16 01 Winter draft3 - Florida Occupational Therapy Association

Winter
2016
FOCUS
Florida Occupational Therapy Association’s Quarterly Newsletter
FOTA Contest winner
Sociological Trends Shaped
by Technology
Legislative FAQ
Election 2016
Behavioral Therapy for
those with Tourette
Syndrome or Tic Disorders
IN THIS ISSUE
FOTA brand poster contest winner
2
FOTA Poster Winner Tanya Feddern-Bekcan 3
Presidential Ponderings, Storm the Capitol
4-5
FOTA Election Nominations Open
6
A Message from the Vice President
7
Motivations, Inc - CEUs
8
Government Affairs
9
Medicare Electronic Remittance Concerns
10
Rehab Solutions, LLC
11
Sociological Trends Shaped by Technology
12
DMR Services
13
Mobile Apps and Macular Degeneration
14
Behavioral Therapy for Adults and Children
with Tourette Syndrome or Tic Disorders
15-16
Lymphedema Treatment
17-18
Miami Childrens Heath System, Nova
Southeastern University NAMI Walk
19
The Benefits of Non Traditional Fieldwork
20
FOTA15 Winners
21-27
FOTA BRAND
POSTER CONTEST
WINNER:
Congratulations Tanya
Feddern-Bekcan! Tanya
had the winning submission
for our recent Poster
Contest! The poster was
selected by members of
our Leadership Team.
Tanya won a 2016
Conference Registration and a FOTA membership for one year. Tanya Feddern-Bekcan, OTR/L, got her start in OT with
pediatrics in the hippotherapy setting, but has been working
with late middle-age and geriatric clients for the past 4 years.
She is also a medical librarian and for many years, taught an
academic course on Evidence-Based Medicine to University of
Miami medical students and CE courses to nurses and other
clinicians at the Jackson Memorial Hospital. Her “bible,”
Occupational Therapy: Activities for Practice and Teaching by
Estelle B. Breines, Claudia Allen’s Model of Cognitive
Disabilities, and Sensory Integration have formed her core
philosophies in OT, leading to many engaging sessions for her
and her clients.
The eye-catching poster is being delivered to Florida OT
schools for display. You can download the poster on our
website. Please feel free to display this poster in your
workplace. The goal is to create awareness in the Florida
Occupational Therapy Association and to ultimately increase
our membership.
Visit the FOTA home page to download a copy today
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[2]
Winter 2015
www.fota.org
[3]
PRESIDENTIAL PONDERINGS
Elena Vizvary, OTR/L FOTA President
FOTA Leadership News
FOTA continues to be a dynamic
organization with many members
volunteering to give time and
talent. First of all, to those who are
no longer serving in leadership
positions, we extend gratitude and
appreciation. Becky Piazza, who served as Region 3
Regional Representative and Robin Richmond, who
was our FOCUS Editor we say, “Thank you ladies!”
We welcome the following FOTA members who joined
the leadership ranks within the last few months: Sue
Guerrette, who serves in a newly created position of
Volunteer Coordinator; Kurt Hubbard, new FOCUS
Editor; Becky Piazza, Organizational Advisor (Florida’s
representative to AOTA Representative Assembly), and
Sylvia Young, Regional Representative for Region 2
(Capitol). FOTA website management volunteers are
Julie Watson as Homepage Content Person and
Dennis McCarthy as Website Editor. Our new Student
Resource Page contributors: Cheryl Mae Granada,
Jonathan Pitts, and Jordan Powers. We are in process
of confirming our Web Assistant and will keep you
posted on who fills that position. Thank you to all
members, and especially leaders, who assist in
making FOTA a viable and healthy organization. Conference Recap
“Engaging Lives throughout the Lifespan” was a timely
theme for FOTA2015 conference! We heard
discussions of occupational therapy practice for all
ages and stages of life during the many educational
sessions, whether it was an hour long short course, a
two hour long workshop, a buzz session or a poster
presented by professionals and students. And by the
way, we had over 50 student poster presentations this
conference. How great is that? Our keynote speaker,
Cynthia Hughes Harris, PhD, OTR, FAOTA wove a
thread of her past and present experiences as an
occupational therapist that lead to her description of a
possible future “Occupational Therapy Toolkit.” Dr.
Hughes Harris has served in multiple capacities
including Educator, Provost, Dean, and Researcher.
She has chaired and/or been active in many
committees and councils critical to occupational
therapy practice. We were honored to be part of the
audience and hear her story and words of wisdom. One of the most gratifying parts of conference each
year is the FOTA award ceremony. Held immediately
after the membership meeting on Saturday, this year
there were three awards bestowed on deserving
individuals. Winter 2016
The Award of Appreciation went to Vincent House
located in Pinellas Park. Vincent House is a non-profit
organization involved in the recovery of individuals with
severe and persistent mental illness and has for the past
three years, contributed to the preparation of our
students at Nova Southeastern University's entry level
Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program in Tampa.
Vincent House staff have shared their skills and stories
and given students a view of recovery and successful
interventions, changing forever students' views of
mental illness.
The “I'm For OT” Group in Tallahassee received the
FOTA Award of Recognition, given for outstanding
contribution to the recognition and advancement of
occupational therapy in Florida. This group, headed by
Tammy McKenzie, worked tirelessly to contact
legislators personally during Legislative Session to
finally get OT services included in the state of Florida
employee health plans. Through their efforts FOTA has
come as close as we ever have to getting this issue
resolved once and for all. The Louise Sampson award was presented to Mirtha
Whaley, PhD, OTR/L. Dr. Whaley has engaged in
active leadership positions within FOTA as the MHSIS
Chair and with the Allen Cognitive Network. She
provides education and support in mental health
facilities for both English and Spanish communities,
such as Vincent House, Project Return, and Access
House. Dr. Whaley participates regularly in CarFit
events, and coordinates an annual Fall Prevention
event at the USP Health Johnny Byrd Institute. She
also provides mentoring to other OTs in the
community as requested. Congratulations to all FOTA
Award winners!
FOTA2015 conference realized the largest attendance
ever and was successful because of the efforts of so
many people. Thank you to conference co-ordinators
Debbie Reber, Conference Convener, and Deb
Oliveira, Vice President, who put together a fabulous
collection of educational sessions and wonderful
conference opportunities. Thanks to Janine Silvaroli,
FOTA Administrative Assistant, for website
management and help in coordinating many events
including the Friday evening Tailgate party and
Saturday morning Yoga Fitness session. Thank you
also to: Volunteer Coordinator Adrienne Lauer and
student assistant Jordan Powers; Exhibitor Chair
Melissa Cunningham; local contact Tia Hughes. We
also extend gratitude to all FOTA leaders who helped
with “pre” and “day of” conference needs (registration
desk, room monitors, etc). and the many, many
member and student volunteers who stepped up to fill
in and assist with so many other needed jobs. Thank
you! Thank you! Thank you! to all. By the way, it’s not
too early to think about volunteering for FOTA16
November 4-5 in Orlando – watch for location and
details coming soon and make sure you tag “volunteer
at conference” as part of your FOTA membership
www.flota.org
[4]
FOTA 2015 Highlights
• Congratulations to UF OT student Stephanie
Rickrode, Myra McDaniel scholarship recipient.
The American Occupational Therapy Foundation
manages and coordinates applications for this
annually awarded scholarship. www.aotf.org
• Congratulations to Nikita Mathew,
student at NSU Tampa, who won the
Student Poster contest to advertise
FOTA15 conference.
• FOTA social media continues to grow in
popularity with use of Facebook, Twitter
and Pinterest pages. • In January, a special Facebook
subsection, FOTA Legislative Lobby, was
created as a “Virtual Day on the Hill” and
available only for FOTA members.
• At FOTA15 conference we piloted the app
“Guidebook” coordinated by FAMU
student Jeremy Klimek.
• Although Board meetings have always
been open to FOTA members, the June
13, 2015 Board meeting was widely
advertised and attended by three nonboard members in addition to board
members whose presence is required. • FOTA continued to foster partnerships
with FLASHA, FPTA and FLOTEC
• FOTA became a member of advisory
group for Florida Healthcare Workforce
Advisory Council. This group looks at
gaps in Florida healthcare workforce
supply and demand data
• FOTA and FOTA lobbyist Larry Gonzalez
were active during the 2015 legislative
season. Collaboration with, and in
support of FPTA, was particularly
noteworthy. • Our 5 year Strategic Plan was approved
by members.
• Deb Oliveira was re-elected as Vice
President.
• A year long e-mail membership campaign
using available information from FL DOH,
was started and targetting licensed
practitioners who are currently nonmembers.
• Congratulations to Tanya FeddernBekcan, who won poster contest for
FOTA membership recruitment.
As 2016 begins, expect lots of FOTA activity. Elections
of President-Elect, Treasurer and Secretary will be held
in the spring. Our website management goals include
offering the most current and relevant information in a
more user friendly format. FOTA’s membership
committee will continue their campaigns. Students will
find more involvement opportunities and coordination
for their issues. Our Strategic Plan will be reviewed.
Advocacy efforts will address critical concerns. Expect
advocacy participation to expand and include your
involvement virtually. All of these activities reflect a vigorous, healthy
organization. In order to keep its strength, FOTA
must have a broad base of volunteers from
which it can draw support. Make sure you do
your part. Become involved! Update your FOTA
membership profile so it is accurate and
correctly identifies your interest areas. These
profiles are used often to match people to needs.
Consider this free New Year’s Resolution: check
your FOTA membership profile at www.flota.org.
Please feel free to contact me
ervizvary@verizon.net or Volunteer Coordinator
Sue Guerrette, sueslearning@gmail.com to see
what you can do to help. Above all, have a
wonderful year in 2016. Elena Vizvary
STORM THE CAPITOL
The Tallahassee Forum is continuing to work on
getting OT included on the State Health Plan so
that all state employees have assess and overage
for OT services no matter what plan they choose.
We are planning to storm the Capitol in
February. Actually we going to arrange for a
Capitol Hill Day for OT and we are asking as many
OTs across the state to join us in letting the
legislature know how important OT is for their
employees and their families. We will let you know
the exact dates soon, so you can make you plans
and travel arrangements to come up and join us in
this most important endeavor.
Sylvia Young, OTR/L
FOTA Regional Representative Region 2: Capitol
sylvia.young@tmh.org
Looking Ahead in 2016
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[5]
FOTA
ELECTION 2016
Call for nominations: January 15 - February 15
VOTING Open: March 1 - March 15
Attention FOTA members: Time for nominations for the upcoming 2016 openings in leadership is upon us. the following positions are open: President Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary. Visit the election page for the complete job descriptions, qualifications and link to the self-nomination form.
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[6]
A message from the
Vice-President
Debora Oliveira, Ph.D., OTR/L
It was so good to see so many
of you at the annual fall
conference in Orlando. We had
our best conference attendance
ever and hope to top that
record next year! As you may or
may not know, conference is a
great way to network with other
therapists, students, and others.
It also helps us to raise funds to continue to support our
lobbyist, scholarships for students, and other functions
which keeps us up front and on top of events and
circumstances which are critical to our scope of
practice in Florida and our consumers. That said, we are
already planning for next year.
sense to hold conference where it most accessible to
the most members. We are now looking for someone who will want to work
with me and the conference team to be the conference
convener. If you like planning events, this is right up
your ally! We have a great team and have learned over
the years how to get the job done! If you are interested,
please contact me at debora.oliveira@famu.edu. We
also welcome any and all volunteers. We could not have
a conference without you. I look forward to an exciting 2016. Be thinking of
educational sessions you would like to see and how we
can accommodate the diversity of practitioners in
Florida. Our licenses are due in 2017 so we will
definitely be adding the mandatory CEUs to our agenda
in November. Don’t forget to stay abreast of legislative issues. Yes,
they are back in Tallahassee and I know we are planning
to try and have occupational therapy as part of the state
insurance plans. Barbara Ingram Rice and Larry
Gonzalez have already bee tracking bills to ensure
occupational therapy is not encroached upon and we
are in the mix when state budgets are discussed. We
owe it to our clients to be proactive and involved.
First of all, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to our
conference convener of three years, Debbie Reber.
Debbie has recently stepped down from this position
and we cannot thank her enough for all she has done.
Before Debbie resigned, the executive board decided
that we will continue to hold conferences in Orlando.
Florida is such a large state geographically and it makes Looking forward to hearing from you!
FAMU Students at FOTA15
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[7]
We are pleased to announce the following courses
have been scheduled for Florida
114 Donatelli’s Pathophysiology and Mechanics
of the Shoulder with Lab
344 Torticollis:
Fresh Treatment Approach
February 20, 2016
Tampa, FL Tampa General Hospital
March 5-6, 2016
Orlando (Maitland), FL
ProForm PT
226 Respiratory Muscle Strength
Robert Donatelli, Ph.D, PT, OCS
Nancy Neiditz, PT
Training
Erin Silverman, Ph.D. CCC/SLP
November 7, 2015
Ocala, FL
HealthSouth
Submitted to CE Broker FL PT
www.motivationsceu.com
179 OSTEOPOROSIS: The Meeks
Method
For information visit:
admin@motivationsceu.com
www.motivationsceu.com
Sara M. Meeks, PT, MS, GCS, KYT
April 9-10, 2016
Orlando, FL
Florida Hospital
admin@motivationsceu.com
FOTA SIS Chairs and Leadership Members at FOTA15
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[8]
Government Affairs
Barbara Ingram-Rice, OT, LMT, CLT, CHC,
FOTA Government Affairs Coordinator
How does FOTA choose which candidates to
Legislative FAQ
support?
Does FOTA have a PAC
(Political Action
Committee)?
No. The laws that govern
the creation and maintenance of PACs prohibit an
organization like FOTA from having a PAC. A PAC
MUST be a completely separate entity from FOTA
with a separate governance, separate board of
directors and separate By Laws. No member of the
FOTA board shall also sit on the board of a PAC.
There was a PAC at one time. But the originators of
the PAC needed to move on to different
responsibilities in their personal and professional
lives so the running of the PAC became haphazard
and got into trouble at one point for missing
some officially mandated reporting
requirements. So, after much
deliberation, and with the
recommendation and support of our
lobbyist, it was decided the PAC
should close. We watch the activity of state senators and
representatives on both sides of the aisle for signs
that they will be sympathetic with our causes. And
those are the candidates we support. So, for
example, if the state congress is predominantly
Republican, then the majority of support will be for
Republicans. We put our support where it will do the
most good. Why don’t we have an annual “Day on the Hill” in
Tallahassee?
For several reasons: • We have tried to host events several years in
the past and we find they are poorly attended
because the events MUST be during the
week when the legislators are in town. It is
often difficult for therapists to get there
then. •Many areas of Florida are in the
middle of their busy seasons at the
time the legislature is in session. •Scheduling a specific time and
setting up a table to try to get
legislators attention is a very
outdated mode of communication. We
are finding it better to schedule visits to
individual legislators offices. • The Capital Forum created t-shirts with the
“I’m For OT” logo and they wore these shirts
as they made their visits to the capital last
legislative session. • If a group wants to organize a trip to
Tallahassee, FOTA will do what we can to
help make appointments, teach you about
advocacy and how to create your talking
points for the meetings. Legislative
So how can we, as FOTA, create
a political presence if we can’t
have a PAC?
FAQ
What we have done in recent years
is to ask individuals to make
donations by writing a check directly to
the candidate. FOTA will collect the
checks and present them in a bundle to the
candidate on behalf of the members of FOTA. That
way, the candidate bears the burden of managing
the rigorous reporting required for campaign
donations.
My practice is primarily Medicare based. Why
does FOTA not do anything focused on Medicare
issues?
Medicare is a Federally funded program. As such,
these issues are handled at the Federal level. We
look to AOTA for guidance in that arena. The FOTA
lobbyist is not certified to practice at the Federal
level. FOTA tends to support the actions taken by
AOTA. FOTA will send blast emails to our members
to advise them if there is immediate action that
needs to be taken at that level.
Winter 2016
When is the legislative session?
The Florida 2016 Legislative session runs from
January 12, 2016 to March 12 , 2016.
How can I keep up with the issues that FOTA is
tracking?
Join the Facebook Page called the FOTA Legislative
Lobby and join the conversation!
www.flota.org
[9]
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Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[10]
LOW VISION REHABILITATION: AN INTRODUCTION FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Tampa, FL
February 20-21, 2016
Contact Hours: 13.5
Course Description: Introductory level course to the field of low vision rehabilitation designed to help
participants develop a comprehensive understanding of how low vision can impact the rehabilitation
process. Conditions that cause low vision in the older adult population will be reviewed. Participants will
explore through an experiential hands-on-approach and interactive presentations changes in visual
function and how these changes affect ADL. Participants will learn to administer a vision screening
battery designed to identify for the most common vision problems and the Self-Report Assessment of
Functional Visual Performance Profile© (SRAFVP). Practical low vision principles, adaptive equipment
and safe mobility techniques to incorporate in intervention plans will be provided. A review of the referral
system and community, state and national resources available for the low vision population will be
covered.
Presented by Yolanda Cate, MS, OTR/L, SCLV, CDE
Registration Fees: Early Registration (4 weeks prior): $395.00
Regular Registration: $420.00
Group rates & Single day registration available
Course Objectives, Outline, and Registration available at at www.otrehabsolutions.com
FLORIDA BOARD OF OT PRACTICE PROVIDER NUMBER: 50-15450
YOGA at FOTA15
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[11]
Sociological Trends
Shaped by Technology,
Considerations for the
Home Health
Practitioner
Julie Ring, MS, OTR/L
mobile services are in the works. Apps like Heal, Pager
and MedZed are providing on-demand house-calls from
doctors or nurse practitioners. Some promise a “doctor
at your door in under an hour”, most of these services
are not covered by insurance and start at $99 per visit
(Beck, 2015). These services will become more main
stream in time and will be a wonderful resource to share
with clients who have a difficult time getting to
appointments in the community.
Technology has permeated
almost every aspect of daily life
There are also plenty of non-health related offshoots of
and sociological changes are
the sharing economy that can be helpful to our homehappening as a result. One
bound clientele. Taskrabbit is an online community in
important trend is the evolution of our healthcare
which just about any task can be completed by a vetted
system into a more of a partnership model in which
local for around $50/hour. One must simply enter the
people are taking on more responsibility in managing
task to be done (e.g. stand in line at the DMV, assemble
their own health and wanting to do so in a way that is
IKEA furniture, install grab bar, etc.) and soon you will
convenient for them. Technology plays an important role be matched with a local tasker and given the option to
in this transition as more people turn to it to
set a date to get the work done. Taskrabbit is
become better informed about health
currently only available in major cities; and only in
conditions and how to prevent and/or
the Miami area for Florida. However, we can soon
manage them (Czaja, 2015). A moniker has
sociological expect to see services like these spread to
been created for this tech-savvy healthcare
smaller areas as well.
trends
consumer, the E-patient. Also known as an
Grocery delivery services like Shipt and Instacart
internet patient, these people participate in
can also be quite helpful to those with limited
their medical care via electronic
mobility, time or transportation. Shipt delivers from
communications tools and technologies. They
Publix and is in the Tampa Bay area. Instacart delivers
seek to be active participants in their healthcare by
from Whole Foods, Costco, Winn Dixie, BJs and Petco
partnering with medical professionals. E-patients
and is currently only available in the Miami area. Both
consider themselves empowered, equipped, engaged,
services charge a delivery fee and a nominal increase in
emancipated and equal. They turn to the internet to
the price of groceries (with the average bill being about
research conditions and to ask other’s opinions on
$5.00 higher than if the person had gone to the store).
recommendations made by healthcare providers on
sites like patientlikeme.com and curetogether.com. They Society is adapting rapidly to technological advances
also rank the net friendliness of clinicians and provider
and we as a profession must adapt as well. We should
organizations on sites like healthgrades.com and these
embrace the change and educate ourselves and our
reviews are becoming an important new aspect of
clients about the many wonderful opportunities afforded
healthcare quality (Ferguson & Frydman, 2004). Eus by technology. patients are creating a new era of accountability for all
References
healthcare providers, including occupational therapy
practitioners. Our clients can and will follow-up on your Beck, M. (2015). Startups Vie to Build an Uber for Health
Care. Wall Street Journal, August, 11, 2015. Retrieved
treatment recommendations and publicly rate your
from http://www.newsharingeconomy.com/sharing/
“bedside manner”.
startups-vie-to-build-an-uber-for-health-care/
Another sociological trend shaped by technology is the
Czaja, S. J. (2015). Can technology empower older adults
sharing economy, also known as peer-to-peer sharing
to manage their health? Generations, 39(1), 46-51.
or collaborative consumption. It is an on-demand
Retrieved from http://proxy.nbcot.org:2048/docview/
delivery model that is focused on minimizing excess or
1683506884?accountid=143111
latent capacity in assets. Its key principals are creating
Falk, W. (2015). What will the “sharing economy” mean
trust through feedback, community collaboration and
for health care? Retrieved from http://
scheduling efficiency (Falk, 2015). Most people are
healthydebate.ca/opinions/sharing-economy-healthfamiliar with the big names like Uber and Air B&B, which care
offer rides or places to stay from local people willing to
Ferguson, T., & Frydman, G. (2004). The first generation
share their car or home for some extra cash. Many may of e-patients: These new medical colleagues could
not know that Uber tested on-demand flu shots in major provide sustainable healthcare solutions. BMJ : British
Medical Journal, 328(7449), 1148–1149.
cities last year and that many more health-related
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[12]
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Winter 2015
www.fota.org
[13]
EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ON MOBILE APPS GEARED
TOWARD MANAGEMENT OF AGE-RELATED
MACULAR DEGENERATION
1. Rick Davenport1, Ph.D., OTR/L, FOTA SIS
Technology Chair
2. Cheryl Mae Granada1, OTD-S
3. Jessica Lopez1, OTD-S
4. Tasha Henry1, MBA, OTD-S
1Nova Southeastern University, Tampa Campus, College
of Health Care Sciences, Department of Occupational
Therapy.
Brief summary of SIS Technology Buzz Session
conducted during 2015 FOTA Annual Conference,
Orlando, Florida. The Buzz Session dialogue focused on the fact that,
while mobile applications (apps) are becoming more
ubiquitous in clinical settings, apps geared toward low
vision have been undersupplied (Martínez-Pérez, TorreDíez, & López-Coronado, 2013). Dialogue regarding the
rationale for low vision apps being scarce was also
discussed (Crump, 2013). Entry-level doctoral OT students from Nova
Southeastern University lead a discussion on Amsler
grid apps that they evaluated
and presented on during a
poster presentation at the
2015 FOTA conference. The
poster was titled “Amsler Grid
Applications: Should I
recommend them?” The
students reported that their
evaluation tool was based on
an eight-point criterion that
was supported by research
(Bressler, 2002; Cook &
National Eye Institute, National
Polgar, 2014; Dutta & Palta,
Institute of Health. (2012).
2014). The students evaluated
Distorted Amsler Grid [Online
three Amsler grid applications:
image]. Retrieved 1/1/16 https://
flic.kr/p/cuG5mQ
1) LVPEI-MITRA Innovation Amsler Grid Test, 2) Srinivas
Sastry - AMD Eye App, and 3) DigiSight TechnologiesSightBook). The students reported that the DigitSight
Technologies-SightBook app met all eight criteria
including the capability to undo mistakes while
performing the screening. The LVPEI-MITRA InnovationAmsler Grid Test was noted to only lack one of the
criteria (i.e. the capability to undo mistakes) but fully met
the remainder of the criterion (e.g. minimum grid
dimensions, reliability, and the capability to save user
results). Lastly, while the Srinivas Sastry - AMD Eye App
was found to lack the interactive components such as
capability to mark distortions, undo mistakes, and save
results, it was the only application available for both
Apple and Android users.
Conference participants were given the opportunity to
share the low vision apps they were currently using and
Winter 2016
discussed how these
emerging applications
fit into their practice
areas. Some
suggestions made
during the Buzz
Session were that
when choosing an
Amsler grid
application one should
weigh the pros and
National Eye Institute, National Institute of
Health. (2012). Age-Related Macular
cons when choosing
Degeneration [Online image]. Retrieved
the right app for their
client (one client may 1/1/166 from https://flic.kr/p/cuGJwh
prefer technology over
paper Amsler grid). Another
suggestion by a clinician
was lighting is a large
concern with apps as they
found that iPads could only
be utilized in the living room
with curtains closed due to
the screen glare. One
participant reported that
they had low vision and they National Eye Institute, National
felt excluded during the
Institute of Health. (2012). Ageposter sessions as they
Related Macular Degeneration
[Online image]. Retrieved J1/1/16
could not read the posters
at the conference. The Buzz from https://flic.kr/p/cuCyCo Session ended with
agreement that more research on the validity of low
vision apps should be conducted and disseminated.
Some of the apps that were discussed were:
•
•
Vizwiz Android app by CMU Accessibility Group
o For blind users to recruit remote sighted
workers to help with visual problems.
A.I. type EZReader Theme Pack by ai.type
o Allows for modifications to be made to
smartphone e.g. high contrast, voice
narration.
References:
•
Bressler, N. M. (2002). Early detection and treatment of
neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The Journal of
the American Board of Family Practice, 15, 142-152. doi:
10.1097/ICB.0000000000000085
•
Cook, A. M., & Polgar, J. M. (2014). Assistive technologies:
Principles and practice (4thed). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier/
Mosby.
•
Crump, T. (2013, October). Technology use amongst patients
with age-related macular degeneration in Alberta, Canada. In
The 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision
Making.
•
Dutta, A., & Palta, A. (2014). Computerization of the amsler grid
test for detecting macular degeneration. IEEE. doi: 10.1109/
MedCom.2014.7005976
•
Martínez-Pérez, B., de la Torre-Díez, I., & López-Coronado, M.
(2013). Mobile Health Applications for the Most Prevalent
Conditions by the World Health Organization: Review and
Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(6), e120. doi:
10.2196/jmir.26000
www.flota.org
[14]
Designed to involve client and social support as
a collaborative effort (e.g. child and parent or
husband and wife)
• Creation of a “competing response” which is
purposeful movement designed after a
component of traditional habit reversal training
Heather Simpson, MOT,
• Environmental modifications to manage
OTR/L
antecedents and consequences of tics that
Tourette Association of
occur
America Southeast Regional
• Extensive psychoeducation regarding tic
Center of Excellence
Clinical Coordinator
disorders
• Relaxation and Stress Management Training
UF Health Center for
Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Gainesville, The ultimate goal of the CBIT program is to enable
Fl
clients to be able to manage tics as they “wax and
wane” and to decrease functional interference in their
daily activities. “I can’t seem to find any programs that are out there to
help my child with tics” or “these movements are
In addition to the CBIT program, Occupational
debilitating and limiting my work and relationships.”
Therapists are becoming more aware of other functional
limitations in the Tourette Syndrome population
Sound familiar? These are common things that I hear
because of the frequent comorbid conditions including
throughout my experience with those suffering from a
ADHD and OCD. Occupational Therapists can have a
Tic disorder. large impact in improving the functional lives of these
First off, what is a tic? Tics are a sudden and
clients without completing CBIT program by assessing
nonrhythmic movement or vocalization that is recurrent. and addressing:
Some of the newest literature put out by the Tourette
• Dysgraphia training
Association of America (TAA) has stated that the
predication is that 1 in every 5 school aged children
• Arousal Training
(Cavanna et al., n.d.) have a tic disorder.
• Executive Functioning Management
The Tourette Association of America, with the help of
(organization, time management)
the Behavior Therapy Institute, provide training with a
• Social Skills
program called the Comprehensive Behavioral
• Bullying Prevention
Intervention for Tics (CBIT) which is a behavioral
• Assistance with IEP/504 plans
treatment option program that has shown considerable
success at effectively reducing tic severity and
• Disinhibition training
functional limitation without medication. Over the last
• Sensory Integration Dysfunction
ten years, through the guidance of an Occupational
Therapist, Jan Rowe Dr. OT, OTR/L, FAOTA at the
As Occupational Therapists, our Practice Framework
University of Alabama-Birmingham, Occupational
aligns with the needs of this Tic disorder population,
Therapists are getting more involved with this
and there is an evident need to increase our
population, and have shown marked success with the
involvement with both children and adults who suffer
implementation of the program in a variety of settings
from tic disorders. across the country. For more information on how to get involved with CBIT
Current research shows CBIT success as:
program and training, please contact the Tourette
• Adults: Roughly 87% of client who responded to Association of America (www.tourette.org).
Behavioral Therapy for
Adults and Children with
Tourette Syndrome or Tic
Disorders
treatment demonstrated durable gains through 3
months (Wilhelm et al., 2012)
• Children:52.5% reported improvements with the
CBIT program (Piacentini et al., 2010)
• OT and CBIT program: At conclusion of
program, 1/3 of children were tic free and 1/3
exhibited only one tic (Rowe, Hun & Dure, 2013)
The CBIT program consists of:
• 8-11 sessions over two months with sessions
9-11 as booster sessions as needed over time
• Sessions are 60 minutes long
Winter 2016
•
There are many resources available for your clients in
the state of Florida that include:
•
•
•
•
•
Tourette Association of Florida (www.tsa-fl.org)
Southeast Regional Centers of Excellence
(www.tourettecarecenters.org)
Free Blogging & Resources about Tic Disorders
(www.tourettecarecenters.org) Support Group Information (www.tsa-fl.org) TAA Florida Family Weekend (www.tsa-fl.org)
Continued…
www.flota.org
[15]
References:
•
•
Cavanna, A., Coffman, K., Cowley, H., Fahn, S., Franklin,
M., Gilbert, D., Hershey, T., Jankovic, J…Woods, D. (n.d.)
The Spectrum of Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders.
Retrieved from http://tourette.org/Medical/images/
TheSpectrum-of-Tourette%20Syndrome-and%20TicDisorders.pdf
Piacentini, J., Woods, D., Scahill, L., Wilhelm,S., Peterson,
A., Chang, S., Golda, S…Walkup, J. (2010) Behavioral
Therapy for Children with Tourette Disorder: A Randomized
Controlled Trial. Journal of American Medical Association.
May; 303 (19): 1929-1937
•
Rowe, J., Hon, K. & Dure, L. (2013). Comprehensive
Behavioral Intervention to Improve Occupational
Performance in Children with Tourette Disorder. American
Journal of Occupational Therapy; March/April 2013, Volume
67, Number 2, pages 194-200
•
Woods D.A., Piacentini J.C., Chang S.W., et al. (2008).
Managing Tourette Syndrome: A Behavioral Intervention for
Children and Adults. New York: Oxford University Press
•
Wilhelm, S., Peterson, A., Piacentini, J., Woods, D.,
Deckersbach, T., Sukhodolsky, D…Scahill, L. (2012)
Randomized Trial of Behavioral Therapy for Adults with
Tourette’s Disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry; August;
69(8): 795-803
Scenes from FOTA15
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[16]
of compression supplies used for the treatment of
lymphedema. While this legislation relates specially to a
change in Medicare law, it would set a precedent for
Medicaid and private insurance providers to follow suit
(http://lymphedematreatmentact.org/). Specific goals of the LTA are as follows:
Lymphedema Treatment Act: A Call to
Advocate, Educate, and Inspire ALL OT
Practitioners!
•
to provide comprehensive lymphedema
treatment coverage, according to
current medical treatment standards; •
to enable patient self-treatment plan adherence
by providing necessary medical supplies for use
at home, as prescribed for each patient
(including gradient
compression garments, bandages, and other
compression devices); •
to reduce the total healthcare costs associated
with this disease by decreasing the incidence
of complications, co-morbidities and disabilities
resulting from this medical condition.
Nicole Scheiman
ns915@nova.edu
You might be thinking that lymphedema doesn’t pertain
to you as an OT practitioner. However, I would
encourage you to continue reading while I explain why
all OT practitioners will be interested in the
Lymphedema Treatment Act.
Lymphedema is a chronic and progressive condition
resulting in an abnormal accumulation of lymph fluid in
a body part. If left untreated, it can result in a significant
decline in independence with activities of daily living,
increased need for additional medical services and
assistance, and decreased quality of life. Often
occupational therapy practitioners are the ones that first
identify this condition and subsequently provide
treatment. Many patients complain that their condition
was undiagnosed for years. It is for this reason that we
as occupational therapy practitioners, are called to
advocate for these individuals. In this case advocating
can be served through policy change. The Lymphedema Treatment Act (LTA) is a policy which
is currently being debated at the federal level. If the LTA
is passed, it will force changes in Medicare law.
Currently, Medicare, and many other insurance
providers, do not cover one of the cornerstones of
lymphedema treatment: the medically necessary
doctor-prescribed compression supplies used daily in
lymphedema treatment. As a result, many patients
suffer from recurrent infections, progressive decline in
their condition, and eventual disability because they
cannot afford the compression supplies required to
maintain their condition (http://
lymphedematreatmentact.org/).
Details of this coverage, including allowable quantities,
etc., are not written into this statute. These areas of
coverage are determined by policy decisions made after
the legislation is passed. This allows flexibility to adjust
policy as needed in the future, without having to pass
new legislation.
Given that we as OT practitioners need to support all
areas of practice, the fact remains that when individuals
suffering from lymphedema do not get proper care and
appropriate treatment, other areas of both physical and
mental rehabilitation could be affected for these
individuals. Therefore, consider this question and the
coinciding area responses: But I do not currently treat individuals with
lymphedema…I am a/an:
Academic Educator
•
Hand Therapist
•
The failure of Medicare to cover these needed
compression supplies stems from the fact that these
items cannot be classified under any existing benefit
category in Medicare statute law. The Center for
Medicare Services (CMS) does not have the authority to
add or redefine benefit categories, only Congress does,
hence the need for this legislation (http://
lymphedematreatmentact.org/).
The LTA will improve insurance coverage for the
treatment of lymphedema from any cause or diagnosis
by revising the Medicare statute to provide for coverage
Winter 2016
Do your students ask about inflammation,
swelling, edema, lymphedema, lipedema? Do
they go out on fieldwork and know the
differences? Students will look to you for their
answers.
Individuals with upper extremity lymphedema
can experience secondary carpal tunnel as a
result of the lymphatic fluid compressing their
median nerve. They may experience shoulder
dislocations from the weight of the extremity
pulling the head of the humerus out of the
glenoid fossa and possible infections from
breaks in the skin. So you could work with
individuals with lymphedema.
Manager/Director of Rehab
•
www.flota.org
The therapists who work in your department are
[17]
questions regarding the LTA, and best practices for
individuals with lymphedema. Without the ability to
provide the best care for individuals with lymphedema,
your staff may become frustrated and unfulfilled. Physical Dysfunction Therapist
•
Mental Health Therapist
•
Individuals who suffer from the chronic and
progressive condition of lymphedema are often
plagued with depression and anxiety because of
the physical changes their body is experiencing.
Many individuals find that they do not want to
leave their home because of the fear of others
seeing their edematous arms/legs, etc. Many
become anxious at the thought of going out in
public because others may stare at their
disfigurement. Pediatric Therapist
•
While rare, congenital lymphedema does occur.
It is often associated with several syndromes
such as: Turner, Noonan, Prader-Willi, and
Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome. As a pediatric
therapist your input on their ability to participate
in their environment to avoid developmental
delays is crucial. You may collaborate with a
certified lymphedema therapist, or become
certified to ensure that the procedures required
to decrease edema do not interfere with normal
development. Confronted with all forms of edemas, you have
probably encountered an individual with
lymphedema, whether you were able to identify
it as lymphedema or not. It is important to know
the difference and who to refer clients to if you
are not trained to treat individuals with
lymphedema. Evaluating Therapists
•
You are often at the forefront of potentially
alerting the physician to your patient’s
lymphedema needs. It is important that you
recognize lymphedema from various other
edemas to ensure your patients get the
appropriate care. These are just a few areas in which OT practitioners
could potentially work with individuals with
lymphedema. It is important that we each advocate for
The Lymphedema Treatment Act to ensure that we are
able to provide the very best occupational therapy
services for all of our patients. Take five minutes and advocate for those we serve. Go
to: http://bit.ly/1Zoxl3E to email your representative
today. This site makes it very quick and easy…why not
do it now? You GO OT!!
wwwwwwww
wwwwwwww
wwwwwwww
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[18]
/JDLMBVT$IJMESFOT)PTQJUBMJT/08)*3*/(
Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Audiologists, Speech Language Pathologists, & Rehab Managers
Build your career with Miami Children’s Health System!
We are looking for talented, enthusiastic, driven individuals who are great collaborators and want to grow with us!
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, part of Miami Children’s Health System, is one of the nation’s premier pediatric health care systems with facilities in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade counties. The only licensed free-­standing specialty hospital exclusively for children with 289-­beds. We are renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in the 2014-­15 rankings by U.S.News and World Report. Nicklaus Children’s has also been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility since 2004. Our Ambulatory Care Centers are conveniently located throughout South Florida:
Nova Southeastern University occupational therapy
faculty and students walk for mental health in
NAMIWalks Broward on Saturday November 14,
2015 . NAMIWalks is a family and community event
which raises funds that will help raise awareness and
educate people about mental illness.
Pictured left to right: Meghan Byrne, Dr. Carol
Lambdin-Pattavina (faculty), Grace Evasco, Melanie
Baldzicki, Olivia Ho, Kelly Hammond, Dr. Cathy Peirce
(faculty)
Palm Beach Gardens Miami Lakes West Kendall
Weston Miramar Doral Midtown Palmetto Bay
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
Want to share workplace, school or other OT
related events with the FOTA Community? Email: FOTA.FOCUS@gmail.com
FOTA16
Annual
Conference
Orlando, FL
November 4-5, 2016
[19]
The Benefits of Non-Traditional Fieldwork
Kim Gensolin, MS OTR/L, Academic Fieldwork
Coordinator, Adventist University of Health Sciences
In recent years, occupational therapy and occupational
therapy assistant students around the state have been
expressing increased interest in non-traditional
fieldwork placements. Non-traditional fieldwork
placements have typically been defined as facilities that
do not currently have occupational therapy services on
site. When fieldwork placements occur at these
facilities, the occupational
therapy clinical fieldwork
educator (CFE) is not
present on a full-time
basis, which requires the
student to be more
independent. Current
ACOTE standards
require the CFE to
provide a minimum of
eight hours per week at
the site and to be
accessible by a variety
of means the remainder
of the time the student is
on site. Persons
interested in serving as
the fieldwork educator at
a non-traditional site
must have a minimum of
3 years of experience, as
it is considered
advanced supervision.
regarding the contributions those in the profession can
make.
Students have completed non-traditional fieldwork
rotations everywhere from Beacon College, an
educational institution for students with learning
disabilities, to Lighthouse of Central FL, a facility which
encourages the independence of individuals with visual
impairments. Level I and Level II OT and OTA students
from multiple colleges have also worked with the
Community Food and Outreach Center (CFOC), a place
which offers a “hand up” to families living in poverty.
When considering potential
future fieldwork
opportunities, the options
are endless. Students may
have the passion and
drive to work with
domestic abuse safe
houses, pregnancy
centers, or perhaps they
may have an interest in
working with prosthetic or
orthotic specialists. OT
and OTA programs can
continually strive to
establish partnerships
within the community that
may be interested in
hosting students in the
future.
Student feedback
regarding personal
experiences with nontraditional fieldwork has
been overwhelmingly
positive. Keisha
Burrington, MOT student
class of 2014 from the
Adventist University of
Health Sciences,
emphasized the
importance of being ready
to handle whoever came through the door while she
was completing her non-traditional internship at CFOC.
She felt that not having the restrictions of physician
scripts or insurance that needed to be verified allowed
for increased flexibility and creativity. “We had the
freedom to use all of our skill sets obtained from the
OT/OTA program to reach those on all levels of
demand. We had the option to truly place ourselves in
someone’s journey, with no time frame being monitored;
where we had the flexibility to investigate other facets of
their being.” Students at non-traditional sites have
unanimously enjoyed seeing how OT can be utilized in
various environments with a variety of skills.
Academic Fieldwork
Coordinators have
encouraged students to
explore non-traditional
opportunities, as there
are numerous benefits to
these placements. One
benefit is that students
are exposed to emerging (or
re-emerging) practice areas of OT practice. It helps the
student realize that there are many places to gain
employment in the therapy world beyond a traditional
SNF, hospital, or outpatient rehab clinic. Some students
have created jobs in places where they did not
previously exist and have been hired after a nontraditional fieldwork placement on more than one
occasion. Once employers realize how much
occupational therapy services can benefit their clients,
they may attempt to create an opening for an
occupational therapist or an occupational therapy
assistant at their facility if possible. Perhaps the largest
strength of non-traditional placements is the
opportunity to promote the field of occupational therapy If you know of a non-traditional site that might be
beneficial to the students at your local college/
to individuals who previously had little knowledge
university, contact your area fieldwork coordinator to
discuss future possibilities. Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[20]
FOTA16 Annual Conference Award Winners
The Louise Samson Leadership Award: Dr. Mirtha Whaley PhD, MPH, OTRL
Dr. Whaley is the Assistant Professor and Director
of Academic Affairs at Nova Southeastern
University and the FOTA SIS Chair for Mental
Health. Dr. Mirtha Whaley has been a leader and
advocate for mental health services within the
greater Tampa Community. She has provided probono OT evaluations, and education to care
providers in residential and community based care
facilities for individuals with mental illness and
dementia. She has mentored students through the
processes of providing OT interventions in
community sites that have allowed residents to
reclaim their social participation, and occupational
engagement in their communities. Through her
services and mentoring she has improved the
quality of life and care, and promoted health and
well-being for these individuals and communities.
All the facilities in which she has provided care,
consultation, and education have identified the
value of OT. Several of these facilities are now in
the process of developing positions for OTs. She
has singlehandedly created places of better health,
and quality of life within the community, and has
provide the impetus for future OT opportunities in
mental health care. She was key in the inclusion of
Occupational Therapy Services and the creation of the Functional Assessment Unit at the USF Johnny
Byrd Alzheimer's Institute. Dr. Whaley has engaged in active leadership positions within FOTA as the MHSIS Chair and the Allen
Cognitive Network. She provides much service within the community by providing education and
support in mental health facilities in both English and Spanish speaking communities, such as Vincent
House, Project Return, and Access House. She participates regularly in CarFit events, and coordinates
an annual Fall Prevention event at the USP Health Johnny Byrd Institute. she also provides mentoring to
other OTs in the community as requested. The Louise Samson Leadership Award: This award is the highest honor FOTA can bestow on an occupational
therapist in Florida. This award acknowledges a practitioner who has developed his/her leadership capacity to
serve the profession, FOTA, or the community; and whose leadership skills have contributed to supporting FOTA’s
mission. Individuals considered must be an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in good
standing of FOTA for no less than 10 years upon nomination. The nominee shall have demonstrated extraordinary
leadership in service to FOTA in a leadership position, notable impact on the profession by building the leadership
capacity of others in FOTA, and documented volunteerism, which has met a significant leadership need in the
community. Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[21]
FOTA16 Annual Conference Award Winners
Award of Recognition:
I'm For OT Group in Tallahassee
For outstanding
contribution in
occupational therapy
in Florida or for
outstanding service to
FOTA during the past
year. OTs that
spearheaded tackling
the issue to include
OT in the State
Employee health
plans. This group,
headed by Tammy
McKenzie First
brought this to
FOTA's attention and
then worked tirelessly
to contact legislators
personally during
Legislative Session to
finally get OT services
included in the state
of Florida employee health plans. Through their efforts FOTA has come as close as we ever
have to getting this issue resolved once and for all.
Award of Recognition: This award honors outstanding contribution to the recognition and
promotion of occupational therapy in Florida. There can be more than one recipient for
this award. Individuals considered must be occupational therapists and/or occupational
therapy assistants and FOTA members in good standing. Nominees shall have demonstrated
significant contributions to the promotion and recognition of OT in Florida, in any of the
following categories: FOTA involvement, education, political advocacy, presentations, clinical
practice, administration, publications, or consumer advocacy.
Pictured L to R: FOTA President Elena Vizvary, FOTA Government Affairs Coordinator Barbara
Ingraham Rice and FOTA Regional Rep Sylvia Young
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[22]
FOTA16 Annual Conference Award Winners
FOTA Award of Appreciation: Vincent House
A Recovery Through Work organization serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness
Vincent House is a non-profit organization involved in the recovery of individuals with severe
and persistent mental illness in Pinellas County, FL. This organization has, for the past three
years, contributed to the preparation of our students at Nova Southeastern University's entry
level Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program in Tampa. This they have accomplished through
informational tours of their facility; on-site educational sessions provided by Ligia Gomez,
MPH, Program Director; William McKeever, MA, CRC, Executive Director; and members of
Vincent House who have shared their skills and stories with our students. Vincent House, the
staff, and members have given our students a view of recovery and successful interventions
that has forever changed our students' views of mental illness. In so doing, they have
contributed to the occupational therapy profession here in Florida. Our students now consider
service learning experiences at Vincent House, in addition to being open to the prospect of
mental health practice. In turn,Vincent House is considering accepting a student for a
residency at their facility, as well as creating a position for an occupational therapist in their
program. FOTA Award of Appreciation: This award is for other persons and/or organizations that have
rendered special services to FOTA or the occupational therapy profession in Florida. There
may be more than one recipient for this award. Individuals/organizations cannot be
Occupational Therapists and/or Occupational Therapy Assistants. Nominees shall have
demonstrated significant contributions to FOTA in any of the following categories: political
support, leadership, or contributions of education, equipment, leadership, employment etc. Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[23]
FOTA16 Conference Student Poster Winners
WINNER: OT Student Students: Kelly Walsh, Mara Rosen, Kim Yetman and Monica Hodge
Assessing Fine Motor Coordination in Children Using a Tablet
Device: A Study on Concurrent Validity Between the Prosense, a
Computer Tablet Program and the Berry-Buktenica Developmental
Test of Visual Motor Integration
Faculty: Gustavo Reinoso, NSU – Tampa
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[24]
FOTA16 Conference Student Poster Winners
WINNER: OTA Students: Luis Johnston and Brianna McConnell
Animal Assisted Therapy: Effects on Stress Induced Changes in
Blood Pressure
Faculty: Nicole Scheiman, Adventist University of Health Sciences
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[25]
FOTA16 Conference Student Poster Winners
Most Dynamic Presentation: Lee Meach, Brittany Whitworth and
Tara Johnson
The Viability of Travel Training as an
Intervention to Promote Community Mobility in Older Adults
Through Public Transit Use
Students: Faculty: Dennis McCarthy, NSU –
Tampa
Cathy Peirce, The Student Poster Chair and
accepting the award is Faculty member
Dennis McCarthy (right).
Scientific Rigor: Tori Galatas
Gait Abnormalities and
Associated Changes in
Skeletal Muscle Biology in Charcot-Marie-Tooth
Mouse Model
Faculty Lucia Notterpek,
University of Florida
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[26]
FOTA16 Conference Student Poster Winners
Soul of OT: Kristin Hubbell, Kristine Carter,
Amanda Biebe, Angelo
Amoresano and Megan Johnston
Playful Me! Play Participation
and Parent Competence with
Children of Varying Abilities: A
Quasi-Experimental Design
Faculty: Sarah Fabrizi, Florida
Gulf Coast University
Most Dynamic Presentation: Lee Meach, Brittany Whitworth
and Tara Johnson
The Viability of Travel
Training as an Intervention
to Promote Community
Mobility in Older Adults
Through Public Transit Use
Faculty: Dennis McCarthy,
NSU – Tampa
Winter 2016
www.flota.org
[27]
FOTA Executive Board:
President: Elena Vizvary
vizvaryot@gmail.com
Vice President: Debora Oliveira
debora.oliveira@famu.edu
Treasurer: Debbie Murphy-Fischer
fischer5063@comcast.net
Secretary: Debbie Misrahi
dpmotr@aol.com
Standing Committee Chairs:
Governmental Affairs: Barbara Ingram-Rice
healthways1@yahoo.com
Member Concerns: Marsha Shuford
mdshu@comcast.net
Practice SIS: Ricardo Carrasco
rc1265@nova.edu
Regional Representatives: Cathy Peirce
cpeirce@nova.edu
Conference Convener: Debbie Reber
Debbie.reber@brooksrehab.org
AOTA Rep (FL): Becky Piazza
sjmjnz@verizon.net
SIS Chairs:
Administration:Tim Finlan
tfinlan@nemours.org
Developmental Diabilities: Kathleen Frahm
frahmk@bellsouth.net
Education: Karen Howell
khowell@usa.edu
Fieldwork Education: Pam Kasyan
pkasyan@southuniversity.edu
Gerontology: Belkis Landa-Gonzalez
bgonzalez@mail.barry.edu
Health Promotions and Wellness: Donna Vaughan
dlv4rhyme@yahoo.com
Home & Community: Julie Ring
juliering22@gmail.com
Mental Health: Martha Montejo-Whaley
mwhaley@nova.edu
Physical Disabilities: Kristin Salvato
ksalvato@keiseruniversity.edu
Research: Pey-Shan Wen
pwen@fiu.edu
School Systems: Kristin Winston
kriswins@nova.edu
Sensory Integration: Thomas Decker
thomasdotr@yahoo.com
Technology: Rick Davenpor
rd418@nova.edu
Work Program: Melissa Cunningham melissa.cunningham@baycare.org
Winter 2016
Regional Representatives:
Region 1 North West: Bonnie Inkel
Alphaomegatherapy@cox.net
Region 2: Capitol - OPEN
cpeirce@nova.edu
Region 3 North Central Becky Piazza
piazzr@shands.ufl.ed
Region 3 Facebook
Region 4 North East: Julie Watson
jwatson@usa.edu
Region 5 Central East: Rebecca Hallman
beccahall18@gmail.com
Region 5 Facebook
Region 6 South East: Shirley Esse
christallynn@netzero.com
Region 7 South: Cathy Peirce
cpeirce@nova.edu
Region 7 Facebook
Region 7 Website
Region 8 South West: Cara Putnam
putnamcara@gmail.com
Region 9 Central West: Ranyouri Hines
rqhines@yahoo.com
F O C U S
•
•
•
•
•
www.flota.org
Submit Non-Advertising articles and
manuscripts to the FOCUS editor at
FOTA.focus@gmail.com.
If submitting an article, please also
submit a .jpg headshot. If submitting
photos, please include captions and
identify who is in the pictures.
Please review Article submissions
guidelines prior to submission.
If you submit photos or articles, FOTA
reserves the right to publish on our
website and social media.
FOCUS Deadlines
• Winter - Dec. 15
• Spring - March 15
• Summer - June 15
• Fall - Oct. 15
[28]