MiOTA Member Newsletter

Hello MiOTA members,

Here we are into our summer newsletter, wow 2023 is sure moving fast!

As an association, we have been working hard to support the practice of occupational therapy

through a great number of educational events, social networking, and advocacy.

I hope you are enjoying the great number of educational events that have been offered to support your professional growth and satisfy competency requirements for both NBCOT and the state of Michigan OT licenses. We had a very successfull April virtual conference, where many practitioners were able to obtain required educational experiences before their May license renewal date. Keep in mind that renewal dates are changing and will no longer be due at the end of May; this changed this year when practitioners renewed. For managers of departments who track due dates of licenses it is a reminder to make sure you know the new renewal dates of your employees.

The membership committee has a goal of regular membership networking events. We started

with a “jeopardy type” activity earlier this year. Look for more of these events. This is a great

opportunity for you to invite a non-member to get to know what MiOTA is about!

Advocacy efforts continued during the first months of 2023. MiOTA Advocacy Committee and

our lobbyist Bret Marr continue to weed through the feedback from LARA regarding the rule

that was introduced for the OT Interstate Compact. Read more about this in Denise Hoffman’s

Advocacy report and keep an eye out for opportunities to advocate for this locally with your

own legislators.

As always, I close by thanking you for your membership and participation in our state

association. We can do great things through membership and volunteerism of the OT

practitioners in Michigan.

Sincerely,

Cathleen Johnson, OTD, OTRL, FMiOTA, FNAP

Leader of the Executive Committee and Co-Director for Membership

Cathleen had a great time in Washington DC advocating for Michigan Occupational Therapy Professionals. Rex Crosby, OTRlL and Vice President of Corporate Compliance for OVATION Rehabilitation and Cathleen Johnson, Leader of the Executive Committee for MiOTA walked halls to meet with the staff members from Michigan Senate and House Representatives to support occupational therapy professionals in Michigan.

I work for an ABA company, and was hired as their first OT some five+ years ago. Last year I was promoted to Assistant Director of OT services, and this year I celebrated 5 years of service with Saginaw Valley State University as an adjunct professor in both the occupational therapy and kinesiology departments.

We just launched OT services with my company in AuSable, and I have hired a therapist for that region.

Another of our therapists at ABA Pathways was promoted this year to Senior Occupational Therapist.

We are in the process of collaborating more extensively with SVSU to coordinate on-site visits for our fieldwork students and MSOT students, in general.

Our company was awarded as one of 50 small businesses in Michigan to watch, and we celebrated at a gala in Lansing this year. We are very proud to offer comprehensive, client-centered ABA, OT, and speech-therapy services.

https://michigancelebrates.org/

Robin Pegg, EdDc, MEd, COTAL, ATP was inducted into the AOTA Roster of Honor at the 2023 AOTA Annual Conference. Robin joins Mary Ellen East, COTAL, ROH as OTAs from Michigan who have received this honor.

Dr. Debra Lindstrom, (formerly Lindstrom-Hazel) earned her MOT degree from Western Michigan University (WMU) in 1982. She earned her PhD in Sociology from WMU in 2000. After graduating from the MOT program, she worked at VT and Mary Free Bed prior to moving to Kalamazoo to work with an educational theatre. She returned to OT working as an outpatient therapist for Bronson Health Care. She specializes in pediatrics, general rehab for adults and Return-to- work for people with mild head injuries, office ergonomics, home modifications for older adults and aging- in-place. She joined WMU as a full-time faculty member in 1992. She has been at WMU for over 30 years.

Outside Academia, Debra likes playing with her two grandsons and being outside, walking, hiking, biking or kayaking. She considers herself a locavore, cooking and eating seasonally with her family. She is very passionate about social justice issues at her church, in her classes and working with local community organizations. She came to WMU and Kalamazoo to earn her master’s degree and after a few years in other places, she has called Kalamazoo home for the past 35 years.

Debra came to OT because the Special Education Director where she was taught for 4 years saw her as more functional than most other teachers. The director said she thought Debra would be great OT and Debra’s response was Oh, yea? What do they do? She then researched what OTs did besides teaching a student who had Down syndrome how to button her coat. This led her to WMU OT.

Debra, along with Jaclyn Ryan developed the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum for WMU. After 10 years of WMU adopting this curriculum, Debra led the transition to Case-Based Learning and Case Simulations in the OTD curriculum. Her academic focus has been on helping students to develop clinical reasoning and learning how to think on their feet. Some of her most successful OT endeavors were co-creating the HomeFit program with her MI AARP staff partner when she was on the MI AARP Executive Council (Volunteer). Some of her recent research has focused on standardization of OT assessments.

Debra led the group planning WMU’s 100th Year Anniversary Gala on July 23, 2022. At this celebration, it was announced that Governor Whitmer declared July 23 as OT Day in the State of MI. Debra says she has always been involved with her state OT organization (attending and presenting at local conferences). She says, This is where we network with our state colleagues to make things better for OT in our state. In 2013, she part of the effort to re-activate the Friends of OT in MI political action committee, supporting our legislative efforts in MI. She encourages all OT in the state to join MiOTA to shape the profession as we grow into our second 100 years in MI!

If you would like to be highlighted or would like to nominate a MiOTA member, please email us at website@miota.org or renukaroche@gmail.com

The annual fall conference will be held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island from October 5 -7, 2023.

There are eleven 2-hour sessions, twenty-six 1-hour sessions, 20 posters and 14 SIS meetings being

offered over the course of the three days. The continuing education credits available is 15 with

additional credits available for visiting exhibit space. There will be a welcome reception on Thursday andan awards ceremony on Friday. The keynote address by Dr. Michelle Suarez will occur on Friday

morning. Everyone is encouraged to attend the business meeting on Saturday morning for continuing

education credit. There will be two general sessions, one on diversity and the other on pain, held on

Saturday to close out the conference.

Discounted ferry tickets are available. Grand Hotel reservations include an amazing breakfast and a

formal dinner. Please be sure to review the dress code for the hotel. Reservations are to be made

through the link located from the MiOTA website. Student reservations are to occur through the

conference planning committee (conference@miota.org). The email should include the full names of the 3-4 students for the room and each person’s email address. There is a room block limit. Register early.

• Discounted room rates are available and will expire on September 5, 2023, or when block is full.
• Room Rates include breakfast and dinner.
• Standard Room Interior View: Single $315/per night;
• Double Occupancy $195/per person / per night = $390.
• Deluxe Room Lake View: Single $385/per night;
• Double Occupancy $230/ per person / per night = $390.
• To make hotel room reservations use the room booking code: 2023 Michigan Occupational Therapy Association
• For student room rates: $145 / per person / per night with minimum of 3; maximum of 4 in a room. Please contact the MiOTA office.

Do you know of any exhibitors that would be interested in attending our event or you would like

the MiOTA conference planning committee to approach with information regarding the

opportunity? Please contact us at conference@miota.org or encourage the business to visit our

website at: https://www.miota.org/exhibitors_and_sponsors.php

For any questions, feel free to contact the conference planning committee at: conference@miota.org..

There are changes in the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) requirements for implicit bias training.

The Public Health Code – General Rules pertaining to implicit bias training standards have been revised to allow for asynchronous teleconference or webinars as acceptable modalities, which was previously prohibited. We appreciate LARA's flexibility in the training requirements, which allows for better access to this crucial training for all of Michigan's health care professionals.

As a reminder, LARA requires implicit bias training for all licensed health care professionals, effective June 1, 2022. The requirements apply to both new applicants as well as those renewing their existing licenses or registrations.

For license renewal, applicants must complete a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license or registration cycle. For new licensure, both limited and medical, applicants must have completed a minimum of 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance of the license or registration. Professionals must report implicit bias credits when renewing their license.

If you would like to contribute an article to "Points of Practice" please send them to Cindy Klinger at finance@miota.org for publication in the next newsletter.

Someone wonderful volunteered to lead the school SIS meeting at this coming Fall Conference; however, we cannot find their name in the minutes. If YOU are that wonderful person (or if you know who they are), please contact Denise Justice at conference@miota.org.

Thank you!

SIS groups provide opportunities for MIOTA members to come together for discussion on areas of practice. The following SIS groups are looking for someone to lead or co-lead the sessions. Groups meet at least annually, but can meet as often as possible.

Geriatrics

Mental Health

Telehealth Reimbursement

Diversity

Rehabilitation

Groups meet at least annually at the annual conference in the fall, but can meet as often as they'd like to. SIS groups fall under the leadership of the Communications Director and must be members of MIOTA. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Holly Grieves at website@miota.org or Robin Pegg at administrator@miota.org.

Hey MiOTA members,

We are seeking chapter leaders for Flint, Lansing, Northwest, and Western chapters. A chapter leader

supports a “regular” meeting of the members of the chapter. Chapters can meet live or via a webinar.

Many chapters use the meeting to talk about clinical practice. Sometimes a chapter will have a guest

speaker. Professional Development Units (PDU) are provided to participants. The chapter leader is

responsible for emailing participants an invitation, securing a speaker or identifying a topic of discussion, track attendance, and submit attendance to the MiOTA office so that participants can receive a PDU certificate.

Please consider taking on this leadership opportunity. If you have a colleague who would like to share co-leadership that is an option as well.

Robin Pegg administrator@miota.org or Holly Grieves website@miota.org if you are interested.

MIOTA is looking for someone to scan and upload past paper documents to the MIOTA Google Shared Drive, please contact Cindy Klinger an finance@miota.org if you have the skill and are interested in volunteering.

On May 16, 2023, CMS made a benefit category decision to cover power seat elevation

systems on power wheelchairs, reporting that they are reasonable and necessary when

healthcare providers document the person's need of the system for independent or

dependent transfers, or for reaching objects in the home during daily activities. This decision

expanded coverage conditions from the preliminary decision published on February 15,

2023, which proposed coverage for independent or assisted transfers only, and recognizes

the contribution of power seat elevation systems to support power wheelchair users'

function in the home.

Although discussions regarding power seat elevation coverage have occurred over a period

of years, the work began in earnest in Spring of 2020 through the collaboration of various

non-profit advocacy organizations from consumer, clinical, and reimbursement/CRT industry

sectors and led by a legal/regulatory group. The complete NCD Reconsideration Request

was submitted to CMS September 15, 2020, and deemed complete shortly

after. Occupational and physical therapists from the Clinician Task Force, led by Michigan OT

Cara Masselink, comprised the clinical group that compiled the evidence base on power seat

elevation systems. Using experienced clinical perspectives, the request described

the medical basis of power seat elevation systems. This work informed proposed coverage

conditions, was utilized in discussions and with CMS, legislators, and federal organizations,

and advocated for expanded coverage conditions during the public comment periods.

The CMS decision demonstrates the power of teamwork, from the initial group of

collaborators to the responsive support from consumers, health care providers, and

healthcare organizations across the United States, to make impactful systemic change.

Cara Masselink, Member of the MiOTA Advocacy Committee

cara.masselink@wmich.edu

The interstate compact of Occupational Therapy was developed in 2019 after 12 states

joined so then is was signed into federal law. signed this into law.. At this time over 25 states

have joined the compact with at least 5 -8 more states have active legislation pending for

2023.

The compact will increase one’s abilities to practice in multiple states under one license

which will meet the needs of the shortages across the county and help to expedite those

that travel across state lines obtain their licenses more efficiently.

MiOTA needs your voice to stand up and speak up regarding the support the Interstate

Compact Bill in Michigan. In March of 2023, HB 4169 and HB 4170 was Introduced and

received bipartisan sponsorship. In May, the Health Policy committed came back to MiOTA

and requested clarification on several items, which was provided through AOTA supports.

The bills must pass the House and the Senate side and receive the Governor’s approval

before it is enacted.

Share this information with your co-workers, students, etc. by:

- sending emails

- meet with a legislator

- making cold calls to legislators

- set up town hall meetings to share this content

August is a key month for our advocacy action on this topic, hence contact your

representative early and set up a meeting or email them today. Review the sponsor list to

see If your legislator is already supporting the bill… if so thank them, if not set up a meeting

or email them today!

Contact your legislator today!

HB 4169

HB 4170

**If you are interested in joining the advocacy committee please reach out to: Denise

Hoffman – MiOTA Advocacy Director

advocacy@MIOTA.org

Happy Summer,

Denise Hoffman, MiOTA Advocacy Director

A Message from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Financial and Insurance Services:

Dear Health Care Provider,

Nationwide, Medicaid beneficiaries will once again have to renew their coverage starting this year to comply with federal legislation. In Michigan, annual eligibility renewals will begin in June 2023. It is important that you are aware of this federally required process because it has the risk of leaving some of your patients without health insurance.

As a health care provider, you can play a role in helping your patients stay informed and covered, and we are asking for your help. If you have Medicaid beneficiaries as patients, please consider asking them to do the following:

• Make sure their address, phone number and email address are up to date at Michigan.gov/MIBridges. They can also call their local MDHHS office. If they do not have an online account for MI Bridges to access their Medicaid case or report changes, they can sign up for an account. They can also locate organizations that can provide local help by searching for community partners.
• Report any changes to their household or income by visiting Michigan.gov/MIBridges or by calling their local MDHHS office.
• If they receive a renewal packet, make sure to fill it out, sign the forms, and return it by the due date with any proof requested. If they do not complete and return the renewal, they may lose Medicaid coverage even if they are otherwise eligible.

If one of your patients receives notice that a member of their household is no longer eligible for Medicaid or MIChild benefits, it is important that they know they have options for alternative health insurance, including no and low-cost coverage, and they should take quick action to avoid a lapse in coverage. For more information about options, including purchasing a low- or -no-cost health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, they can visit Michigan.gov/StayCovered. To help you communicate with your patients, a toolkit is available online that includes a flyer, sample newsletter articles, and more.

For patients with questions about purchasing a health plan on HealthCare.gov, they can visit Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance, or call the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) at 877-999-6442, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information about changes to food assistance and Medicaid benefits connected to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency can be found at Michigan.gov/2023BenefitChanges.

As a health care provider, you know that having health insurance is critical, not just for when people are sick or hurt, but also to help them stay healthy and afford the care they need. Thank you for taking these steps to make sure your patients are aware of the actions they need to take to stay covered so they can protect themselves and their families.

Link to recording (June 29, 2023 8pm Eastern): https://youtu.be/KFia70Z_oU4

The next few years will see a dramatic change in how school-based services, such as OT, are reimbursed by Medicaid after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Education (ED) released new clarifying guidance.

As noted in the article linked to above:

In order to take full advantage of the many opportunities highlighted by this guidance, there is a need for a great deal of advocacy and education at every level of government. The success of any public policy initiative is dependent on not only its design, but its implementation through guidance like this. Ultimately, this guidance went far beyond AOTA’s cautious optimism, and will provide more resources and innovations to allow schools to improve the quality of services and expand access to them for students.

Listen to the recording to hear Abe Saffer from AOTA's Federal Affairs Department share what opportunities exist, and what advocacy efforts are needed to ensure access to OT is expanded for all students.

OT Winner:

Shanmin Sultana (she/her) is a first year occupational therapy student at Wayne State University (WSU). She serves as her program's Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) PY1 co-chair and Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) PY1 AOTA representative. She is also a student volunteer for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) where she designs research briefs to simplify occupational therapy research and help make research more accessible. She hopes to specialize in pediatrics and eventually teach at the graduate level.

OTA Winner:

Sydney VandenHout (she/her) is a first-year student in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Grand Rapids Community College. Sydney is engaged in her community by working with infants and toddlers, specifically focusing on their education, play, and fine/gross motor skills. She has been a teacher’s aide and caregiver for more than 6 years, investing most of her time with this age group. Sydney’s career aspirations are working in pediatrics, either in hospital or school settings. She looks forward to learning and growing with her fellow students, as she continues schooling and soon fieldwork opportunities.

MCCN is a networking community for all MiOTA student members to share any information, stories, or impactful situations that you have recently experienced that you think would benefit the occupational therapy student community’s growth toward continuous learning.

The MCCN allows a student to share any information from a personal or professional experience, or simply any material that is based within the occupational therapy profession – including any intervention approaches that you have recently identified, an assessment that would benefit a specific population or diagnosis if implemented, or new, evidence-based research that an OT student could integrate into their fieldwork practice.

MiOTA appreciates any expertise, recognition, or awareness that our members could share with the occupational therapy community. Below is a further list of ideas that could be included in the MCCN, featured in a MiOTA newsletter and on the website!

• Lightbulb moments – a particular realization or something you know now that you wish you would have known before entering the profession or fieldwork, or as a student transitioning into the new grad status

• Any way that you have created some structure/method to navigate the occupational therapy process more easily, and how you implement that method into your practice

• Level I, Level II fieldwork experiences, including preparation advice, what assessments and interventions strategies that you used in your specific fieldwork setting, etc.

• NBCOT study tips/resources

• OT program survival tips

• AE recommendations - where to buy, in what setting(s) would you recommend AE to a client?

• Continuing education opportunities!

• Discount resources – websites to find discounted OT textbooks, adaptive equipment, OT gear, etc.

• OT groups to join – associations, study groups, podcasts, etc.

• New evidence-based practice, new research within OT that an OT student could apply within their fieldwork setting

• Book suggestions outside of textbooks – novels, memoirs, etc. that could help a student see from an individual’s perspective within a specific clinical diagnosis/condition

If you have any questions or you would like your post to be featured on the MCCN and to our MiOTA members, please email Cydne Johnson at cydne.c.johnson@wmich.edu.

As of 6/30/2023 MIOTAs finances are doing well. We started off the year in the black and currently our accounts are as follows:

Account balances:

Checking: $45,089.86,

Money market: $51,531.94

CD: $19,067.06

As the finance director, I am looking to mentor someone for the finance director position. If you have an interest in administrative work, are good at keeping track of finances and are looking for an opportunity to become involved in MIOTA, please contact me at Finance@MIOTA.org. I'd love to talk to you about this great opportunity!

We look forward to the Annual Conference on Mackinac Island and have secured reservation with securing the Boyne Mountain Resort for the 2024 Annual Conference. Hope to see everyone at the Grand Hotel October 5th - 7th!

Cindy Klinger, BA, COTAL, FMiOTA, MIOTA Finance Director

On behalf of the membership committee, THANK YOU so much for

your membership and support. We have continued to grow our numbers this year and that would not

be possible without each of you!

We are continuing to focus on reaching out and providing education around the state about the benefits

of being a MiOTA member. Please invite us to attend an event or even a lunch meeting (virtually or in

person.) We are always available to answer questions that anyone has about membership so please

don’t hesitate to reach out.

The membership committee is also planning quarterly Membership Drive- PDU Events during the year.

Please keep an eye out for an invitation and additional details via Email and the MiOTA Website. These

events will be for both Members and Non-Member so please think of a few friends or colleagues that

are not MiOTA members you can invite to join the event. We are also offering a special 25% discount for any Non-member that joins MiOTA within 24 hours of all events/webinars throughout the year.

Our next event is a Virtual Social Event with the Topic: OT Licensure Compact (Reschedule from April

due to technical problems). We are working on a date for this event and an invitation will be sent out as

soon as possible.

We also want to HEAR FROM YOU about exciting NEWS, Promotions, Anything OT related that is

happening with YOU, Colleagues, friends or in your clinic.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Summer! Thank you so much for your support!!

Sonny Grendel

MiOTA Membership Co-Director

membership@miota.org

Bylaws Committee Report

The Bylaws of MiOTA are the rules and regulations that guide the association. The MiOTA Bylaws have not been updated since 2008, therefore a committee has been appointed by the Executive Board to review and recommend changes to reflect current practice. This is a time-consuming process that requires tedious analysis of each section, cross referencing to the current Public Acts/ legislative updates, and consulting with an attorney. The committee began this process in March 2023 and projected date of completion is October 2024 comprised of OT and OTA’s and individuals practicing in different settings and ages. The process of the Bylaws Committee will include reviewing and proposing updates to the document, summarizing progress in the quarterly MiOTA newsletters, presenting the proposed language changes to the MiOTA members September 2024, and finally voting on the proposed changes at the Fall 2024 conference. Please review the Bylaws and share your comments and recommendations by December 2023 to advocacy@miota.org.

To access the Bylaws: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SFvOuD1vBcygq0V7umT77cB9NjnbMvgUy3COuqrk2wY/edit?usp=sharing

Denise Hoffman, OTRL

Caitlyn Cornish, OTS

AOTA Statement on Promoting Fair Payment with Commercial Payers

MiOTA attended a virtual webinar hosted by AOTA to learn what WE as occupational therapists can do to promote fair payment for services. AOTA provided simple steps to follow: 1) be familiar with the CPT codes that payers have state policies for, 2) understand payers policy and the impact on billing, 3) appeal claims that are denied and 4) if a code isn't covered by a commercial payer policy, advocate to have the code included (Sandhu et al.). Most importantly, reach out to MiOTA if you or your company need assistance in managing issues with reimbursement.

Sandhu, S., Lenhardt, J., & Karr, K. (n.d.). How State Association Leaders Can Help Aota Promote Fair Payment with Commercial Payers. Lecture, November 15, 2022; November 15, 2022.

Paige Natke, OTD, OTRL

Paige is the newest member of MiOTA's executive board committee and will assume the position of Member at Large in January 2023. Her involvement with MiOTA began by serving on the Advocacy Committee for over a year now. Paige brings a youthful voice to MiOTA as a recent graduate from the University of Michigan - Flint Doctorate program. Following graduation she began her professional career at a pediatric outpatient clinic in Bay City. In her free time, Paige enjoys exploring nature, Lighthouses and reading. MiOTA welcomes Paige!

New Certificate Portal!

MiOTA is now using Simple Cert to provide you with a portal where you can access your certificates for attending PD events. If you attend a MiOTA sponsored event or meeting that provides PD credits, after the meeting you will receive your certificate via email from Simple Cert. Yo uwill also receive login information so that you can go back and access any/all of the PD certificates you have received since we began the service.

Member newsletters will go out 4 times this year: January - April - July - October. These newsletters are full of information about upcoming events and important information related to occupational therapy practice, certification, and licensure.

Holly Grieves

Communication co-director

website@miota.org

Robin Pegg

Communication co-director

administration@miota.org

As the University of Michigan-Flint continues to grow their Occupational Therapy Doctorate

program and prepare more students to enter the profession, they are excited to announce an

innovative new pathway program that will allow students to save one year of time and tuition on

the way to the doctorate degree.

Applications are now being accepted for UM-Flint’s new Occupational Therapy Accelerated

Pathway program for fall 2023. This innovative 3+3 program will give high school graduates

interested in occupational therapy the chance to complete both a Bachelor of Science in Health

Sciences and a doctorate in six years instead of seven. This pathway is 31 fewer credits than

the traditional route, saving students a minimum of $13,000.

Students will take classes required for the bachelor's degree, including general education

courses, occupational therapy prerequisites and health sciences courses, during their first three

years, and then apply to potentially enter the OTD program in their fourth year. If they are

accepted, the first two semesters would also work as the final semesters of the bachelor's

degree.

UM-Flint’s Doctorate of Occupational Therapy was the first fully-accredited OTD program in the

state and graduated its first class in 2022. The new 3+3 program is another way they hope to

increase the number of doctorally-trained occupational therapists providing quality care and

growing the profession through leadership, research and teaching. You can learn more about

the Occupational Therapy Accelerated Pathway at umflint.edu/chs.

There are many opportunities to advertise through MiOTA. Go to our website and in the dropdown box titled “About Us” find the Advertise with Us dropdown. Advertise your jobs, company, research study, or event through MiOTA.