• Letter from the Leader of the Executive Committee
  
• Executive Committee Positions Open
• Advocacy Committee Updates
• Lansing Lobby Week
• Licensure Compact Project
• Membership Updates
• Finance Updates
• Michigan State Board of Occupational Therapy
• Annual Conference Updates
  
• NEW THIS YEAR - April 1 day Virtual Conference
• Call for Speakers for Fall Conference
• Exhibitor Information
• Member Happenings
• News & Updates
• Retirement
• In Memorium
• SIS Updates
• Oncology SIS Update
• Useful Information
• Michigan Cancer Consortium Updates
• WPS Articles
• The Student Corner
• Upcoming Events
• Job Openings

Happy New Year!

If you are receiving this newsletter you are a valued member of the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association – Thank you for your membership and professional engagement.

As an organization, we have been working on supporting the field through educational webinars, engaging newsletters, and keeping an eye on professional growth opportunities or areas to advocate.

In 2021, we had one of our most successful conferences; a hybrid of in person and virtual that not only exceeded expectations of attendance but met a wide variety of topics relevant to today’s OT world.

Looking into 2022, we are continuing to promote for compact act recognition to support access to occupational therapy services and alleviate cumbersome holding of multiple licenses when applicable. We have an OT month virtual conference in April that will satisfy several topical re-licensure requirements including implicit bias, pain, and human-trafficking. Additionally, we continue to determine practice needs in a public health emergency and need for and continued support for telehealth service delivery.

We continue to have a strong number of student members, with great support from occupational therapy educational programs encouraging members – thank you educators! Given our strong student membership we are working toward student engagement with student specific webinars like NBCOT exam preparation and resume writing for example.

We have a great number of volunteers within our association; an assembly of members who work tirelessly offering their time and talents to support the profession of OT specifically in the state of Michigan. Thank you volunteers of MiOTA.

To everyone, this is your organization.

• Promote MiOTA with coworkers, students, peers

• Consider being a speaker for a monthly educational event

• Offer whatever time you have available to on a committee for conference, advocacy, membership and communications.

Thank you for your membership,

Cathleen Johnson, OTD, OTRL, FMiOTA

Leader of the Executive Committee of MiOTA

Click here for nomination form

Please consider serving on MIOTA's executive committee!

Submission deadline 2/11/22

Member volunteer positions open:

Finance Director: The Financial Director shall be responsible for the preparation of the budget and the presentation to the Executive Committee for approval. The Financial Director shall act in an advisory capacity to the Agent of the Corporation. The Financial Director shall be bonded, at the expense of the Corporation, if the Financial Director is actually collecting and disbursing funds. If the Financial Director is not actually collecting and dispersing monies, then the Agent of the Corporation responsible for collecting and dispersing monies must be bonded at its own expense. The Financial Director shall have the Corporation accounts reviewed annually by a qualified accountant. The Financial Director shall report at the annual meeting and submit to the Executive Committee, at intervals determined by the Executive Committee, a written statement of the financial affairs of the Corporation. The Financial Director shall be responsible for appointing, with the approval of the Executive Committee, and overseeing the Coordinator for Continuing Education and its respective committee.

Communications Director: The Communication Director shall be responsible for appointing, with the approval of the Executive Committee, and overseeing the Coordinators of the Newsletter, Website and Networking/Practice and their respective committees.

Term length: two years

MIOTA Bylaws

Virtual Lansing Lobby Day 2022 is February 24th!

Individual meetings with your representative will occur between February 21 – March 3rd. This event is open to all members and nonmembers of MIOTA to share, connect, and advocate within the profession and for the profession. There is a variety of options to participate even if you cannot attend virtually. Sessions will be live virtually and recorded so if you cannot attend you can listen and watch the recordings which will be posted on the MIOTA website. Pre-register for the event by February 14th and choose what events you are attending, then you will receive confirmation, log in link, infographic of talking points, and a preparation video for your pre-registered activities. Lansing Lobby Day 2022 will focus on advocating for: increasing awareness of OT, interstate compact, and telehealth. We are not proposing any legislative changes this year, however in the upcoming years we will, therefore this year is important to share information and educate our representatives in preparation for future bill submissions.

Schedule:

February 24th – VIRTUAL LIVE EVENT ACTIVITIE

9:00-10:00 am: Welcome to Lansing Lobby Day: Advocating During a Pandemic, by Bret Marr, MIOTA Lobbyist and the MIOTA Advocacy Committee

10:00-10:30 am: Attend a live senate meeting

10:30-12:00 Break

12:00 – 1:00 pm: Small Break Out Sessions – an opportunity to meet with fellow OT’s and OT students to discuss professional issues and ways to advocate:

WPS: Medicare billing and documentation – new training opportunities

New Pediatric Feeding Dx: Discuss the impact and role for pediatric OT’s

Telehealth: Discuss training and current legislative activity

Interstate Compact: Discuss the importance and impact for Michigan

Auto No Fault: Discuss the new changes and the impact on OT

Friends of OT, MI PAC: Understand the role of PAC and how to contribute

The week of February 21st – March 3rd, individual virtual meetings with legislators will occur. If you registered to meet with a representative, you will receive a log in code. The meetings are only 20 minutes; hence it is important to discuss the three advocacy action items MIOTA and our Lobbyist has identified so all representatives are hearing the same message (what is OT, compact, telehealth). All meetings will have at least 2 OT’s/OTA’s/OT students, and you will have an infographic with the taking points. After the meeting, designate one person to send a follow up thank you email to the representative with the infographic of talking points.

Follow up survey: Everyone who registers for Lansing Lobby Day will receive a confirmation email with log in codes, talking points, preparation video, and link to complete a follow up survey. Please take 5 minutes to share your experience and comments from legislators.

Advocating all year long!

Advocating for occupational therapy occurs every day in your practice, university, and community. MiOTA encourages you to engage in advocacy action all year round. Here are a few ideas to advocate for the profession and we encourage you to share your ideas, events, engagement with MiOTA to highlight on the website and our social media sites for others to see, hear, and do.

Year-Round Advocacy Ideas:

• State/ Local Level: Invite a legislator from your district to your university or place of employment and discuss the role of OT

• Local Professional Recruitment: Attend high school career day and introduce the profession of OT to high school students

• Develop Prevention/ Wellness Programs: create and offer community programming

• Write to Legislators: MiOTA and AOTA will provide the template for letters

• Invite nonmember to join MiOTA

• Support the Friends of OT MI PAC

Volunteer: The MiOTA Advocacy Committee is always accepting volunteers to discuss issues, collect data, and disseminate information. A specific need for an expert or individual(s) interested in Telehealth is needed to be a liaison between AOTA and Michigan. Anyone interested in volunteering for this position, please email advocacy@miota.org.

2022 Legislative and Election Overview

The year 2022 is a major election year for our state. Governor Whitmer is up for re-election as is Secretary of State Benson and Attorney General Nessel. The State Senate, State House and our Congressional delegations are all running in new district maps after the 2020 census was completed last year. Michigan is losing one seat in Congress so we’re down to 13 seats from a high of 16 several decades ago.

The reason why I highlight this year is because election years are difficult years for associations to manage from a legislation standpoint. It’s hard to move bills as members of the House and Senate jockey for seats for the following cycle or adjust to new legislative districts. MIOTA works closely with Friends of OT, a political action committee (PAC) that helps support legislators assisting the practice of OT in our great state. Please consider supporting Friends of OT at the fall conference or lobby day!

AOTA–NBCOT® Joint Initiative: Developing the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact | The American Journal of Occupational Therapy | American Occupational Therapy Association

Despite uniformity in occupational therapy licensure laws across the states, the ability to obtain and maintain licenses in multiple jurisdictions remains complicated and time consuming. This article explains the need for a licensure compact in the occupational therapy profession and describes the joint American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and National Board for Certification in ...

research.aota.org

LINK TO ARTICLE

The Medicare OTA payment differential went into effect on January 1, 2022 and many occupational therapy practitioners still have questions regarding what the policy means for OTAs. If your members need more information on this policy and how to apply the modifier, we are available to present to your association via webinar or conference.

Additionally, AOTA has resources that are immediately available. Please feel free to share this recording of the Special OTA Confab: Legislative and Regulatory Changes with your membership. The recording provides both the legislative background of the policy and a detailed discussion of when the modifier should be applied. An article and video can also be found on the AOTA website on how to apply the modifier and an easy to read handout is attached for distribution.

MIOTA ended 2021 well and in the black! We are looking forward to another great year with upcoming conferences, online store and more.

December 31, 2021

Actual Income: $104,461.95

Actual Expenses: $96,335.09

Account balances as of 12/31/21:

Checking: $42,352.80

Money market: $14,512.99

CD for Scholarship: $23,064.37

Cindy Klinger, Finance Director, MIOTA

Membership remains consistent; see chart for statistics

Greetings and Happy New Year! I hope you and your family ushered in 2022 in good health, peace, and with optimism that only the holiday season can bring.

The past year (2021) brought many ups and downs that we have come to expect since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, our colleagues in schools, hospitals, the community, and specialty practice settings learned how to creatively adapt practice, maintain connection with clients, and continually and valiantly support those who need our services most. As a profession, we’ve weathered the uncertainty of access, reimbursement, and inconsistent schedules to ensure the clients we have, retain choice, independence, and engagement in meaningful occupations through it all.

While I am in awe of what we have accomplished in the last year as Michigan based OTs and COTAs, there is still work to be done to protect our professional scope of practice. As the MiOTA Liaison to the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists, I bridge the communication gap, sharing practice concerns of the membership and regulatory considerations of the licensing board. In this role, I encourage a collaborative working relationship between the groups and advocate for the alignment of MiOTA priorities with the strategic plans of the regulatory board. Since the Michigan OT Board meets four times per year, I will provide quarterly updates on regulatory changes, provide feedback on questions posed to the Board on behalf of MiOTA, and share other relevant information.

As we reflect on the existing and emerging opportunities and threats to our profession, it is important that we hear from you, MiOTA members! Email us about practice challenges, questions, or concerns related to patient access to care, continuing education, and/or regulatory rules. Your participation will help ensure Michigan OTs continue to be recognized as leaders providing high quality, skillfully competent evidence based services of value, meaning, and functional performance.

The next meeting of the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists is Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 10:00 AM. Feel free to send any questions you have for the OT Board to MiOTA (administration@miota.org).

Stay safe, be well, & best wishes for a great month ahead!

Sincerely,

Bethany Burge, OTRL

MiOTA Board Representative

Don L. Frega, of Royal Oak, is a licensed occupational therapist and the manager of rehabilitation services for Henry Ford Health System. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Rush University. Mr. Frega is appointed to represent occupational therapists for a term commencing January 1, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2025. He succeeds Lynn Kaiser whose term expires December 31, 2021.

Camron Moorehead, of Saline, is a licensed occupational therapist with Briarwood Pediatric Rehabilitation at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University and Master of Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University. Mr. Moorehead is appointed to represent occupational therapists for a term commencing January 1, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2025. He succeeds Janet Santos whose term expires December 31, 2021.

Matthew S. Swan, of Eaton Rapids, is a licensed occupational therapist with Ingham County Medical Care Facility. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Wayne State University. Mr. Swan is reappointed to represent occupational therapists for a term commencing January 1, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2025.

The Michigan Board of Occupation Therapists works with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to promulgate rules for licensing occupational therapists and ascertaining minimal entry level competency of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. The Public Health Code mandates certain responsibilities and duties for a health professional licensing board. Underlying all duties is the responsibility of the Board to promote and protect the public's health, safety, and welfare.

These appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

The conference planning committee is excited to announce that the annual fall conference will occur October 6-8, 2022; at the Sheraton Hotel in Grand Rapids (5700 28th Street SE).

MiOTA is looking for presenters for the fall conference; the call for papers will close on April 15, 2022.

MiOTA is also looking for exhibitors. Let us know of companies that you would us to invite to exhibit at our conference. Companies can also find information regarding being an exhibitor by visiting the MiOTA website.

Super exciting news: MiOTA will also be offering a virtual conference on April 23, 2022. The sessions will be relevant to licensure renewal – implicit bias, human trafficking, pain, mandatory reporting, documentation, and how to deal with difficult patients. Further details coming soon!

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

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

Virtual Conference Agenda

April 23, 2022

Schedule for the day

8-9 Difficult patients

9:30-10:30 Implicit Bias in Health Care

11-12 Documentation

1-2 Pain Management

2:30-3:30 Mandatory reporting

4-5 Human Trafficking

Member Cost:

$60 for early registration (now till March 31)

$75 for late registration (April 1-22)

Non-Member Cost:

$100 for early registration (now till March 31)

$115 for late registration (April 1-22)

Dear Speakers,

MiOTA is excited about your interest in presenting at our annual conference. We will again be asking for online registration. We will also be using the SCHED conference app again this year. To help potential presenters prepare their application the following information will be needed:

1. Title of Presentation
2. Lead presenter’s full name, credentials, email address, home address, phone number, bio (150 words), photo
3. Co-presenters full name, credentials, email address, home address, phone number, bio (150 words), photo
4. Session abstract (A brief description of your evidence-based presentation written to entice attendance to your session. The description should be 150 words or less and include how the presentation is relevant to OT)
5. Poster abstract (A brief 150-word description should include background/significance, methods/materials, analysis, results, conclusion, limitations, and implications to practice)
6. 1-3 course objectives
7. 3-5 references
8. 1-3 session quiz questions written in true or false or multiple-choice format. Plan to submit all choice options and answers.
9. Length of your session (1, 2, or 3 hours)
10. Preference for which day of week
11. Preference for time of day for presentation
12. Level of presentation content (entry, intermediate, advanced, OT student)
13. Category of presentation (Education, Students, Pediatric/Sensory Integration, Technology, General topics, Licensure topics: Pain, Human Trafficking, Diversity, Gerontology, Home Health, Skilled Nursing, Adult Rehabilitation, Hand Therapy, Mental Health)

Please note each presenter is REQUIRED to upload their presentation in PDF format into the SCHED conference app by September 15, 2022. Be sure your content has appropriate release of information / copy right permissions. The presentation will be placed on the website for up to 3 months after conference concludes. Your “handout” will be available online for participants to print themselves prior to conference.

Please click here when you are a ready to submit your Call for Speakers proposal.

Deadline for submission is April 15th, 2022.

Miscellaneous information for potential presenters includes:

1. All presenters MUST register for conference, at minimum, for the day of their presentation.
2. Presenters shall bring their own computer, slide advancers, etc.
3. POSTERS
   • In person poster sessions will be a one-hour session
   • Poster dimensions should be 3’X5’ they will be displayed on easels with foam board support that has a dimension of 3’X5’
4. We are looking for presentations on: Documentation, Reimbursement, Mental Health, Policy Changes, Productive Aging, Aging in Place, Ethics, Pain, Telehealth, Technology, Pediatrics, Assistive Technology, Augmentative Communication, Cancer Rehab, COVID, and Implicit Bias.

EXHIBITORS!!!

NEW OPPORTUNITY – BE AN EXHIBITOR AT OUR VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

GREAT DISCOUNT ON VIRTUAL RATES IF YOU ALSO REGISTER FOR THE FALL CONFERENCE

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

APRIL 23, 2022

8am – 5pm

Each 30-minute slot - $150

50% discount if you register to be a fall conference exhibitor/sponsor

Includes: Logo on conference app

Logo on the website

_____________________________________________________________________________________

MiOTA ANNUAL FALL CONFERENCE - LIVE

OCTOBER 6-8, 2022

Location:

Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel

5700 28th Street SE

616-957-1770

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RATES FOR

FALL IN-PERSON CONFERENCE

If you have had a recent promotion or accomplishment please let the MIOTA office know so we can celebrate 🎉 you!

• Nancy Hock, Ph.D., OTRL, CHT promoted to Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy at Western Michigan University
• Holly Grieves, OTD, OTRL promoted to Grand Rapids Coordinator, Department of Occupational Therapy at Western Michigan University
• Cathleen Johnson, OTD, OTRL, FMiOTA as been recognized as a Fellow with the National Academies of Practice.
• Cindy Klinger, COTAL has been promoted to Rehab Manager at Allendale Nursing & Rehab through Broad River Rehab

Nancy Vandewiele Milligan, Ph.D., OTRL, FAOTA will be joining the ranks of the retired, on February 1, 2022. Dr. Milligan came to the University of Michigan-Flint in 2017 to become the Founding Director of the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program and Department. She utilized her extensive experience and network in occupational therapy higher education to design a unique curriculum for our OTD program which is the first doctoral program in occupational therapy in the state of Michigan. Dr. Milligan capably recruited faculty, established relations with many clinical sites that subsequently resulted in fieldwork and capstone contracts, and worked collaboratively with our architects to design state-of-the-art teaching spaces. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Nancy Milligan on moving to the next stage of life!

Ruth Miller Lamphiear

Ruth was a longstanding and proud member of the Michigan Occupational Therapy

community.

She received her Occupational Therapy education in Canada. Her career started as an

intern in the UK in England and Scotland. Her clients included injured miners, so going

into the mines was necessary to best evaluate workers’ functional limitations within the

tight spaces. After moving to the US she took a position at Warm Springs in Georgia,

around 1955, beginning her decades of involvement with clients diagnosed with polio

and then later post-polio syndrome up until her retirement. Ruth worked for many years

at the University of Michigan in the Occupational Therapy Department treating a wide

range of disabilities and conditions. She specialized in patients with spinal cord injuries

and post-polio syndrome. Her innovative abilities were especially evident in her skilled

application of the balanced forearm orthoses (BFOs) used with these patient

populations. Ruth also returned to using the skills she acquired as an intern,

specializing in the Return to Work Program.

In addition to her clinical practice, Ruth assisted in the design for CORH (Center for

Occupational Rehabilitation and Health), and The Return to Work Program at UM

Health System. Ruth was active in the Ann Arbor OT Chapter, holding several different

positions and was an active member of the MiOTA Bylaws committee.

Ruth was a true advocate for Occupational Therapy and for the patients and families

with whom she worked. She was an enthusiastic mentor to students, new therapists as

well as to experienced therapists. Ruth was devoted to her family and was a caring

friend to many throughout the community. She will be missed.

Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 7 PM (email registration information to be sent 2 weeks prior to the meeting)

• Agenda
• 30-40 minute presentation by Claire Dolislager on head and neck cancer
• Group discussion on what’s going on in cancer rehabilitation
• Updates on MCC
• Determine next meeting agenda/topics/journal club articles

On Wednesday. September 22, 2021, the Michigan Cancer Consortium (MCC) held its

Fall meeting. The agenda included a presentation by Dr. Robin T. Zon, MD titled “Telehealth in Oncology: ASCO Standards and Practice”, as well as a Strategic Planning Update for the MCC. Dr. Zon’s presentation (available at https://asco.org/standards) outlined the American

Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) standards and practice recommendations specific to

telehealth in oncology. These recommendations were compiled following a systematic review of literature specific to telehealth in oncology and in combination with opinions of the ASCO

Telehealth Expert Panel, with the additional consideration of solicited public comment. The

standards and guidance address: (1) Patient Selection and Implementation of Telehealth in

Oncology; (2) Establishment of the Doctor-Patient Relationship; (3) Advanced Practice

Providers; (4) Allied Health Professionals; (5) Virtual Multidisciplinary Cancer Conferences; and (6) Tele-trials and/or Virtual Participation in Oncology Clinical Trials. Patient Selection and Implementation of Telehealth indicates that “where appropriate infrastructure and personnel are available, telehealth via telephone or videoconferencing, delivered by certified health professionals participating in routine maintenance of certification activities is appropriate in many circumstances, but that an “assessment of patients’ technological capacity to engage in telehealth interventions [...] should be conducted, and support may be provided for patients who report technology limitations.” ASCO also recommends that “where possible, patients may be given the option of in-person or telehealth visits, according to personal preference. The followingare the detailed recommendations for Al lied Professionals, including Occupational Therapists:

The MCC strategic planning update was presented by Leslie Given and Karin Hohman.

The strategic health concepts shared included (1) identifying ways to ensure MCC remains a credible and successful organization; (2) establishing planning groups for processes and

timelines; (3) strategic planning sessions to streamline meetings; (4) examining and simplifying processes and administration; (5) transitioning the MCC website to the MDHHS (6) focus on systems and policy changes with MCC priority workgroups; and (7) opportunities for MCC members to propose and assume leadership roles. Changes to meeting frequency and format, website transition, and a shift to priority workgroups model have already been implemented.

Marion Roehrig, OTR/L <mroehrig.ot@gmail.com>

WPS Articles

Hi MiOTA members! We recently received an email from Spencer Morris, a student at Saginaw Valley State University, regarding a conference that the SVSU Student Occupational Therapy Association is going to hold in April! Please refer to the information below.

The Saginaw Valley State University Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) Conference is an annual, educational event that promotes the field of occupational therapy. Continuing education credits are available for clinicians and nonclinical attendees will receive a certificate of attendance. Beyond that, the conference offers many opportunities for professional growth in the field of occupational therapy by advocating for our profession, networking with experienced professionals, and learning new knowledge on upcoming research. Attendees will be able to attend a keynote presentation, breakout sessions, and student projects. At this time, only SVSU students will be able to present their projects, but we encourage all OT students within Michigan to attend!

This year the conference will be held virtually on:
April 15th, 2022, from 8:30am-4:30pm
The virtual platform SCHED will be used with a link sent out for attendance.

There are both full-day and half-day attendance options.

Potential topics include:

• Managing Pain on the Farm: A simplified pain tool to help farmers maintain productivity and decrease risk of injury
• Building Rapport, ABA/OT, building an OT dept.
• OT and Assistive Technology Entrepreneurship: Utilizing OT Creativity
• Human Trafficking
• Lymphedema versus Edema
• brachial plexus
• An overview of the basics for evaluation and assessment for newborns to 1 year old babies. This would include standardized assessments, general assessments, and milestones.
• Best Practice in the Schools
• Parkinson's and OT
• CommunOT, OT Fellowship programs
• EBP OT practice with students with Autism
• NBCOT Exam

The keynote speaker for this year is Katie Butzu who will be presenting on Occupational Therapy and the Maker Movement.

To RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/2022SOTARSVP

Conference Presenter Inquiry: https://tinyurl.com/SOTAinitialspeakerform

For questions, please contact Spencer Morris (sgmorris@svsu.edu) and/or Benajmin Poirier (bjpoirie@svsu.edu).

Assistant or Associate Professor – Tenure Track Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) Vera Z. Dwyer College of Health Sciences - School of Rehabilitation Sciences – Master of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy invites applications for a 10-month tenure-track faculty position. The position will begin on August 1, 2022.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION