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Hi everyone, Voting opens today in the AOTA General Elections. I am so excited about the idea of serving our Association as the Next Vice-President. Please log on to www.aota.org and vote! I am honored to consider my two opponents in this election as close colleagues and friends. The great thing about...

Whew! The AOTA General Election wraps up today and we will soon know the results! If you have been meaning to vote, but thinking, "I'll do it tomorrow." This is it! Vote today! (and please consider voting for me!) Over the last month I have been working hard to convince members that...

One way I stay abreast of news about health care and health care reform is to sign up for daily email notices from organizations such as the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and from America's Health Insurance Providers (AHIP). A recent AHIP Smartbrief included information...

After a lot of hard work on the part of my Leadership Team I am ready to share the next step of our strategic planning process at the MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Rehabilitation Services. We have spent over 6 months revising our Mission Statement, developing a vision statement for 2021, analyzing...

Recently the new President of the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Ronald DePinho, shared his vision that we will cure 5 cancers in the foreseeable future. Now THAT is a vision worth supporting! I believe it to be true; when you have a strong, clear, aspirational vision of the future it is easy to rally...

What a great day today! One of the roles that I have fulfilled for AOTA recently is to serve as Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on Health Care Reform Implementation. I have worked with AOTA national affairs staff and with a great group of volunteers to examine how health care reform will impact...

I have been blogging and sharing my experiences over the last few months about the strategic planning process for the Department of Rehabilitation Services at MD Anderson. The Department of Rehabilitation Services includes occupational therapy and physical therapy, employs approximately 90 FTE’s...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. The slate of candidates for the 2013 AOTA elections was posted today and I am happy to share that I am running for the office of AOTA Secretary. With just a few years until our Centennial year there is important work to be done. I believe that my experience as a clinician...

Wow, so almost two months since the last time I did a Blog entry....time does really fly when you are working hard and playing hard! I have been swamped at work and have been focusing on creating more balance in my life and having a ball playing with my new friends in Houston spending much more time...

I had a great time this morning along with about 10 other staff from my department hosting a group of 5th graders and their mentors in a program called "Health Adventures." The students and mentors were introduced to occupational therapy and physical therapy, participated in a Q and A session...

This week I am enjoying my first vacation since I started my job as Director of Rehabilitation Services for MD Anderson Cancer Center in January of 2011. I am the Director of a 90 FTE Department of occupational and physical therapy staff and while I absolutely love it, I needed the break! Managing a...

In the fall of 1984 I completed a 3 month fieldwork experience at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Department of Continuing Education. It was an amazing experience that introduced me to the workings of our professional association, its staff, the Board of Directors and the structure...

One important role of the AOTA Secretary is to sit as a voting member of the AOTA Board of Directors. A critical function for the Board is its fiduciary responsibility which is the responsibility to manage the association’s budget and maintain its financial health. I believe that Board members...

When voting starts on January 15 th please consider my experiences and the skills and knowledge that I will bring to the table to help the AOTA Board of Directors achieve its priorities as your new Secretary! Each year the AOTA Board of Directors identifies and shares it priorities for the next fiscal...

Voting in the AOTA Elections begin Tuesday, January 15th at 12:01 EST! Please vote and please consider casting your vote for me to have the honor of serving as the next Secretary of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Here are 10 reasons why I believe that I would be successful in this...

The last few weeks have been busy as I have spent part of my time in several activities related to occupational therapy and health care reform. As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is rolled out some of the challenges and opportunities for occupational therapy are becoming more apparent...

Many thanks to all the AOTA members who voted in the 2013 AOTA General Elections! I learned last evening that I was elected as the new AOTA Secretary for July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2016! I am absolutely thrilled to return to the Board of Directors and the Representative Assembly. We have a lot of hard...