OT Link Summer 2014 by Michele Berhorst

O.T. Link Program in Occupational Therapy • Washington University School of Medicine • Summer 2014

Issue Highlights:

Bringing a new vision to the Community Practice Program

New vision to Community Practice Page 1, 3 Next steps for Community Practice

Pat Nellis, MBA, OTR/L, joins team

Last fall, Pat Nellis, MBA, OTR/L, joined the Program as clinic administrator for Community Practice. If she looks familiar, however, that’s because she is. Long before she officially joined the team, Nellis has been a recognizable face in the Program. As the director of rehabilitation services for Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH), she often Pat Nellis collaborated with faculty members here regarding special projects, committees, and educational offerings. Since 2007, she’s also held a teaching role, instructing Management in a Changing Practice Environment. In 2011 she picked up Fundamentals of Professional Practice, and will be adding Research and Evidence-Based Practice to her plate this fall. “Pat’s background, knowledge, and leadership skills uniquely qualify her to lead our Community Practice,” shares Program director Dr. Carolyn Baum. “Her ability to conceptualize the big picture, while simultaneously managing day-to-day operations results is a perfect balance for our team.”

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Welcome back, Class of 1964! Nellis has served in a Page 4 variety of roles throughout her career, with an emphasis in the Serving those with special needs hospital setting. Prior to her Page 5 time at BJH, she also worked at Hearts in Motion in Guatemala Missouri Baptist Medical Page 6 Center (MBMC). In both positions, she led large, interdisciplinary teams including audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language pathology. With that territory came program development for emerging practice areas such as lymphedema and cancer survivor care; trauma care; care for the very sick in ICU settings; and at MBMC, associated outpatient programs. In each role, Nellis’ approach was to penetrate the existing teams of nurses, physicians and case managers and identify where rehab could add value to help reduce and/or mitigate some of the hospital-acquired issues such as decubitus ulcers, deconditioning, and pneumonia. She also worked to integrate evidence-based practice into the

Next steps for Community Practice

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New faces, plans, and directions for the future

As Pat Nellis, MBA, OTR/L, works to advance her vision for Community Practice, she’s pairing it with new team members, targeted tactics, and attainable goals to create a powerful strategic plan to best position the Practice for future growth and success. Like every good strategic plan, Nellis’ plan will take time to implement successfully; however, it is currently bringing several opportunities to the forefront of the team’s focus. Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Whether it’s in the clinic, home, or school setting, the CYF team partners with parents, teachers, and key caregivers to best meet the unique needs of each family it serves. This summer, the team welcomes several new faces, as well as a new base of operations, as they relocate office space to the second floor of 4444 Forest Park Ave. Catherine Hoyt Drazen, OTD ’10, OTR/L, and Cambey Mikush, OTD ’13, OTR/L, have recently

Occupational Therapy

come onboard to share their expertise with the Practice. Hoyt Drazen specializes in infant/ toddler development, early childhood development, development of fine motor skills, and sickle cell disease. Mikush started with the Practice in May and her areas of interest include commuCatherine Hoyt Drazen visits nity participation for pediatric with a young client. and adult populations, autism, women’s health, international development, and the role of occupational therapy in developing practice areas. Both Hoyt Drazen and Mikush have been named emerging leaders by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA). CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Program in Occupational Therapy 4444 Forest Park Ave., CB 8505 St. Louis, MO 63108-2212 (314) 286-1600 / (800) 279-3229 (314) 286-1651 (TDD) wuotinfo@wusm.wustl.edu • ot.wustl.edu

M. Carolyn Baum

From the Director

t has been a memorable and eventful spring semester indeed! On April 25, our sixth annual OT Scholarship Day had the highest attendance to date. The master and doctorate students of the Class of 2014 showcased not only their research skills, but their accomplishments and dedication to the profession. Just a few weeks later on May 16, we bid them a fond farewell at Commencement 2014. We are proud and honored to have them join you as our alumni and know that they leave us well on their way to becoming leaders in the occupational therapy field. In addition to our students’ many successes, I am excited to share with you the new vision for our Community Practice program in this issue of O.T. Link on page one. Led by Clinic Administrator Pat Nellis, MBA, OTR/L, our Community Practice team is focused on growth, quality improvement and the measurements of results so they can provide quality health care and resources to the community. If you are not familiar with our clinics or our team members, which serve all populations in the lifecycle continuum, you can read more about them on page one. Commencement 2014 celebrated not only the accomplishments of our current students, but those of the Class of 1964 as they returned to the medical school campus for their 50th reunion. I had the honor of visiting with these five alums, who inspired not only me, but everyone here at the Program during the two days they were here. Read more about their experiences, both past and present, on page four. As we continue to focus on the needs of our community, alumna Rebecca Mohler, MSOT ’90, OTR/L, does as well

Dr. Carolyn Baum giving the opening remarks at Commencement 2014.

through her school and community-based occupational therapy practice in Northeast Ohio. Learn more about how she founded Sendero Therapies, Inc. to support the academic, functional and social participation of children in her community on page five. Through our annual service learning trip, students learn about the global need for our profession by spending a week working with local occupational and physical therapists in a variety of care settings in Guatemala. Following the trip, the students give a presentation to faculty, staff and students about not only what they learned about our field, but what they learned about themselves as future practitioners. I hope you find their experiences on page six as motivating and moving as I do. In fact, I find motivation each and every day in the achievements and contributions our students and alumni make to the profession. I am moved to learn of your research, your career advancements, and your work in the community. Please continue to keep in touch with us through our website – ot.wustl.edu/alumni – so we can share in your success as I hope you do in ours. M. Carolyn Baum, PhD, OTR, FAOTA Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology and Social Work Elias Michael Executive Director, Program in Occupational Therapy

Faculty announcements Lisa Tabor Connor, PhD, has accepted a position at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, Mass., as their department chair. “The Institute is starting a new department of occupational therapy that will offer an entry-level OTD. My role will be to hire faculty, develop a research Lisa Tabor Connor direction for the department, and to foster interprofessional training,” Connor explains. “Needless to say, I am indebted to all of you for my intellectual growth and development since I started teaching in the Program in 2005. The camaraderie and collaborative environment has been exceptional.” Meredith Gronski, OTD ’05, OTR/L, has been appointed to the Commission on Practice (COP) of the AOTA Representative Assembly (RA). The COP serves AOTA by promoting the quality of occupational therapy practice and developing practice standards for occupational therapists Meredith Gronski and occupational therapy assistants relative to provider and consumer needs. “I am excited for the opportunity to advocate for the highest quality, evidencebased and authentic OT practice with the bonus of learning from some of the most masterful clinicians and advocates from across the nation,” says Gronski, who will begin a three-year term on July 1.

NEW VISION CONTINUED FROM COVER

NEXT STEPS CONTINUED FROM COVER

environments, as it was not in place at either facility prior to her arrival. “All of my previous teams had an active agenda of reviewing each population, developing standards of care/clinical Nellis brainstorms with members of the Community practice guidePractice team at a planning retreat in June. lines and then measuring our quality of delivery by evaluating whether or not our standards were met,” says Nellis. “If not, our team problem-solved to meet our goals.” Nellis’ focus on quality and standards of care will continue in her new role with Community Practice, where she has spent the first six months implementing structure and aligning systems. “I joined this team because I really wanted the challenge of bringing OT services to an interprofessional team in a non-institutional setting,” shares Nellis. Much of that work thus far has revolved around the implementation of EMR, or electronic medical records within community practice. “Charting electronically increases our efficiency, helps provide more information for our entire team, and better enables us to communicate with our clients’ physicians,” shares Nellis. “It’s the future of health care and was the next step in growing our practice.” Growth is a major focus of the clinic, which aims to ensure that members in the community have access to quality health care and beneficial resources. She also plans to link research to quality and outcomes that are valued by the Practice’s clients. “The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and potential to be on the cutting edge of practice and reimbursement changes brings significant benefit to our program,” shares Nellis. “Health care needs to be delivered to populations and at the community level, by a team of individuals.” Another passion for Nellis is quality improvement and the lean sigma approach in health care. “There remains much improvement to be gained in this area for rehab – currently, we all are asked to report under the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). If you look closely, those standards are very biomedical and really report mostly whether or not we adhered to a process. For us, we not only want to report on those, but also to report outcomes as they relate to improvement over time.” Tracking data and measuring results will be a primary focus for the community practice team over the coming months. “We are always data-mining,” shares Nellis. “The collection and analysis of data determines next steps, tells the story of what’s working well, and identifies areas of opportunity,” she adds. Nellis’ experience in leading teams includes a wealth of training and coaching, gained through her completion of programs in change management, KT Decision Making, project management, and diversity and inclusion, among others. “I enjoy growing teams, and will do the same here,” she shares.

In-home Services In addition to serving the pediatric population, Mikush will also see adult clients via the in-home services arm of Community Practice. Here, Mikush is joined by Becky Russell, BSCOT, OTR/L, an experienced clinician who started with the team in January. Russell comes to Community Practice from Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH), and brings a wealth of expertise in the areas of adult neurology, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and gerontology. Since coming onboard, Russell has taken lead on the effort to develop standards of care and a consistent documentation process for the Practice. Low Vision Over the years, Monica Perlmutter, OTD ’12, OTR/L, SCLV, assistant professor, occupational therapy and ophthalmology and visual sciences, has developed a niche in the world of low vision services for an aging population. Now, through a new procedure called IMT, her awareness is on-the-rise with area physicians who are using it to treat patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the procedure, a tiny device, or Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT) is inserted behind the iris during an outpatient procedure to magnify images in order to enhance central vision for distance activities. Following surgery, patients must participate in an extensive visual rehabilitation program with an interdisciplinary care team, including an occupational therapist, for approximately 6 to 12 months. Given her unique knowledge and experience, Perlmutter is well-positioned, and increasingly requested by physicians, to step onto these teams to fulfil the OT need for patients undergoing this treatment.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAN ROWE

Continuing Education at the Program Beginning this summer, the Community Practice team is embarking on a new endeavor to establish the Program as a premier provider of continuing education in the St. Louis area. “Within our Program faculty and clinicians, we have exceptional talent in the field of occupational therapy available at our fingertips,” shares Nellis. “Through the development of a robust continuing education program, we can share that expertise with others, and strengthen our brand awareness in the community. Our goal is to offer high-level, quality programming that touches on timely topics to enhance the participant’s knowledge-base and skill set.” By offering such high-caliber material, Nellis plans to use the programming as an additional revenue source for the Program. For more information about the continuing education program, contact Pat Nellis or visit the website at ot.wustl.edu/continuinged. On July 25-26, Jan Rowe, OTD, OTR/L, will present a continuing education course that focuses on Comprehensive Behavior Intervention for Tics (CBIT) in children with Tourette’s syndrome and other tic disorders. Rowe, a contract employee with Children’s of Alabama, is the first occupational therapist in the country to develop a CBIT clinic. In mid-October, Community Practice will host a course on toxic stress.

Welcome back, Class of 1964! Alumna celebrate their 50th reunion

he Washington University Occupational Therapy Class of 1964 celebrated their 50th reunion this past May. Five alumna – Susan Gore Ahmad, Linnea “Cookie” Atkins Kotz, Mickey Schandler Grossman, Ellen Heisterkamp Healy and Eleanor Quinn Hingtgen – traveled back to the medical school campus from their home states of Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Tennessee. Each has spent the past 50 years actively working in the occupational therapy profession and fondly remember their days at Washington University. “Martha Matthews was the program director at that time and she was instrumental in developing the curriculum to include science, research and rehabilitation. The field was becoming specialized, as was medicine, to answer the growing needs of various populations. It was a wonderful time to become an occupational therapist,” says Kotz, who practiced in the areas of gerontology and stroke rehabilitation for the past 20 years. The alumna, many of whom had previously not been back to the St. Louis area, enjoyed seeing how much the campus has Alumna visiting with Dr. Carolyn Baum. changed. In 1964, the Program was located at 4567 Scott Avenue. While that building is no longer there, another familiar sight was to greet them. “We stayed at the Spencer T. Olin Residence Hall, which was fairly new at the time. It was co-ed, which was also fairly new. We had our department parties on the top floor in the penthouse,” remembers Grossman fondly. “Actually, I met my husband on the roof of Olin dorm! And we’re still married today.” The alumna attended the Program in Occupational Therapy Open House on May 15, the day before Commencement. They enjoyed a tour, meeting the faculty and students, and visiting with current Program Director Carolyn Baum, PhD, OTR, FAOTA. While the curriculum has evolved and expanded over

During the tour of the Program, the alumna stopped to view their class photo.

Celebrating their 50th reunion were (left to right) Ellen Heisterkamp Healy, Susan Gore Ahmad, Mickey Schandler Grossman, Linnea “Cookie” Atkins Kotz and Eleanor Quinn Hingtgen.

the years, some academic requirements have stayed the same – like passing anatomy class. “Actually, our class started out with 17 students – 16 women and one man. On the first day of anatomy class, there were two students per cadaver. Once he unzipped the bag, he passed out! And quickly decided that maybe occupational therapy was not for him,” says Hingtgen, with a smile. During their tour, the alumna stopped to view the class photos located on the lower level. They reflected on the changing times as they saw increasing number of students – and men – graduating each year. Susan beamed proudly as she pointed to one very special graduate of the Class of 1995. “My son, Omar Ahmad, earned his Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy at Washington University in 1995,” says Ahmad, who returned to the Program herself to earn her MSOT in 1999. “Omar is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University.” After the Open House, the alumna traveled to the Danforth campus that afternoon to take part in the 50th Reunion Medallion Ceremony and Reception. They were invited to participate in the university commencement affairs on Friday, May 16, and to join the procession at the Program’s Commencement at Graham Chapel. Walking in the procession held special meaning for them. “Some of us weren’t able to be at our Commencement ceremony back in 1964,” explains Healy. “We had left for apprenticeships in other cities, in other states. Being here now, taking part in the celebrations 50 years later, and seeing each other after all these years has been wonderful.” During the ceremony, the Class of 1964 stood up and were honored by Dr. Baum and all those in attendance. In her closing remarks, Dr. Baum acknowledged the many contributions they have made to the profession and offered these words of encouragement to the current graduates: “As we look at our leaders from 1964, they were really the leaders of the third generation of our profession. And today, you sit here as the leaders of the fifth. It will be up to you to take this knowledge and really move it into a new system of care and into new opportunities to help people live lives.”

Alumni news Serving those with special needs

PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA MOHLER

or Rebecca Mohler, MSOT ’90, OTR/L, her passion has always been to serve individuals with special needs. Mohler started volunteering in the resource room at her elementary school in the third grade. In high school, she volunteered for the Red Cross and the Special Olympics. She attended Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where she worked in physical and mental health settings as an aide while pursuing her Bachelor of Science in biology. “My intent was to graduate and attend either physical therapy or occupational therapy graduate school. The Program had just started their Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree and were offering a summer “Discovery” week to learn more,” Mohler recalls. “During that week, I fell in love with occupational therapy. I applied to the 3-2 program they were offering through Capital University to complete my undergraduate degree there and my master’s degree from the Program in five years.” Mohler began her occupational therapy practice in 1991. For the first eight years, she worked in adult and geriatric rehabilitation, home health, nursing home manage- Rebecca Mohler provides occupational therapy support to dancers with special needs. ment and in early intervention. For the past 15 years, she has specialized in pediatric practice primarily in school settings. After two years as an independent contractor at local schools, Mohler developed Sendero Therapies, Inc. Today, she has more than 35 physical and occupational therapists on her team, which provide services to four counties in Northeast Ohio. Sendero Therapies, Inc. serves school districts, charter schools, private schools, and provides community consultation for integrated services for students with special needs. “At the initial expansion of the company, I wanted to address the need for school-based occupational therapy to enhance proper delivery of the educational model. It was also important to me that occupational therapists working in the schools felt supported and had a network and resource through Sendero Therapies, Inc.,” Mohler explains. “I feel we have been successful because we have the administrative structure and support to make this happen.” In the school and community-based practice setting, Sendero Therapies, Inc. is committed to meeting the needs of all children to support academic, functional participation and social participation using the Response to Intervention (RTI) model. “This allows us to streamline service to children with specific needs requiring specialized therapeutic interventions,

children who are at risk using consultation, collaboration and programs designed to support their areas of need, and to all children who can benefit from shared knowledge from therapists. We also provide professional development to their families and educators,” Mohler says. “We use a direct Rebecca Mohler shares smiles with students in intervention model the adaptive and integrated dance program. with 1:1 services, small groups and whole classroom instruction and a consultation/collaboration model with families and educators.” Mohler also integrates the use of assistive technology into her practice. She has found the use of tablets, apps and voice recognition has a significant impact on providing access to education and social skills development in her students, particularly those with autism and developmental and physical disabilities. Currently, Mohler feels there is a need in the community to address post-secondary education support, vocational training and leisure skill–social participation for children, young adults and adults. “For the past five years, I have provided consultation/collaboration services for adaptive and integrated dance programs successfully. We are currently in the developmental stages of building a community of practice to address these needs,” Mohler says. Her passion for serving those with special needs, especially children, inspires her each and every day. “When a child is able to do something for the first time – tying their shoe, writing their name, making a friend – there is no greater reward as an Her students experience dance and develop friendships just like occupational therapist than everyone else in the classes. seeing the smile on their face at learning what independence feels like.” Mohler credits her success to the education she received at the Program and as a donor, supports current students so they can achieve their goals. “The Program in Occupational Therapy opened doors to a profession with boundless opportunities for serving others. It created a career path where the sky is the limit and every day is both challenging and rewarding. Without the education I received there, I would not be where I am today. We need more occupational therapists in this world and I am thrilled to be able to share my success with future occupational therapists by helping them financially to receive the quality education I did.”

Student news Hearts in Motion in Guatemala In March, two occupational therapists and 16 students from the Program in Occupational Therapy spent a week in Guatemala for the fifth annual service learning trip. Months of planning went into the trip, including member selection, fundraising and a three-hour Spanish class every Wednesday. Working with Hearts in Motion, an organization that unites compassionate volunteers with learning opportunities, the students embarked on a series of unique, hand-on experiences working with local occupational and physical therapists in a variety of care settings. “We divided the students into two groups. One group traveled to a school for children with special needs and facilitated a discussion to come up with solutions to challenging problems. Other students went to rural clinics, where they got to be a part of initial assessment/ evaluation and then developed strategies Kirstie Hamer, MSOT/S ‘15, drawing with children in Guatemala. for intervention and implemented them,” says Catherine Hoyt Drazen, OTD ’10, OTR/L, who led the students groups with Katie Bogan, OTD ’12, OTR/L. “One group identified sciatica in an adult and was able to provide ibuprofen from a medical doctor and guidance on gait and sleeping positions. They found a stick and made a cane for him. This man was so happy, he returned to tell us how helpful it had been. Then, he showed us his loroco (an edible flower) farm and brought several local fruits to enjoy.” Janelle Hively, MSOT ’14, served as student co-leader for the trip with Hayley Chrzastowski, OTD/S ’15. “During the course of the week, we were able to visit two special education schools, a nutrition center, a therapy clinic, hospital, orthotic/ prosthetic center, two senior centers, wheelchair factory, and a village. Diagnoses ranged from stroke survivors to an infant with Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome,” Hively says. “While we were at Hope Haven, an organization that builds and refurbishes pediatric wheelchairs, we got to see several wheelchair fittings, including one for a young girl with extreme extensor tone. Her head and feet were almost touching, something we probably will not see in the U.S.” The experiences the students have in Guatemala are very different from clinical practice in the U.S. because so many people are in need of services and more immediate care and assistive technology. “Sometimes, it is challenging to identify a need and not be able to provide the resource or fix because of financial or environmental barriers, but the students did an

Two occupational therapists and 16 students from the Program spent a week in Guatemala for the fifth annual service learning trip.

outstanding job,” Hoyt Drazen says. “They came up with many ideas to modify or use what was available to help make an individual’s quality of life better and assist them in returning to their personal activities of daily living, whether it was washing clothes, coloring, sitting in a chair, or walking with less pain.” Even with the lack of resources and barriers, being able to use their critical thinking and problem solving skills to help someone accomplish their goals impacted the students on both a professional and personal level. “I was really touched by my experiences with Blanca, a woman who recently had a brain tumor with symptoms similar to a hemiplegic stroke patient. She wanted to be able to do her own laundry again, but had difficulty grabbing the soap with one hand and scrubbing it onto Elizabeth Ecklund, MSOT ‘14, and Celine the clothes,” Hively Dammond, OTD/S ‘16, at a clinic in Guatemala. recalls. “We brainstormed what we could do for her. We took a washcloth and used our hairbands to wrap and tie the cloth around her hand like a mitt. That way, she could touch the soap, but did not need to pick it up. We saw her the next day and Blanca told us she was able do laundry independently again!” Each student had similar, rewarding experiences with the people they met and worked with in Guatemala, and these experiences help shape their clinical skills for future practice. For Hoyt Drazen, her reward is witnessing these moments first-hand. “For me, the most rewarding part of the trip each year is watching the students grow as occupational therapists throughout the week, from needing assistance initially to being able to problem solve independently and come up with solutions by the end.”

Student happenings

OT Scholarship Day

Twenty-six students were inducted on February 6 into Pi Theta Epsilon, a national honor society for occupational therapy students.

Claire Schueler, MSOT ’14, Krista Fox, MSOT ’14, James Breihan, MSOT ‘14, and Joy Bender, MSOT ‘14, attended MOTA’s Capitol Hill Day on February 26.

Second-year students have a hands-on experience with the various types of equipment and technology available as part of the Supporting Participation with Technology and Environmental Interventions class.

Please Donate to the Program in Occupational Therapy Scholarship Fund Please help support future occupational therapists with a donation to the Program in Occupational Therapy Scholarship Fund. A gift to the Program fills an immediate need by lessening the debt burden on our students, allowing them to focus on their education and training. Donations also may be made in honor or in memory of an individual. Checks should be payable to Washington University and mailed to: Washington University School of Medicine The Program in Occupational Therapy 4444 Forest Park Ave., CB 8505 St. Louis, MO 63108-2212

Faculty, students and staff enjoyed the sixth annual OT Scholarship Day presentations on April 25 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center.

Social Circle We Love This Tweet: “Cannot say enough about the role that Carolyn Baum has played in my life! #AOTA14 @WUSTLOT #Mentor OTLeadership - @R_Dargatz_OTD www.twitter.com/WUSTLOT

Washington University School of Medicine Program in Occupational Therapy CB 8505 4444 Forest Park Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108-2212

Occupational Therapy

Commencement 2014

Sarah Kay Hendred, MSOT ‘14, and Kari Burch, OTD ‘14, were the student speakers for their classes.

Melody Li, MSOT ‘14, Kimmy Nguyen, MSOT ‘14, Anita Khoong, MSOT ‘14, and Shamin Loi, MSOT ‘14.

James Breihan, MSOT ‘14, and his son Teddy, receiving the certificate from Dr. Carolyn Baum.

Please visit us at ot.wustl.edu and on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for more Program news!

The Program in Occupational Therapy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.