancers—demonstrating Belmont’s belief that healing and creativity are inherently connected.
Dr. Sharrel Pinto, dean of CPHS and leader of CARES, shared, “We believe that every person is called to live a life of abundance, rooted in dignity and purpose. In our college, we are dedicated not only to caring for those who are ill but to fostering holistic well-being for all. Guided by faith and a deep commitment to community, we warmly invite partners and funders who share our calling to join us in expanding this transformative work.”
The Flourish Health Clinic stands as a powerful expression of Belmont University’s enduring commitment to innovative learning, compassionate service, and community health. It is more than a milestone—it is a movement, grounded in faith and propelled by a collective vision of healing and hope for all.