AOTA Immediate Past President's Blog

Officers work on Healthcare Reform Issues

Hi all,

I am thinking alot about how to impact what is going on in Congress in regards to the healthcare debate. We had our monthly AOTA officers call last night to discuss how to get more grass roots involvement to make sure occupational therapy and its consumers are appropriately positioned so that access to our services continues or improves. I also have been having conversations with Amy Lamb, chair of our AOTPAC Board. We must realize that expanding coverage to the uinsured involves trying to find ways to pay for this additional expense. Therefore Congress and the President are looking to Medicare and Medicaid to see where cost savings can occur. Therefore our efforts are really involving making sure our coverage remains or improves under Medicare and Medicaid and that any proposal for covering the uninsured includes appropriate benefits for occupational therapy in the areas of physical and mental health, as well as health promotion and chronic disease management. So, what can we do right now given that the debate is just starting and there are still many proposals on the table?

I think first we need to be informed. The legislative action center located through the AOTA website is a place to start. There are linkages to the major proposals. Although lengthy, you can still get the flavor of what is being discussed by skimming the Bills. Second, be aware that we are trying to improve coverage of occupational therapy under the Home Health Flexibility Act. We are looking for sponsors for the bill now in the House. Why is this Bill important for all occupational therapy practitioners whether they work in home health or not? Well, if you are not aware, occupational therapy is not a qualifying service for Medicare Home Health. We can be brought into a home health case after an evaluation has been conducted by the nurse, physical therapy, or speech and language pathology. The Home Health bill would allow us to start the case with a referral from a physician to do so. This is an important step to establish occupational therapy as an important service in home health. This is important as more and more of healthcare moves out of the hospital into the home for all age groups.

So how do you get involved? Members of Congress are home for the Holiday and many are having Town Hall meetings on healthcare reform. I am going to one put on by my representative, Artur Davis on July 6th. Even if they don't have meetings, contact the local office for your representative and see if you can speak to your member of Congress or at least the staff. Before you do that, you can read up on the Home Health bill to make sure you are well informed. Invite a group of occupational therapy practitioners to go with you if you can arrange a personal visit. The staff at AOTA will be glad to talk to you prior to your contact and will want to hear about your efforts afterward.

Get involved! It is your chance to impact the future of occupational therapy.

Penny Moyers Cleveland

President AOTA

Traveling, Traveling! and Preparing for Transition

Hi all,

When asked about the best thing associated with being AOTA President, I have to say the opportunity to travel all over the country and to meet many people. When asked about the most difficult aspect of being AOTA President, I would have to say the traveling. It is both great and difficult at the same time. However, the fun parts of traveling outweigh the hassles. Thank Goodness for my I-Pod where if in the airport for hours because of cancellations and delays, I can just listen to music or educational downloads.

This week I went from one coast to another. I was in Los Angeles at USC to visit the students, faculty, and practitioners. It was a great experience to delve briefly into the outstanding research that is going on, as well as to meet the future of occupational therapy as it was orientation time for the new students. I met with practitioners who are implementing lifestyle redesign into wellness programs for college students, persons with multiple sclerosis and diabetes, and with persons who are addressing issues of their own obesity. With healthcare reform being discussed in Congress, it is clear we need to better carve out a role for occupational therapy in the areas of prevention and primary care. Some great models are being created to lead the way for this effort. It would be great to hear from everyone how they are designing and implementing evidence-based wellness programs for various populations!

Then, I flew to Bethesda, to conduct the AOTA Borad of Directors Budget meeting. All you AOTA members will be happy to know the Board attended by phone in order to save costs associated with flying, hotel and per diem. Watch for the budget information on the AOTA web site. As the leader of this important meeting, I thought I should be there with the staff as well as have discussions with them in person about continued implementation of the Centennial Vision Priorities related to advocacy, science capacity and evidence development, and leadership. The new Board members, our incoming Vice-President, Dr. Virginia Stoffell, and Directors Dr. Thom Fisher and Coralie Glanz, have completed a series of orientation sessions over the phone and through "go to meeting" over the past several months, and attended via technology this Budget meeting as their final preparation for taking their positions as of July 1, 2009. Sue Young and Dr. Janice Burke have completed their work as Directors and I thank both of them for their hard work during their terms. Dr. Burke is assuming a new role as chairperson of the OT Program Director Council, so I will look forward to working with her in this new capacity. I am beginning to work closely with Dr. Florence Clark as President-Elect, so that we will experience another smooth transition from one AOTA President to another. My visit to where she works at USC was extremely helpful in orchestrating the begining of the transition process.

I am back home now wanting to spend quality time with my family for a few days before I begin focusing again on issues of healthcare reform. So much is going on!

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President

From Graduation back to the Beginning and Glad to be There!

Hi all,

Last month I described my experience at the Columbia University Graduation. This month I am at the University of Southern California welcoming their new occupational therapy students into the master's degree program. What a privilege I have as AOTA President to give best wishes to graduates and then turn around and welcome brand new eager students into our wonderful profession. I took the opportunity to challenge them to think beyond the goal of graduating. That goal, although one they will no doubt work long and hard to accomplish, is really a stepping stone on the way to changing themselves, impacting the profession, and bringing about change in society. A strong personal vision takes you places in a way that if you don't have a personal vision you will not be able to go. The students began to share their dreams, and like I did in Ohio at the Hite Symposium, I applied my strategy of maginification X10 and X20. I have learned that sometimes our dreams could be bigger if we tap into how others might see your dream. If I said, I want to work with persons with mental illness and run a club house, others might say: Yes, I can see you doing that, but also I can see you developing an evidence-based and consumer-driven self-management training that attracts grant funding and replication in states all over the country because of its effectiveness. That's an example of X10 magnification! Then someone else jumps in and says, I can see you called upon by state and federal policy analyists for your expertise in community mental health and that you would be appointed to a Presidential Commission examining the state of mental health in the country. That's a X 20 magnification, and so on. Why think big? When you think big, you suddenly become aware of the opportunities that occur around you. When aware of opportunities you can examine them and choose those in which you become involved. There is always a temptation to become so focused on the immediate that you become blind to what is going on around you. Vision and its magnification is how our profession not only continues to grow, but grows exponentially; oherwise, how will we achieve our profession's vision?

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President