AOTA Immediate Past President's Blog

What do you get when you mix energy, passion, and advocacy? The Student Conclave!

Wow! I have to add my report about the student conclave held in Baltimore this past weekend. I was so proud to be there just to soak up the energy of our OT and OTA students. Actually it was an ending to a great week. Before I left for the Conclave, we had a very special visitor to UAB to talk to our Student OT Association. Gail Fisher, Region Director for AOTPAC came to talk to us about healthcare reform and advocacy. She did a great job in helping the UAB students learn about how federal policy affects occupational therapy. Then I went to the airport to go to Baltimore. Four of the UAB students had already left for the Conclave. Per my usual travel experience, the computers of the FAA had been down most of the day so many planes were delayed. I sat for about two hours in the Birmingham airport waiting. Actually, I benefitted from the extra moment to put on the headphones and listen to great music while I caught up on e-mail. My e-mail is a constant stream of requests for some kind of action, even if it is to delete. Finally we left about 7:45 pm and I arrived to the hotel after 11:00 pm. Luckily my key-note address was ready as for once I had not procrastinated to wait until the last moment to make final changes and tweaks. I went to bed promptly, but I laid awake thinking about the next day.

The day started early with a capital briefing prior to the over 100 students loading on buses to travel to Capitol Hill. I planned on visiting the AL Senators and one representative, Artur Davis. The four UAB students had made these appointments. We split up as the Senatorial appointments were at the same time. We had great visits, with two of the students spending extra time with Senator Session's staff because it went so well. I went on ahead with the two other students who went to Senator Shelby's office with me. I am a slow walker and we did not have much time to trek across the Capitol to the Congressional offices. Evidence of the slow walking was when the two students who were delayed easily caught up with us. All five of us crammed into Congressman Artur Davis' office to talk to a staff member. The students explained occupational therapy to the staffer and did a nice job too. We really pushed the workforce issues during this visit. Then the five of us had lunch together in Union Station prior to getting on the buses to go back to Baltimore.

I was so tired when we got back. I needed to change my clothes prior to delivering the Keynote at 4:15. Unfortunately I made several trips up to my room and back to the desk as my door keys were not working. And, no, I did not have the keys in my purse next to my cell phone! On the third try, I finally got smart and asked for a Bellman to accompany me up to try the third set. They didn't work either so the battery in the keylock was apparently dead. He got engineering up to fix the door. Meantime, it was getting close to time to start my talk! Finally I get in the room and had a typical crisis over what to wear. I decided I needed to jazz up my outfit so I went to the hotel store and bought an orange shawl and a neat looking pin. I don't know if that helped my keynote, but I believe when you think you look good, you definately feel better. When I arrived at the ballroom, the staff looked relieved to see me. I think they were getting ready to send security to find out what could have happened to me. Anyway, the students all liked the speech and felt motivated to become involved in AOTA advocacy. So, proof that the orange scarf was what I needed to find my energy reserves.

Speaking of energy again, the main day of the Conclave was all that and more! I spent the entire day meeting students, getting pictures taken with them, and learning about their dreams and aspirations. These were very interesting discussions, which then provided a better context for the leadership panel in which I participated. (By the way, I wore the neat pin all day!) I then went to the AOTPAC, So You Can Dance contest. I was a judge. You know what happens when you spend the night judging? Well, the students expected me to dance. There are probably pictures of me on Face Book somewhere dancing the night away. Students can motivate you to participate! They have been taught well about activity engagement.

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President

The Chef's Table in Michigan

Well, I am back from another trip, this time to the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association's fall conference. Attendance was great and there were many vendors. It was nice to see Fred Sammons exhibiting again, only now he was showing his Ambucs Trykes, special tricycles adapted for children with various diagnoses, like spina bifada or cerebral palsy. What a great charity to make sure children with disabilities have access to these specially designed bikes.

When I arrived at the Conference this past Saturday, I was in for a special treat. The Conference Committee reserved the chef's table at a great Italian restaurant where the chef prepared a variety of courses from various regions of Italy. He cooked several of the dishes in front of us, explaining the ingredients and the best method of preparation. Watching him use his special equipment and kitchen appliances made me aware of how the right tools are so important. Technique is essential as well as I watched him deftly and quickly slice the poached apples for the dessert tart he created. I couldn't help but go into occupational therapy activity analysis mode to assess the occupational performance resulting from the chef's capacity, skills, the task demands, and the environment. The food was fabulous!

I gave the keynote the next morning, on Sunday. I had a little trouble sleeping the night before due to eating so late and eating such a rich menu. Gastric distress aside, I was able to focus the next morning and relate the important progress AOTA is making in terms of advocating for client access to occupational therapy as a part of healthcare reform. This time I did not have to rush off after my presentation like I did after the MD conference and could hang out with the students from Western Michigan University. They were ambassadors to the conference in that they were assisting the conference committee. I got to talk to them as a group in more depth during the evening's reception. I loved hearing about their successes, their concerns, and their plans for their careers. They were so energizing.

Well, I have only a couple of days to rest and then I am off again, this time to the Student Conclave in Baltimore. I can't wait to lobby on the Hill with the many students from all over the country and see their passion at work. I will let you know how it goes when I get back. With the Thanksgiving Holiday coming up, I can tell you that I am so thankful for all the practitioners and students out there who work together to take us steadily toward the Centennial Vision.

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President

Whirlwind Trip to Maryland OT Conference

State conferences are a great time to meet practitioners, students, and faculty. This time I had to pack it all in within a very short time period. I flew in to Baltimore and was picked up by the Maryland State Association President, Majorie Vogely. We had a lovely ride to the hotel and went out to dinner together. Everytime I interact with our state presidents, I leave with great admiration. I was a state president in Indiana many years ago, so I know first hand the complicated nature of the job. If you can't find a volunteer to help you do something, you have to do it yourself. It can be very wearing. I am always amazed that this group of talented leaders willingly steps up to the task not just for one term, but often offer to do two terms as state association president. I believe the profession of occupational therapy is only as strong as its state associations and its national association. Healthcare reform changes are not just a national issue. All state budgets in this down economy have big expenditures that are targeted for cuts, ie. education and Medicaid. In many states, occupational therapy is an optional Medicaid service. This means alot can happen to access to occupational therapy at the state level. Also, the states often cope with challenges to our scopes of practice. We all must be members of both our state and national professional organizations and more importantly, must support our leaders with offers to help. We can't wait to be asked because sometimes the leader is so busy just trying to make things happen that he or she could not possibly watch out for tasks for a particular individual. Not only offer to help, but better yet, make suggestions to the leader about what you would like to do, could do, and will do. While you're at it, mentor a student or new practitioner in the tasks in which you take on for the state association. In that way, we are always building a pipeline of new leaders.

I got up the next morning and gave the keynote and unfortunately had to leave for the airport right after that. But prior to speaking, I had time to meet a few of the Maryland Conference attendees, especially students from Towson University. I know the conference program looked great, so I am anxious to hear about how it went!

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President

Lobbying, AOTA Board Meeting, and Halloween

Hi all,

I just returned, as have other Board members already documented on OT Connections, from the AOTA Board meeting. This is the first time for over a year we have met face-to-face. We have had our meetings over the phone, which have been effective. We decided to meet face-to-face this time partly because of healthcare reform, but also because of the importance of many items on our agenda. We all arrived a day early so we could lobby. Because I saw my congressman and both senators during the Program Director's meeting, I decided to go on visits with Pat Crist, Board Director, where we talked to Senator Casey's and Arlen Specter's staff about our issues, primarily related to work force development that is being addressed in the healthcare reform legislation. I also went with Sheri Montgomery, AOTA Secretary, to meet with her Senators, including Enzi and Brasso. Senator Brasso was available for our meeting and took us to watch a Senate vote in the gallery. It was a great experience as I had never done that before. It was a real challenge physically as to get to the vote, we were going to ride the tram that the Senators ride from their offices to the Capitol. Unfortunately for me, the tram was not working. Senator Brasso took off practically running to get to the Capitol. Sheri kept up with him all the way talking to him about our issues. She credits the tread mill for her success in keeping up! I have trouble walking, let alone running, so Tim Nanof, AOTA Manager of Federal Affairs, grabbed my arm and literally propelled me down the underground hallway. It was neat to see all the state flags hanging from the walls as we were going by in lightening speed. I think I lost 3 pounds trying to get to the Senate Chamber. See lobbying is exciting mentally and physically!!! While in the gallery, it was interesting to watch which Senators were talking to whom and trying to figure out what their concerns might be. The staff member from Senator Brasso's office sat in the gallery with us so we could discuss further the workforce issues for both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

We accomplished many items of business in the Board of Director's meeting including going over our annual report from the Auditors. It is wonderful to know that we are handling business in the best manner possible. We received the report from the Blueprint for Education for the Future, which is an analysis of the content our educational programs should be including in the curriculum in order to reach excellence and better prepare our practitioners for future practice. We will be working with the Program Directors in using and understanding the document. We also accepted the report from the Research Advisory Panel on their identification of research priorities for the profession. This is another fantastic document to widely distribute to our researchers, educators, and practitioners. AOTF has already received and passed the report. This document will guide both association's efforts in promoting research and research capacity in occupational therapy. We received a healthcare reform update from Chris Metzler, Chief Public Affairs Officer, and heard the good news that our language regarding occupational therapy being an initiating service in home health would be included in the House's healthcare reform legislation. We still have work to do, but received information about our continued strategies. We also heard a report from AOTPAC about their progress in raising funds from AOTA members. It appears we are about $35,000 dollars short still of our goal to raise $200,000. In hearing this news, we worked with AOTPAC to develop a joint Board/AOTPAC fundraising plan for the last quarter. The Board of Directors' has met its goal of 100% of our AOTA members on the Board contributing to AOTPAC. We were a little bit shy of our Board's $7,000 goal, but will be working on it ourselves. The AOTPAC funds are extremely important given we are approaching the nation's midterm elections, which will help us make sure we have friends in Congress in 2010.

Well, the minutes of our meeting will be posted soon for your review. I did want you to know though, that because of Sheri Montgomery we did celebrate Halloween. She brought hats for us to wear and candy to munch on during the meeting. I choose, pretty fitting I think, to wear a headband with a giant spider on it! I am always weaving the web to connect practice, education, and research so that we will reach the Centennial Vision!!!

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President