Providing News, Education, and Networking to OTs. … · Providing News, Education, and Networking to OTs. OTAs, and Students Advocating, Aligning and Advancing ... builds on the

Providing News, Education, and Networking to OTs. OTAs, and Students Advocating, Aligning and Advancing

Inside President’s CornerMessage from GOTA president: Irma Alvarado

Better Together: Enhancing the Profession Through Comradery

November 2016 NEWSLETTER

• President’s Corner

• GOTA Conference 2016 pg. 2

• 2016 Award Recipients pg. 3

Maria Irma Alvarado, Ph.D, OTR/L

One of the best things about a conference, any conference, be it AOTA, ABA (American Burn Association), TOTA (Texas Occupational Therapy Association), GOTA is the comradery, the gathering of like-minded people, with a purpose. It's seeing those professional friends who you don't see too often, unless you happen to be on the GOTA board… in which case you can see or hear them on our virtual meetings about every 3 months. Yes, this is a pitch inviting you to join a great group of people who love OT! It’s the excitement of seeing well-deserving students honored. They, who will soon follow, are full of enthusiasm, ideas, and promise. It’s seeing new grads present in their area of expertise, as well as many former students that you have mentored. That goes for you clinical instructors out there too – you are so vital to their education!

It is also listening to seasoned colleagues, those

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professionals who have found their niche and take the time to share their knowledge and ultimately, make us all very proud to be OTs. It's also a time to learn from others in related professions – such as psychology, brain re-training specialists who provide insightful information on how to take care of ourselves as we go about our important work or enhance our existing skills. Moreover, it is coming together to showcase occupational therapy in its many forms while having fun! Many thanks go out to those who made this year's conference ‘mission possible' – Administration, volunteers,presenters, sponsors,donors, vendors, and, ofcourse, all you attendees,too! If you missed this year'sconference, make plans toattend future conferencesthroughout Georgia invenues that will includeColumbus, Helen,Savannah, and Jekyll Islandfor GOTA’s upcoming 40thanniversary.

Meanwhile, your board has been busy in the background revisiting the bylaws to reflect recent transitions in GOTA as an association. Look for them in upcoming communication; as they require YOUR approval.

Additionally, standard operating procedures delineating committee roles and responsibilities will be discussed at our next virtual board meeting November 17. By the way, GOTA is always looking for your talent and time – please, join us.

Finally, as occupational therapy enters its 100th year in 2017 as a profession, I hope YOU take an active part to celebrate your decision to be a part of this dynamic profession. For your information, AOTA adopted Vision 2025 this year, which builds on the Centennial Vision to guide the profession beyond 2017.

Occupational therapy maximizes health, well-being, and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living (www.aota.org).

Visit AOTA's website for more details on guideposts designed to help communicate the Vision's core tenants to stakeholders including OTs, OTAs, educators, students, consumers, policymakers, and the general public.

The time is NOW, do your

part to spread the OT word!

• OT of the Year pg. 4

• Outstanding OT Supporter & BarbaraE. Grant pg. 5

• Outstanding OT/OTA Student pg. 6

• Linda Stephens Scholarship pg. 7

• New Website & PAG pg. 8

• Upcoming Events pg.9

• Executive Board pg. 10

• Region News

Atlanta Region pg. 11

• EducationalProgram NewsAugusta TechnicalCollege pg. 12AugustaUniversity pg. 13Darton State College

pg. 15

• In the OT CommunityOccupational TherapyAssistants- Le PieceDe Resistance of theProfession pg. 16

mailto:[email protected]






GOTA CONFERENCE 2016 MISSION POSSIBLE OLYMPICS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING

This year we hosted our conference at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. We were honored to have a variety of speakers join us for another great conference. This year's keynote speaker, Erik Johnson gave a motivational talk on seizing your existence, which inspired practitioners to be great where ever they are at work or in their personal life. Every one of us has a duty to our clients and our community and as OT practitioners we must strive for greatness. Major Johnson enlisted in the Army in 1996 where he sustained third degree burns. After his experience with Occupational Therapy, Johnson decided to pursue the profession himself. Major Johnson aided in developing a pilot program where the primary mission was to screen and treat mild traumatic brain injuries, marking the first time

in history of war that a facility would be specifically dedicated to treating brain injury in a combat environment. Johnson currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Operation Supply Drop, an organization that serves Veterans by building strong communities through gaming and team building. His work on the therapeutic benefits of video games has been widely recognized in both the Medical and Video Game Communities.

Shepherd and our conference planning committee organized the "Mission Possible Olympic Games". Participants competed in a variety of tasks including "murder ball" or quad rugby, and wheel chair basketball, as well as many assistive technology games, such as: learning to type using a vision gaze scanner or a sip and puff control. Participants also used a sip and puff wheel chair driver, which was quite

challenging. Lastly, participants engaged in a pre-driver screening task to learn about some of the tasks which are part of the pre-driver screening process.

We would like to thank our very special friends at Shepherd (Matt, John, Leah, Dan, and Kathy) who hosted the games, as well as the professional athletes who came to aid our competitors. As always we want to thank all of our vendors and those who attended conference this year. Without you we would not be able to provide this wonderful opportunity. Please check the website soon for information on the 2017 GOTA conference.


• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2

• 2016 AwardRecipients pg. 3


• Outstanding OTSupporter & BarbaraE. Grant pg. 5

• Outstanding OT/OTAStudent pg. 6

• Linda StephensScholarship pg. 7

• New Website &PAG pg. 8

• Upcoming Eventspg.9

• Executive Boardpg. 10

• Region News


• Educational ProgramNews AugustaTechnical Collegepg. 12Augusta Universitypg. 13Darton State College

pg. 15



GOTA Annual Conference Award Recipients

Congratulations to all of this year's award recipients. You are paving the way for our profession!

Outstanding OT Practitioner Barbara E. Grant AwardLaurie Cordaro Mary Shotwell

Outstanding OT student Outstanding Supporter of OT Hannah Stern Rick Proctor

Linda Stephens Scholarship Jillian Johnson

Thank you to the 2015 GOTA Executive Board

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• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2






• New Website& PAG pg. 8

• UpcomingEvents pg.9


• Region News



pg. 15



http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R9RS8T6

Georgia War’s Laurie Cordaro namedOccupational Therapist of Year

By: Denise Parrish

Laurie Cordaro, director of Occupational Therapy at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, was named Occupational Therapist of the Year by the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association at its fall conference in Atlanta in October.

Cordaro, who also serves as the East District chair for GOTA, joined Georgia War in 2012, where she evaluates and treats geriatric veterans at the 192-bed skilled nursing facility. Cordaro has been an occupational therapy professional in the Augusta area for more than 30 years, including positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Inc., and CSRA Therapy Services.

Cordaro participated in the National Parkinson’s Foundation Allied Team Training in 2014 and recently became certified in Physical Agent Modalities in order to better care for her patients. She encourages independence and works to discover the hobbies and interests of each veteran in order to create motivational avenues for therapy.

For instance, Cordaro has incorporated watercolor painting into some of the veterans’ activities, and she organized the first public art exhibit for the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home last fall that featured more than 40 pieces of original art.

Throughout its 45-year history of serving the veteran community, the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every veteran patient are met. The facility, which is owned by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, is operated by Augusta University and its health system and is considered a leader in the area of geriatric care training.

Cordaro provides some of this training as a fieldwork educator for OT and OTA students at Augusta University and Augusta Technical College, and one of her students – Jillian Johnson – was also recognized by GOTA at the annual conference as the OT Student of the Year. Pinnacle Quality Insight ranked Georgia War in the nation’s top 15 percent of senior health care providers for patient satisfaction for the second year in a row this year.

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• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2









• Region News



pg. 15


Outstanding Supporter of Occupational Therapy

Rick Proctor has generously given of his time and talents in providing a 3 hour seminar (several times free of charge) to GOTA at the professional conference.

Rick has consistently participated at conference, presenting a new and engaging topic every year. He presents new ways to use modalities, encouraging others to "think outside the box" in how they can use modalities. Rick travels all over the country presenting. He always makes the effort to attend the GOTA conference. With regard to OT he goes above and beyond in how his topic is presented. Use of interactive dialogue with participants, use of AV slides and actual equipment is always part of his presentation. He currently holds a position as Clinical Education Coordinator. Which requires him to supervise/educate a number of individuals in their ability to keep current and up to date on trends and how modalities are used and relate to OT.









Barbara E Grant Award for Leadership & Advocacy

Mary Shotwell was awarded the Barbara E. Grant Award for her leadership in bringing GOTA forward with a new website and with a new management consultant. Although this was a risky endeavor, these actions increased our membership and our visibility as an organization. Mary previously won this award for leadership and community advocacy in occupational therapy.

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• Region News


• EducationalProgram NewsAugusta TechnicalCollege pg. 12AugustaUniversity pg. 13Darton State

College pg. 15



Outstanding OT/OTA Student

It is hard to know where to even begin to describe the contributions that Hannah has made to the presence and reputation of OT within Augusta University and the broader community. Hannah’s gift is her commitment to service; it is through service that she contributes to the health of our community and where her leadership shines. Here are a variety of examples of her service and leadership. • Hannah is one of two OT students currently serving as Mental Health Coordinators for the Equality Clinic of Augusta. The Equality Clinic provides a variety of health care services to individuals who are un- or underinsured, with a specific focus on the LGBTQ community. The Mental Health Coordinator role was newly established in January, 2015 and Hannah was selected to be one of the initial coordinators.

In this role, she has had to collaborate with clinic staff and her co-coordinator to define their role, develop processes and procedures for running the mental health aspect of the clinic, take an active role in bi-weekly clinic planning meetings, and lead monthly cultural competency training for new volunteers to the Clinic. • Hannah is the lead presenter for a 1 hour presentation accepted to GOTA Annual Conference titled Equality in Healthcare: Fostering Inclusive Environments for the LGBTQ Community, which will address the particular disparities and needs of the LGBTQ community as they relate to the provision of culturally congruent OT services. This presentation has also been submitted as a short course to AOTA Annual Conference. • Hannah was one of two Co-Directors for Camp Ivey this summer. Camp Ivey is a brand new summer camp that launched in July. Camp Ivey is a summer camp for children with developmental disabilities who aren’t able to participate in a typical camp experience but for whom an alternative camp experience hasn’t existed before this summer. Hannah and her fellow Co-Director worked through the spring and summer with the Camp Ivey Board and other camp counselors to develop the program for the one week experience. Camp Ivey had a successful inaugural camp week in July and plans have begun to transition to an over night camp for 2017. • Hannah participated in an international Level I Fieldwork experience at Mustard Seed Communities in Spanish Town, Jamaica in the spring semester. • Hannah volunteers weekly at Blue Ribbon Riders (equine assisted therapy program). She volunteers bi-weekly with Steps of Grace (dance program for children with disabilities) and an Autism Support Group (assists with child care so that parents can participate). • Hannah has also volunteered at the Buddy Walk (National Down Syndrome Society), the Fred Lamback Disability Swim Meet, and the Costa-Layman Farms Health Fair. • Hannah is a member of the Augusta University Student Occupational Therapy Association, GOTA and AOTA. As can be seen, Hannah not only serves in leadership roles but also leads by example as she supports a variety of community organizations that provide opportunities for social and leisure participation for persons with disabilities. She has done all of this while maintaining a high gpa in a challenging OT curriculum.


• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2









• Region News



pg. 15


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Linda Stephens Scholarship

For as long as I can remember, serving and understanding the lives of others has been my primary motivation, drive, and calling in life. I knew I wanted to leverage my strength of empathy, by choosing a profession that valued serving others. Thankfully, my life was forever changed by the service I did at a summer camp in Watkinsville, Georgia, called Extra Special People (ESP). At this summer camp my passion of serving individuals with developmental disabilities was ignited. Since that experience, I have spent countless hours pursuing this passion by serving as a teacher in various settings to individuals with disabilities. However, all along the way, these individuals have really been my teacher. They teach me what is important in life, what it looks like to give unconditional love, how to trust innocently, depend upon others fully, and never take this beautiful life for granted.

I am still in awe that I am pursuing my dream of becoming an occupational therapist. When I was accepted to Augusta University’s Occupational Therapy Program, I was determined to never take this opportunity for granted. I chose to serve as Vice President of our class, to grow as a professional and do what I love, serve others. Although I am not the loudest, most dominant voice in the room, I love being able to serve with grace and do selfless works behind the scenes. My OT education has encouraged me to always advocate and promote the incredible triumphs this profession does for so many people every day and continue to serve and share my passions with others around me.

After graduation, I hope to work in pediatrics. Along with practicing OT, I would love to facilitate and grow after school programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. In 5 years, my goal is to be a practicing OT and have a daily after school program with volunteers from neighboring colleges, which would promote the occupational therapy profession to college students. In 10 years I hope to be practicing OT and expand my after school programs to a summer camp for individuals with developmental disabilities. After my last summer working as a counselor at ESP, I moved home to work in Chattanooga, TN in hopes of finding another similar organization. However, I realized there was no such thing in the area. I believe the Chattanooga/North Georgia area desperately needs an organization that can provide individuals with developmental disabilities a place where they can thrive by engaging in after school programs and summer camps in an inclusive environment.

If given this scholarship, it will further inspire me to serve others as a person and an occupational therapist. I have always been encouraged by the empathetic encouragement of others. When people provide me with encouragement, I feel driven to strive for excellence and in return give back to others. I would forever be grateful for this act of grace and kindness and promise I will be a better occupational therapist and person because of it.

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• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2









• Region News



pg. 15



NEW WEBSITE

The communications committee is working towards making important information more accessible on the GOTA website. Members can now access the GOTA bylaws and meeting minutes, by visiting "Membership Resources" under the "Resources" tab. Additionally, copies of the GOTA newsletters can be found by visiting the "News" tab .

If you haven’t had a chance to visit your GOTA website, go now to www.gaota.com to see all that we’ve done. We think you’ll like what you see. If you haven’t already renewed your membership, do so now. As always, thank you for your loyal support of GOTA. Together, we strengthen our profession in Georgia









New Website

POLITICAL ACTION GROUP • &

PAG pg. 8

The Political Action Group is a group that was formed to raise money that can be donated to the political campaigns of people who support the interests of occupational therapists in the state of Georgia. Each year at the annual conference, the PAG holds a silent auction during the networking event to help raise funds for the group. Although the event brings some money to the PAG, we rely on other donations throughout the year to maintain a budget that allows us to make an impactful donation to all those political candidates

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that have been such a support to Occupational Therapy. This includes the many legislators that proposed and supported our first rate increase from Medicaid in decades. Each member has the opportunity to donate to the PAG during their annual membership renewal as well as any time throughout the year. In addition to financial donations, members can support the PAG by being in contact with their local legislators, educating them on OT and by attending the annual Legislative Day at the Capitol organized by Bethany Bearden.



• Region News



pg. 15


http://www.gaota.com/

Upcoming Events

GOTA LEGISLATION DAY

Tuesday, January 25, 20178:00AM-11:00AM

at theGeorgia Capitol

[email protected] | www.gaota.com | GOTA Facebook | 770.435.5910

PUBLISHER Georgia Occupational Therapy Association Executive Office | EDITOR Traci Swartz, OTD, OTR/L Georgia Occupational Therapy Association, P.O. Box 1495, Gainesville, GA 30501

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• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2









• Region News



pg. 15


Executive Board

2016 GOTA EXECUTIVE BOARD



President* M. Irma Alvarado, PhD, OTR/L

Vice President* & Bylaws Committee Chair Barbara J. Banning, M.Ed., OTR/L

Treasurer* Paulette F. Bell, MA, OTR/L

Secretary* Bethany Bearden, MS, OTR/L

Conference Chair Kimberly Stoops, MS, OTR/L

AOTA RA Audrey Gargiullo, MS, OTR/L

Communications Chair Mary P. Shotwell, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

Ethics Chair Sarah Shirley, OTD, OTR/L

Membership Chair Marco Coelho, MS, OTR/L, CPAM

Newsletter Chair Traci Swartz, OTD, OTR/L

Education Liaison Pamalyn Kearney, EdD, OTR/L, CAPS

OTA Liaison LaDonna Nash, COTA/L

Regulatory & Reimbursement, and OT PAG Chair Nicole Walker, MS, OTR/L

Regional Chair, Atlanta* Kate McWilliams, OTR/L

Regional Chair, East* Laurie Cordaro, OTR/L

Regional Chair, Middle* Betsy McDaniel, B.S, COTA

Regional Chair, North* Jennifer Allison, MS, OTR/L

Regional Chair, South* Tonya Curles, B.S, COTA

Nominations & Recognitions Chair Suzanne Masino, OTR/L

Continuing Education Approval Chair Tamara Mills, PhD, OTR/L, ATP

GOTA Listserv Helene Smith-Gabai, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR

* indicates a voting member

Next virtual meeting December 7th

Please notify Irma Alvarado if you can not attend.










• Region News


• Educational Program News AugustaTechnical Collegepg. 12Augusta Universitypg. 13Darton State Collegepg. 15

• In the OT Community Occupational TherapyAssistants- Le PieceDe Resistance of the

10 Profession pg. 16

Region News

ATLANTA REGION

Mentorship Program Update:

The mentorship committee is working on gathering surveys from both potential mentors and mentees.

Please select the link here if you are interested in being a mentor, please fill out this survey: https:// www.surveymonkey.com/ r/LR755MG

On October 13th, 2016, Georgia Tech's College of Design hosted an open house for the announcement of the combining efforts for both the Accessibility Solutions and Research Center and the Center for Assistive Technology and

Environmental Access. Please visit their website here: http://www.arch.gatech.edu/amac-catea-premiere-open-house to see more information about the collaboration!












UPCOMING EVENTS:

Journal Club Events:

Monday, December 5th

RSVP if you are interested in additional club email invites & meeting information. RSVP via [email protected] with: name, preferred email address, and topics you would like to have covered in the upcoming months.

• Region News


• Educational ProgramNews AugustaTechnical Collegepg. 12Augusta Universitypg. 13Darton State Collegepg. 15

• In the OT CommunityOccupational TherapyAssistants- Le PieceDe Resistance of the


https://www.surveymonkey.com/



http://www.arch.gatech.edu/amac-catea-premiere-open-house

http://www.arch.gatech.edu/amac-catea-premiere-open-house

Educational Program News

AUGUSTA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Augusta Tech OTA Grad in the News!

Shawn McNair, a 2016 graduate of the OTA program was recently featured in a front page article in the Augusta Chronicle: "Program teaches youngsters throughout county". Mr. McNair currently is employed as the Aquatics Center Manager of the Kroc Center, a community event center operated by the Salvation Army. Since 2011, he has welcomed thousands of Richmond County second graders in the SPLASH program, a water safety program that covers general water safety at pools, backyard pool safety, beach safety, boat safety and a "fun day" as the last session. The main goal of the program is to reduce the drowning statistics of Richmond County. Mr. McNair has recently passed his NBCOT exam and plans on using his degree to develop an aquatics therapy program at the Kroc Center.

For the full article: Augusta Chronicle, September 19, 2016. Article written by Doug Stutsman @ 706-823-3341 or [email protected]

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• GOTA Conference

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• Region News



pg. 15




AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY


Augusta University Department of Occupational Therapy has been involved in several new initiatives this past month. Dr. Sharon Swift and Mallory Lanier, along with several students, collaborated to run the inaugural summer of Camp IVEY, specifically designed to give children with special needs a traditional camp experience. Their service and participation was recognized with several awards, given by the Family Y, for an outstanding contribution.

Investigators Teal Benevides, PhD, OTR/L, Pam Kearney, EdD, OTR/L, Sharon Cosper, MHS, OTR/L, and Mallory Lanier, MHS, OTR/L received $21,000 from Augusta University in September 2016 to conduct a qualitative study to understand African- American caregivers’ expectations and beliefs about needed services for their child with autism. A large body of literature suggests that differences exist in medical service receipt for racial and ethnic minorities with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which are not accounted for by actual differences in need for services. The purpose of the study is to qualitatively identify African-American (AA) caregiver beliefs, knowledge, and expectations about their child with ASD, as they relate to help-seeking for services. Results will inform future participatory-action research approaches to address caregiver and child

needs to improve service access. If you know of a family who would be interested in this study, or if you are interested in this study, contact Teal at 706-446-0003.

Also on the research front, is a congratulations to students from the class of 2016: Bryant Alonso, Katie Faulkner, Haley Jones, and Britton Monroe, and their faculty research mentor Stephanie Johnson, as well as faculty contributors Dr. Pam Kearney and Dr. Leigh Lehman, for the acceptance of their research paper for publication in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Their work, entitled “Quality of Life Perspectives of Persons with ALS and Caregivers”, will be published in a special issue and is first time publication for many of the authors.

New innovations in teaching and scholarship come from Jason Hughes in the development and release of a new app, “Posture Perfect”. This app will allow physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other health professionals as well as students to critically assess posture and track progress over time. The app is available for download in iTunes.

To support collaboration for student learning, Augusta University’s OT Department has developed an inter-professional education

opportunity for Occupational Therapy students to conduct ergonomic and work site evaluations with Dental Hygiene students. This provides the OT students with an opportunity to provide real life assessment regarding environmental conditions and risk factors for cumulative trauma. The students work collaboratively to conduct assessments and develop evaluation reports.

With fall semester in full swing, the Augusta University students continue to show exemplary dedication to the Augusta community. They volunteer weekly with organizations such as Steps of Grace (www.stepsofgraceballet.co m), an autism support group, and Equality Clinic (www.equalityclinicaugusta .com). They have also recently participated in walks to support people with Parkinson’s disease and people with Down syndrome. Most notably, the Student Occupational Therapy Association orchestrated its Second Annual Kickball Tournament. This tournament was university-wide and all proceeds of the tournament benefitted a local chapter of Rock Steady Boxing (http:// csra.rsbaffiliate.com/), a national organization that provides boxing classes to people with Parkinson’s disease.


• GOTA Conference

2016 pg. 2









• Region News


• Educational ProgramNews AugustaTechnical Collegepg. 12Augusta Universitypg. 13Darton State Collegepg. 15

• In the OT CommunityOccupational TherapyAssistants- Le PieceDe Resistance of the


http://www.stepsofgraceballet.com/



http://www.equalityclinicaugusta.com/

http://www.equalityclinicaugusta.com/

http://csra.rsbaffiliate.com/




AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY

Jillian Johnson (L) and Hannah Stern (R)

We are very proud of two of our students for being recognized at this year’s GOTA Conference. Hannah Stern received the Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student Award and Jillian Johnson received the Linda Stevens Scholarship. Additionally, five of our students—Hannah Stern, Alexandra Newman, Courtney Potter, Emily Prickett, and Kelsey Reeves—presented at this year’s conference in “Equality in Healthcare: Fostering Inclusive Environments for the LGBTQ Community."

Alexandra Newman, Kelsey Reeves, Courtney Potter, and Hannah Stern (L to P)

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• GOTA Conference

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• Region News



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DARTON STATE COLLEGE

The Darton State College OTA Program Students hosted National Backpack Awareness Day on September 21, 2016, and had approximately 100 participants. The OTA students assisted students with measuring their backpacks, and passed out Blow Pop suckers that said “Don’t Blow Your Back Out”. They also provided them with pamphlets that contained valuable information regarding the proper weight and positioning of backpacks.

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• GOTA Conference

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• ExecutiveBoard pg. 10

• Region News


• EducationalProgram NewsAugusta TechnicalCollege pg. 12AugustaUniversity pg. 13Darton State

College pg. 15


In the OT Community

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANTS-Le Pièce de Résistance Of The Profession



• GOTA Conference

Alyse Taylor was a junior in high school, volunteering with the American Red Cross when she found her professional calling. Her assignment in the occupational therapy department at the Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia, was interesting and fast paced, allowing Alyse to pursue her dream to work with active duty personnel or wounded warriors

An army airborne personnel came in after a horrific accident when parachuting. The ripcord did not release properly, tangling around the soldier’s upper arm, fileting the flesh to the bone. Alyse watched the occupational therapists work with the man, using fluidotherapy for healing during the restorative process. Observing the therapeutic process with

his progress, Alyse decided on a career as an occupational therapy assistant.

Living in Columbus, Alyse did not have access to a local OTA program, so she began a two-year RN program at Columbus Technical College. She later transferred to the OTA program at Augusta Technical College, graduating with excellent training from Barbara Banning, OTR, its program director. During her Level II rotation, Alyse had hoped to work at the army medical center, yet ended up at University Hospital in Augusta, GA, where she learned many techniques and professional skills from the staff and her mentor, Linda Bolt, OTR and Ann Lorenz, OTR, the OT director.

After working for a number of years, Alyse has embarked on a life challenge as a new mother. She describes her primary interest as “shopping for little girl clothes; it gives me a reason to come to work!” She enjoys spending time with her extended family, friends, and three dogs: pit bulls Fiona and Lola, and Frederic, her Doberman.

Alyse enjoys the honor of making a difference in each client’s life, helping them to regain independence. She has worked in geriatric settings and currently works at Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, where she encourages the veterans to “make the best of old age.” Alyse reminds her clients, “You’re only as old as you feel.”

2016 pg. 2









• Region News


• Educational Program News AugustaTechnical Collegepg. 12Augusta Universitypg. 13Darton State Collegepg. 15

• In the OT Community Occupational TherapyAssistants- Le PieceDe Resistance of the


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Documents

Providing News, Education, and Networking to OTs. … · Providing News, Education, and Networking to OTs. OTAs, and Students Advocating, Aligning and Advancing ... builds on the