Newsline Raftovich

16
Volume 11, No. 11F — November 2012 Greater Parental Stress Linked to Children’s Obesity, Fast Food Use, Reduced Activity Is Declining Medical Imaging Use Driving Up Hospital Stays and Medical Costs? Researchers Map Strategy for “Choosing Wisely” on Low-Value Healthcare Services Conferences & Educational Opportunities • Job Opportunities NEWS-Line Publishing P.O. Box 80736 Valley Forge, PA 19484 Presort Std US POSTAGE PAID Permit 60 Chadds Ford, PA NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs News, Information and Career Opportunities www.news-line.com Q & A with Stacia Raftovich, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Theraplay in West Chester, Pennsylvania

Transcript of Newsline Raftovich

Page 1: Newsline Raftovich

Volume 11, No. 11F — November 2012

Greater Parental Stress Linked to Children’s Obesity, Fast Food Use, Reduced Activity

Is Declining Medical Imaging Use Driving Up Hospital Stays and Medical Costs?

Researchers Map Strategy for “Choosing Wisely” on Low-Value Healthcare Services

Conferences & Educational Opportunities • Job Opportunities

NEWS-Line PublishingP.O. Box 80736Valley Forge, PA 19484

Presort StdUS POSTAGE PAID

Permit 60Chadds Ford, PA

NEWS-Line forOccupational Therapists& COTAs

News, Information and Career Opportunitieswww.news-line.com

Q&

A with Stacia Raftovich,

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Theraplay in West Chester, Pennsylvania

Page 2: Newsline Raftovich
Page 3: Newsline Raftovich

www.news-line.com 3

NEWS-Line Publishing, 661 Moore Rd., Suite 100, King of Prussia, PA 19406Phone: 800-634-5463 • Fax: 610-337-1049 • Advertising: [email protected] • Editorial: [email protected]

4with Stacia Raftovich, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Theraplay in West Chester, PennsylvaniaStacia Raftovich is a certified occupational ther-apy assistant working in pediatrics at Theraplay. She has an associate’s degree as a COTA from Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington, Delaware, and is obtaining a bach-elor’s degree in health science at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Stacia is back in school and on track to further her career as an occupational therapist. She says, “I am part of one of the most fun, enjoyable, challenging and fast-paced professions…I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

7 Occupational Therapy News

Greater Parental Stress Linked to Children’s Obesity, Fast Food Use, Reduced Activity

Is Declining Medical Imaging Use Driving Up Hospital Stays and Medical Costs?

Researchers Map Strategy for “Choosing Wisely” on Low-Value Healthcare Services

10 Conferences & Educational Opportunities

12 Job Opportunities

12. Faculty, National and Pennsylvania

13. Virginia, Florida and Michigan

14. Michigan and Washington

2. California

Contents

Q&

A

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs is intended to serve as a news and information source, not as a replacement for clinical educa-tion. Readers are advised to seek appropriate clinical and/or reference material before acting on NEWS-Line information. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the NEWS-Line management, ownership or staff. Advertising Policies: Errors on our part will be reprinted at no charge if notified within 10 days of publication. Publisher reserves right to refuse any advertising. Any copying, republication or redistribution of NEWS-Line content is expressly prohibited with-out the prior written consent of NEWS-Line.

Editorial Department John Buck–Editor- in-Chief Kathleen Garvin–Editorial Assistant

Design Services Jeffrey Zajac–Publications Director Joe Monte–Art Director

Administration Gabriele B. Polli–Financial Manager Lucy Thatcher–Office Manager

Advertising 800.634.5463

Operations Eric Smoger–IT Manager Deb CalvaneseAmy Anderson Kristin Frederick

Page 4: Newsline Raftovich

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs • November 2012 Feature4

Q&A

with Stacia Raftovich, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

at Theraplay in West Chester, PennsylvaniaStacia Raftovich is a certified occupational therapy assistant working in pediatrics at Theraplay. She has an associate’s degree as a COTA from Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington, Delaware, and is obtaining a bachelor’s degree in health science at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Stacia is back in school and on track to further her career as an occupational therapist. She says, “I am part of one of the most fun, enjoyable, challenging and fast-paced professions…I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Q&A

Q&

A

Q: Can you describe your edu-cational background?

A: I currently hold an AD as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. This past spring, I enrolled in an accelerated pro-gram at Philadelphia University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in health science with the ultimate goal of receiving my master’s in occupational therapy. I have also attended a conference for The Alert Program in regard to sensory regulation, as well as Interactive Metronome, which I am now certi-fied for in clinic and home unit use.

Q: What motivated you to enter occupational therapy?

A: I have always had an interest in working with individuals with special needs. In high school I completed volunteer hours at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children and various special needs programs at local elementary and high schools. These experiences led me to apply for and ultimately receive the role of my high school’s Blue*Gold Ambassador my junior and senior years. Blue*Gold is an organiza-tion in Delaware that pairs local high school students together with “buddies” who have varied forms of intellectual disabilities. I coveted my role greatly and used the posi-tion to raise awareness within my school and community.

I was always torn between the pro-fessions of special education and occupational therapy. The summer before my freshman year of col-lege I took a one-credit course, which broke down the different allied health professions that Del

Page 5: Newsline Raftovich

www.news-line.com 5

Q&AQ&A

Tech offered. Occupational thera-py just happened to be one of the highlighted professions, and after watching the short clip on the pro-gram I was sold.

OT offers everything I always looked for in a career. I am able to work hands-on with individuals to make their every day lives just a little simpler. It is by far a reward-ing career that makes me feel very beneficial to others.

Q: When and how did you start at Theraplay?

A: I was initially introduced to Theraplay, Inc. during my second and final full-time clinical rota-tion for my COTA program. I was assigned to the West Chester office for three months. After graduation I took my entrance exam and started one month after splitting my time between the West Chester and Broomall offices part-time. You could say once I started I never left!

Q: Typically, what are your day-to-day responsibilities as a COTA?

A: On a typical day I can treat up to eight patients with a full sched-ule. In my down time at the office, I assist with department projects, and keep up with the cleanliness and organization of the treatment spaces.

Recently, I have taken on the role of Volunteer Coordinator at the West Chester office. This role has given me great responsibility in overseeing the volunteers and interns and assigning their sched-ules, and contacting therapists to

observe for school and personal interests.

Q: What type of patients/diag-noses do you encounter most frequently?

A: Our company serves children ranging in ages birth to 21 with a variety of diagnoses. Personally, I tend to work more regularly with children ranging in ages from 3 to 14. During my time here at Theraplay I have worked closely with patients with diagnoses of autism, cerebral palsy, Down syn-drome, sensory regulation and developmental delay.

Q: Are there other areas of inter-est for you as a COTA, either clinically or educationally, that you plan to pursue?

A: When I first graduated a few years ago, I was still getting over the accomplishment of graduation and starting a new career. However, as time went on I began to get the “itch” to look into becoming a full-fledged occupational therapist. After getting my first year here at Theraplay under my belt, I looked into various options within the area. I made the exciting decision to return to school to obtain my bachelor’s degree in health sciences, followed by my ultimate goal of receiving my master’s degree in occupational therapy. I have also shared my inter-ests in assisting during marketing presentations to review various diag-noses and developmental levels, and will begin to brainstorm ideas working with various NICU depart-ments to provide early support.

Q: What are the greatest chal-lenges you face in your job?

A: I would say the greatest chal-lenge I face in my job is ensuring I have confidence in my abilities and myself. Many times I still tend to second-guess myself with new or difficult situations, even though I have had proper experience and education. I always want to make sure I am providing the best care possible, which can sometimes lead to extra pressure from me. I must remember I am constantly learning and that each and every day may lead to new learning experiences, including errors from which to grow.

Q: What do you love about your job?

A: I truly love the day-to-day inter-actions I have not only with my patients, but also my colleagues and local practitioners. I grow and learn from everyone I come in contact with in one way or another because each person teaches me something different. My patients teach me how to have patience, be caring and ultimately treat them, and my colleagues teach me old and new strategies beneficial for clinical use, how to interact with families and difficult situations, and how to believe in my abilities and in myself. Ultimately, I love the triumphs and the changes my patients show, from as big as writing a paragraph with no errors to as simple as lying on their belly on a scooter for a few seconds. The upsets and the cries can get to you sometimes, but the rewards and the achievements far exceed any negatives.

Q: Are you currently involved with any research projects?

Page 6: Newsline Raftovich

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs • November 2012 Feature6

Q&A

A: The OT team and I are regu-larly completing Evidence-Based Practice article reviews, training updates and new treatment ideas. I am also in talks with our com-pany’s marketing director to com-plete research on the benefit and need for education for parents and families with children in the NICU.

Q: Do you feel the role of a COTA has changed in recent years?

A: Yes. It is now common for a COTA to take on more responsi-bilities within his/her work facility and to complete various trainings and certifications.

Q: What do you feel is of the greatest concern to your pro-fession today?

A: I believe it may be with the need for individuals working within Skilled Nursing Facilities. I remem-ber back to one of my place-ments in school, working with the geriatric population and my hesitations of whether it would be the right place for me. Ultimately, it was not my best fit but I was truly, pleasantly surprised at how comfortable I was and enjoyed the atmosphere. Although Skilled Nursing Facilities may not be my overall favored places to work, it is definitely one of the most reward-ing and could use more skilled individuals.

Q: What is the most fulfilling part of your job?

A: The most rewarding part of my job is truly working hand and hand with the children and seeing their accomplishments, big or small. One of my first true

therapy accomplishments was with a young boy whom I had been working closely with over a couple months. His goal was to propel a scooter on his stomach with no help. The trouble was he was afraid to even sit on the scooter. After months, little by lit-tle, we slowly were able to gradu-ally increase his acceptance of the scooter in general. I can sit here today and say that he is now able to stay on his stomach on the scooter and propel him-self to complete puzzles while moving around. Although it took several months to achieve, the pride I felt in him was enormous. Sadly, as much as we would love for our patients to stay around for a long time to continue to see their progression, it is such a fulfilling feeling to see and hear parent’s reactions to their time at school and home and how much growth they have seen. Their emotions remind you on your worst days how lucky we are to be able to have a part in our patient’s lives and the differ-ences we can make.

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned over the course of your career?

A: Over the course of my short career as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant I have learned more than I ever could have imag-ined. However, I continue to learn confidence and patience on the job. Confidence in my abilities of treating without direct supervi-sion, as it was during school, and confidence in my explanations and treatment recommendations to families. Patience is one of the greatest things a therapist can

learn because at the end of the day when you are having one of your toughest sessions and you just want to give up, patience is what keeps you going. I believe it grounds you to take a moment to stop and take in the situation and plan out the best course of action. Also, when you look at the big picture, nine times out of 10 the patient having a difficult time doesn’t have full control of their emotions and needs that little extra help.

Q: How has working in OT allowed you to grow profession-ally?

A: Being part of this profession has allowed me to grow profes-sionally in more ways than I could have hoped. I am part of a very small number of individuals fortu-nate enough to come directly out of college into a career, and land a position in which I have so many opportunities to grow and suc-ceed in.

Q: What advice do you have for others thinking of entering pedi-atric occupational therapy?

A: If I had a chance to offer advice to others thinking of entering the field, I would say it is truly an over-whelmingly rewarding career. It will not always be easy, and there will be days when you question your ability; however, if you take a step back and see all the good you can accomplish, the hard days will truly be far and few in between in the long run. I am part of one of the most fun, enjoyable, challenging and fast-paced pro-fessions, and yet I wouldn’t trade it for the world. F

Page 7: Newsline Raftovich

www.news-line.com 7

News

PARENTS WITH A HIGHER NUMBER of stressors in their lives are more likely to have obese chil-dren, according to a new study by pediatric researchers. Furthermore, when parents perceive themselves to be stressed, their children eat fast food more often, compared to children whose parents feel less stressed.

“Stress in parents may be an impor-tant risk factor for child obesity and related behaviors,” said Elizabeth Prout-Parks, MD, a physician nutrition specialist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who led a study pub-lished online in the November issue of Pediatrics. “The severity and num-ber of stressors are important.”

Among the parental stressors asso-ciated with childhood obesity are poor physical and mental health, financial strain, and leading a single-parent household, said Prout-Parks. Although previous researchers had found a connection between paren-tal stress and child obesity, the cur-rent study covered a more diverse population, both ethnically and socioeconomically, than did previous studies.

The study team suggested that inter-ventions aimed at reducing parental stress and teaching coping skills may assist public health campaigns in addressing childhood obesity.

The researchers analyzed self-report-ed data from 2,119 parents and care-

givers who participated in telephone surveys in the 2006 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey/Community Health Database, conducted in Philadelphia and neighboring suburbs. The house-holds contained children aged 3 to 17, among whom 25% were obese. Among the variables included were parental stressors, parent-perceived stress, age, race, health quality and gender of children, adult levels of education, BMI, gender, sleep qual-ity, and outcomes such as child obe-sity, fast-food consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity.

Of the measured stressors, single-parent households had the strongest relationship with child obesity, while financial stress had the strongest relationship for a child not being physically active. Unexpectedly, neither parent stressors nor parent-perceived stress was associated with decreased fruit and vegetable con-sumption by their children.

However, this study was the first to find an association between parent-perceived stress and more frequent fast-food consumption by children. Fast food, often containing high quantities of fat and sugar, is an important risk factor for obesity and child health. The researchers speculated that parents experiencing stress may buy more fast food for the family, to save time or reduce the demands of meal preparation. The authors also suggest that actual and

Greater Parental Stress Linked to Children’s Obesity, Fast Food Use, Reduced Activity

perceived parental stress may result in less supervision of children, who may then make unhealthy food and activity choices.

“Although multiple stressors can elicit a ‘stressor pile-up,’ causing adverse physical health in children, parent’s perception of their general stress level may be more important than the actual stressors,” the authors write.

Future research on child obesity should further examine other family behaviors and community factors not available in the current study, conclude the authors. In addition, “Clinical care, research and other programs might reduce levels of childhood obesity by developing supportive measures to reduce stres-sors on parents,” said Prout-Parks. “Teaching alternative coping strate-gies to parents might also help them to reduce their perceived stress.”

Dr. Prout-Parks’ co-authors were Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, MPH, from the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Renee H. Moore, PhD, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Nicolas Stettler, MD, MSCE, of Exponent, Inc.; Brian H. Wrotniak, PhD, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders and the University of Buffalo; and Anne Kazak, PhD, ABPP, of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Source: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Page 8: Newsline Raftovich

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs • November 2012 Feature8

News

A NEW REPORT by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute shows that the length of the aver-age hospital stay in the United States has increased at the same time as use of medical imag-ing scans has declined. It is unclear if the trends are related, but potentially important, as hospital admissions are among the largest, and fastest growing, healthcare costs. More research is needed to assess the potential negative impact of government and private insurer imaging reductions on overall medical costs and patient safety.

“Lawmakers, regulators and medical professionals are mak-ing medical imaging policy decisions without fully under-standing or examining their downstream effects—which may include an increase in hospital stays, associated costs and other adverse events. We need to examine imaging, as it relates to a patient’s overall continuum of care, to ensure that decision makers don’t create imaging cost reduction policies which para-doxically raise overall costs, cre-ate barriers to care, and ultimate-ly harm patients,” said Richard Duszak, MD, chief executive officer and senior research fellow of the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute.

Much of a building body of research regarding medical

imaging focuses on declining costs and utilization of imaging. There is relatively little research focused on imaging as a compo-nent of overall patient care. For many serious indications, imag-ing scans have been shown to reduce the number of invasive surgeries, unnecessary hospital admissions and length of hos-pital stays. Rarer still is data on the effect of $6 billion in funding reductions for imaging diagnosis and treatment planning since 2006. The information that is available is not necessarily posi-tive in terms of patient safety and access to care.

This is the first policy brief pro-duced by the Neiman Institute, which conducts and supports research regarding medical

Is Declining Medical Imaging Use Driving Up Hospital Stays and Medical Costs?

imaging use, quality and safety metrics, and human resources as medicine moves toward non-traditional, value-based payment and delivery. The data gleaned from these efforts will serve as the basis for true, evidence-based medical imaging policy.

“We need to take a hard look at the cost, access and quality and safety issues related to present government and private insurer medical imaging policies and find ways to maximize the value, role and efficiency of radiology as healthcare systems evolve. The Neiman Institute will provide much needed information to ensure that future imaging poli-cies benefit patients and make efficient, effective use of health-care resources,” said Duszak.

For more information about HPI, visit neimanhpi.org.

Source: American College of Radiology (ACR)

Page 9: Newsline Raftovich

www.news-line.com 9

News

CUTTING THE EXPENSES associated with “low-value” medi-cal tests and treatments—such as unnecessary imaging tests and antibiotics for viral infections that won’t benefit from them—will require a multi-pronged plan targeting insurance companies, patients, and physicians, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article published by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. These efforts transcend economic impact, how-ever, and may also be essential for improving health care quality and patient safety.

The piece follows last spring’s launch of the “Choosing Wisely” initiative, a project of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Consumer Reports magazine. This public and physician education campaign identifies procedures and tests that add little value and may be unnecessary or even cause harm. The campaign encourages stake-holders to improve consideration and discussion of the proper uses of these services.

Several seemingly promising strate-gies have been proposed to encour-age the use of high-value services and discourage low-value services, but they yielded mixed results. For example, a study aimed at improv-ing medication adherence among heart attack patients by eliminating co-pays for medications such as statins appeared to make concep-

tual sense, but in the end failed to show a significant reduction in sub-sequent cardiac problems or health-care spending. And other studies involving higher co-pays resulted in prescription-drug cost savings, but led to higher rates of emergency room visits and hospitalizations—so no money was saved overall.

The Penn researchers suggest, however, that these “value-based” strategies could be designed more effectively in order to cut the use of low-value services or drugs. Bringing cost sharing strategies in line with evidence-based screen-ing guidelines, for instance, might play a role in reducing expendi-tures. If prostate-specific antigen testing—no longer supported by the US Preventive Services Task Force—were no longer covered by insurance plans and physicians were instead required to discuss why the service may actually harm patients, they write, it would “send a powerful signal to patients, who may generally assume that all healthcare services provided are of high value.”

“Incorporating insights from psy-chology and behavioral econom-ics that help reveal how patients make these decisions is also important,” says lead author Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, director of Penn’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics and a profes-sor of Medicine and Health Care Management at the Wharton School. “That process is quite nuanced, and

Researchers Map Strategy for “Choosing Wisely” on Low-Value Healthcare Services

while insurance benefits can be designed to help steer patients away from low-value care, in many cases patients will need help from their pro-viders in determining which care falls into that category and why.”

In addition, the authors recommend that the underlying financial incen-tives for clinicians to provide or pre-scribe certain tests and treatments should be connected to their value. This could disincentivize the use of low-value services that are aren’t backed by evidence showing that they are worth using, or that the ben-efits they offer outweigh the poten-tial risks associated with their use.

Currently, committees that create testing and treatment guidelines within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other orga-nizations are barred from including assessments of cost and value in their work, though this practice has become customary in parts of Europe.

“The trouble with ‘choosing wisely’ is that it is not just hard for patients, it is also hard for physicians,” says senior author David Asch, MD, MBA, execu-tive director of the Penn Medicine Center for Innovation. “If ‘choosing wisely’ were easy, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in right now.”

But, as the authors point out, elimi-nating the use of low-value services is ultimately what the healthcare sys-tem must do in order to keep sup-porting the use of high-value, often lifesaving, services.

Source: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Page 10: Newsline Raftovich

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs • November 2012 Feature10

15th Annual Philadelphia Hand Surgery Symposium (Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand: With Emphasis on the Wrist).Sponsored by the Hand Rehabilitation Foundation.April 6-8, 2013Sheraton Downtown Hotel, Philadelphia, PAPhone: 610-768-5958Fax: 610-768-8887Email: [email protected]: www.handfoundation.org

Assisted Living & Senior Housing Summit.Sponsored by Care Providers of Minnesota.August 21-22, 2013Location TBAPhone: 952-854-2844Fax: 952-854-6214Email: [email protected]: www.careproviders.org

Conferences and Educational Opportunities

Conferences &Educational Opportunities

2012 AOTA Specialty Conference - Stroke.Sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association.November 30–December 1, 2012Baltimore, MDPhone: 301-652-2682Fax: 301-652-7711Web: www.aota.org

AAHS 2013 Annual Meeting.Sponsored by the American Association for Hand Surgery.January 9-13, 2013Waldorf Astoria Naples Grand Hotel, Naples, FLPhone: 978-927-8330Fax: 978-524-8890Web: www.handsurgery.org

NCHCFA 2013 Annual Convention.Sponsored by the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association.February 10-13, 2013Greensboro, NCPhone: 919-782-3827Web: www.nchcfa.org

9th Annual Upper Extremity Tutorial, Placing the Hand in Space: Reconstructive Surgery of the Shoulder, Elbow and Wrist.Sponsored by the Hand Rehabilitation Foundation.February 10-14, 2013Viceroy Hotel, Snowmass, COPhone: 610-768-5958Fax: 610-768-8887Email: [email protected]: www.handfoundation.org

2013 NCAL Spring Conference.Sponsored by the National Center for Assisted Living.March 12-13, 2013Westin Beach Resort & Spa,Fort Lauderdale, FLPhone: 202-842-4444Fax: 202-842-3860Web: www.ahcancal.org

Pediatric Upper Extremity Pre-Course 2013 for Surgeons and Therapists.Sponsored by the Hand Rehabilitation Foundation.April 5, 2013Sheraton Downtown Hotel, Philadelphia, PAPhone: 610-768-5958Fax: 610-768-8887Email: [email protected]: www.handfoundation.org

JANUARy2013

FEBRUARy2013

MARCH2013

APRIL2013

AUGUST2013

NOVEMBER2012

Page 11: Newsline Raftovich

www.news-line.com 11

Page 12: Newsline Raftovich

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs • November 2012 Feature12

Faculty, National and Pennsylvania

Job

O

pp

ort

uniti

es

National

Care-driven program seeks Occupational Therapists

for long-term relationship.Premier Therapy Services, a recognized leader in senior care, seeks OTs for their in-house therapy programs. Centers located in: New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Washington.

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, flexible scheduling and a flexible work schedule in a pleasant, professional environment. Quality patient care is our number one concern. Graduating students may apply.

For consideration, please contact: Monica Labato, Recruitment Manager, Premier Therapy Services201 South Main St, Building A Loft, Lambertville, NJ 08530609-397-7200 (office) • 862-400-5494 (cell)609-397-3278 (fax)Email: [email protected]

Page 13: Newsline Raftovich

www.news-line.com 13

Virginia, Florida and Michigan

Tampa, Florida

Occupational Therapists

Home CareFull-time and per diem positions available in Florida for OT with home health experience.

Email resume to Donna Russo [email protected] call 954-834-2222

Fairfax, Virginia

Occupational TherapistHome Health • PRN Per DiemThe Virginian, a Continuing Care Retirement Community, is seeking a well qualified experienced Home HealthCare OT to provide services on a PRN per diem basis.

This is a unique opportunity to join a quality driven team providing excellent patient care. The selected OT will deliver home services ensuring individualized treatment of assigned patients and prioritize, plan, communicate with team members such as nurses, therapists, physicians and/or home care assistants.

Candidate must have proven experience in Home HealthCare. Virginia OT license required.

Rates are negotiable dependent upon experience. If interested in joining our team, please email resume to Lynn Rountree, Human Resources Director, at [email protected] or fax to 703-385-0161.

The Virginian9229 Arlington Blvd. Fairfax, VA 22031Phone: 703-277-7245

OccupatiOnal therapistThe Laurels of Coldwater, Michigan, currently has openings for OTs on a full-time and a PRN (weekends) basis. We are a progressive SNF/Rehabilitation Center with an active medical staff specializing in short term rehab treating guests with a variety of diagnoses.

QualiFicatiOns: Must be a graduate of a certified program, nationally certified, and eligible to practice in Michigan. Terrific opportunity for a recent grad or professional with limited SNF/LTC experience to join our team and work with this caseload.

Laurel Health Care Company staffs our employees in house - not thru contract companies and offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Qualified candidates should submit resume to or call:Matt Graeber, OTR/RSDRehab Services Directorthe laurels of coldwater90 North Michigan Avenue, Coldwater, MI 49036Phone: 517-279-9808 • Fax: 517-279-2578Email: [email protected]

Ocoee, Florida

Pediatric Occupational

TherapistImmediate opportunity for energetic Pediatric OT in busy private practice. Enjoy full or part-time schedule, family atmosphere and nice working environment with private treatment room.

MUST LOVE KIDS!

For immediate consideration,please contact Sherri:[email protected]: 407-295-2956Fax: 407-295-5808

Page 14: Newsline Raftovich

NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists & COTAs • November 2012 Feature14

Michigan and Washington

Battle Creek, Michigan

OccupatiOnal therapistsprn

The Laurels of Bedford's Rehab Team is seeking OTR/Ls for PRN opportunities. We are looking for someone with experience in a sub-acute rehab; however, we will gladly train the right candidate. The candidate we are looking for, will have strong clinical skills, be organized, motivated and interested in joining a dynamic rehab team. We offer a pleasant working environment and competitive pay.

We encourage and promote professional growth. If you are interested in joining our well-versed, experienced and energetic rehab team, please contact or submit your resume to:Rachel Pallett, Rehab [email protected]

The LaureLs of Bedford270 N. Bedford Rd., Battle Creek, MI 49017

fax 269-968-8943

Tacoma, Washington area

Immediate opportunity to work for award-winning MultiCare Health System in the beautiful Puget Sound region of WA State!

MultiCare is in the top 2% in the nation for our EPIC electronic medical record, and in the top 5% in the country fiscally. Our CEO is one of 5 women RN’s in the country who run a health care system! She knows what great health care is about, and values our 10,000 employees with excellent working conditions and full benefits!

Full time - Home Health Occupational Therapist

Work in our well established Home Health department providing Occupational Therapy treatment to varying ages of outpatients with a variety of diagnoses, according to the principles and practices of evidence-based Occupational Therapy.

Will maintain current and timely treatment documentation and charges for services using system-wide EPIC electronic medical records. Will consistently demonstrate and model behaviors consistent with MultiCare’s Behavioral Competencies of excellence, service, quality, respect, and kindness.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of one year experience as an OT. Experience in Medicare Certified Home Health preferred.

Position requires valid and current Washington State OT License. Must have valid WA State drivers license.

Please contact senior recruiter,[email protected] more information, or apply at

www.multicarejobs.org

Page 15: Newsline Raftovich
Page 16: Newsline Raftovich