OT alumni and students meet at AOTA reception
Posted: April 21, 2016
Occupational Therapy (OT) alumni and students met with ASHS Vice Dean Ann Lee Burch, OT Department Chair Rachel Diamant, and OT faculty during the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference. The following is a summary of the updates shared:
- OT residential students continue to stay involved on campus and in the community through interprofessional education (IPE) events, educating patients and sharing about the OT profession at events such as Free Community Health & Wellness Day, Give Kids A Smile, and H.E.A.R. Day.
Additionally, their research advances the profession while directly helping community members. Research topics in 2016 include: community-based programs for adults managing arthritis, community mobility experiences for seniors, improving the experiences of fieldwork educators, and exploring how sensory processing behaviors relate to performance of visual-motor activities.
- OT online students have been working on innovative projects including developing models for OTs and OTAs collaborating more intraprofessionally, creating an adaptive equipment loan closet at a hospital, and writing a children’s book that teaches them about becoming an OT.
- The Falls Prevention Outreach program has continued to grow, and there are more opportunities for ATSU students and alumni to become trained in A Matter of Balance. For those in the Phoenix area, we are offering free training on May 20-21, but seats are limited. For more information, please contact Elton Bordenave.
- Jyothi Gupta will be assuming the role of OT department chair on July 1. Dr. Gupta is joining us from St. Catherine University in Minnesota, and brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to social service.
Please check out the alumni Facebook page for more photos.