On The Air

Nancy Peters, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapist for over 45 years. She attended the University of Buffalo at a time when there were not many occupational therapy schools in the country and the profession was fairly young. Upon graduation, she was offered a job at one of her fieldworks, the Buffalo VA Hospital, and worked there for 3 years until she left at the birth of her first child. Her next job was at Robert Warner Rehabilitation Center, providing therapeutic services for children. From there she became a school-based OT at Akron Central Schools. Nancy "retired" from the school job only to be called back into service at Summit Rehabilitation. Each job change required some study and continuing education to get up to speed with the different populations she was working with, but her OT background of looking at the whole person and helping them solve obstacles to their "occupation" made each job very fulfilling. Currently Nancy is working as a partner in DNS Designs, a company of which she is a co-fo

Danielle Lorenz is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta which is located in amiskwaciwâskahikan, which is what is currently called Edmonton, Alberta. Danielle's doctoral research focuses on settler colonialism in Alberta's K-12 education system. She is also an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies.Hannah Sullivan Facknitz is a graduate researcher and teaching assistant at the University of British Columbia. She was born and raised as a settler in Harrisonburg, Virginia (occupied Monacan land) where she also did her bachelor of arts at James Madison University. In the middle of her time at JMU, she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, developing organ damage shortly thereafter and dropped out of college eight weeks from graduating. Now, with Danielle Lorenz, she's hoping the CJDS Cripping Pandemic Learning resources can help protect disabled students in higher ed by empowering instructors to prioritize accessibility p

Charlotte Foley is an occupational therapist living in Alaska, who feels that occupational therapists and physical therapists have a greater role to play than they currently do in working with people with ostomies. She has a passion for supporting fellow therapists in increasing their confidence with this population. Charlotte has worked in the adult inpatient rehab and acute care settings for the past 6 years, and she’s lived with a permanent ileostomy for 7 years (on and off for 13). Through her work as an OT and her personal experience with an ostomy, she recognized the benefit of OT and PT for ostomy surgery recovery. She started her business, Restorative Ostomy Solutions, in 2020 to provide educational information to therapists. Charlotte also supports "ostomates" - individuals living with ostomies - in living an active lifestyle through her website and social media. Check out the resources Charlotte is sharing on her website at https://backcountryostomy.com/ and on her Facebook Page at https://www.faceb

Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and a leader in the occupational therapy profession. An alumna of the University of Southern California (USC), Dr. Anvarizadeh earned her BS, MA, and Doctorate in Occupational Therapy with a minor in Neuroscience and an emphasis in Ambulatory Healthcare. In her role as the Director of Admissions and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, she is responsible for ensuring the success of the admissions process by creating and maintaining effective admission strategies and procedures. She also oversees each academic program and makes certain the division is filled with high caliber diverse students.Dr. Anvarizadeh also serves as the Chair and is a founding member of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), a non-profit organization striving to meet society’s occupational needs by developing local and national initiatives and aligning wit

Lindsey Vestal is an occupational therapist and is the founder of The Functional Pelvis, the first in-home pelvic health practice in New York City run by an occupational therapist. She has helped thousands of people overcome chronic pelvic health challenges like incontinence and pelvic pain. Her goal is to empower women and men to listen to the wisdom of their own bodies—without resorting to invasive surgeries or prescription drugs—so they can heal and get back to enjoying life again. She understands that no one else knows a person's body better than that person. She considers the whole person, not just outward physical symptoms. Lindsey offers online training for other OT practitioners who want to pursue pelvic health. This course, which is called OT Pioneers: Intro to Pelvic Health for Occupational Therapists, opens twice a year, with more information available at https://ot-pioneers.teachable.com/In addition, she offers two free interview series featuring OTs in emerging practice fields (women's, men's and

On Episode 53, Stephanie Goodman, an OT practitioner from Kansas City, MO, shared about her work as a coach at The Parkinson's Exercise and Wellness Center in Overland Park, KS. On this episode, two individuals with whom she works - Sarrisa Curry and Jacob Weiss - both of whom are pioneering innovative work with people in the Parkinson's Disease community, talk about their work and research with people with Parkinson's Disease. From a young age, Sarrisa has been fascinated by the human body's ability to adapt to the stimulus, positive and negative. She sought a career that would allow her to pursue this passion. She achieved her Massage Therapy certification in 2002. Over the next few years she added certifications in multiple forms of health including weight training, group fitness classes, and nutrition supplementation. She became a NASM Certified Personal trainer in 2014. She spent 6 years as the manager of operations of a high end Racquet Club, learning the ins and outs of the fitness industry. In 2016 sh

Occupational therapist Allison Sullivan, DOT, OTR/L, was the recipient of the 2017 Catherine Trombly Award for Excellence in Research and Education from the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapy and the 2018 Faculty Excellence award from American International College. She is Lead Faculty for AIC’s Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, where she mentors doctoral capstone projects and teaches courses for the PP-OTD in scholarship of teaching and learning in occupational therapy and occupational therapy theory, as well as providing instruction for the entry-level MSOT program in courses on group dynamics, the development of psychosocial occupations and the mental health process in OT. Her research interests include pedagogy in occupational therapy education, cognitive disabilities, and trauma-informed care. Dr. Sullivan’s study, “Impact of a Fieldwork Experience on Attitudes Toward People with Intellectual Disabilities”, is published in the 2017 November/December issue of the Ame

Tanya Peterson, MS, OTR, has been an occupational therapist for over a decade. She began her career in acute care at Upstate Medical University, eventually transitioned into pediatrics, and then became a full time faculty member in an Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. Eventually she branched out on her own to open The Tot Spot Play Center in Upstate NY. And her most recent project aligns her passion for helping other OT Entrepreneurs do the same - Tanya and her business partner are launching Tactical Shift Healthcare Consulting in fall 2020.On this episode, Tanya talks about her innovation and how she became an entrepreneur in the field of occupational therapy and shares tips and resources for other who are interested in pursuing a similar path. To find out more about her work, to access free content, and to request support, check out Tactical Shift Healthcare Consulting at https://mailchi.mp/74317e68f845/tactical-shift-healthcare-consulting-beta-launch. Learn more about Tanya's clinic, The Tot Spot Pla

Liz DeFinnis is an occupational therapist and a busy mom of three young children. She graduated from Misericordia University in 2009 with a MS in Occupational Therapy. A few years later she continued her education and graduated from Capella University in 2019 with a PhD in Psychology. She has spent the last several years exploring various approaches to understanding the intertwined dynamic of the body, mind, and spirit. It is now her passion to help others on their journey to prevent, cope, and recover from the stressors of life while finding their way to inner harmony. She utilizes her background in OT and psychology to combine methods for holistic healing, such as reflective journaling, guided imagery, mediation, aromatherapy, and relaxation techniques. Her recently published book, Path to the Aligned Soul, is available for purchase on Amazon. The book is a journey of self-discovery as it walks readers through 30 devotional topics to provide readers an opportunity to step into that alignment in order to ach

Occupational therapist Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L, is the guest on this episode which centers on improving clinical outcomes through human connection. As principal owner of Rehab U Practice Solutions, a leader in patient retention strategy, he has experience in a variety of rehab settings, working with patients recovering from a variety of injuries and surgeries. He worked as the lead clinician in an outpatient specialty clinic at his local VA Medical center. He also has experience as an adjunct faculty instructor at Augusta University’s Occupational Therapy Program, as a Licensed Board Member on the GA State OT Board, has served on several committees for the national OT Board (NBCOT), and as a consultant working for the State of Georgia’s DBHDD. He is also on the Board of Directors for NBCOT. He works to help healthcare clinics and organizations deliver uniquely impactful patient experiences by improving service delivery through training & advisement and through courses & training programs.Reso

Steve Nawotniak is an occupational therapy practitioner living in Buffalo, NY, who specializes in mental health and treatment of mental health conditions. On this episode, Steve shares his insight and perspective about ways to improve quality of life for individuals living with mental health conditions, based on his experience after his own diagnosis. In addition to practicing as an OT practitioner, Steve is a frequent presenter at conferences, meetings, and in classrooms and has authored an award-winning children's book series about a character called Mubu the Morph that speaks to the inner journey individuals face as discovering their purpose. Steve has also written handbooks, including Handbook for Healthy Living with a Mood Disorder and Bipolar Life Hacks: Keys to Loving Life with a Bipolar Disorder, in which he shares about the skills and tools he uses daily to live with what he calls "a desired quality of life." Connect with Steve via Twitter @SNawotniakOT, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stephen.nawot

Tiffany Davanzo is a freelance medical illustrator specializing in art for medical publications, education and the medical legal field. She is 2003 graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Art as Applied to Medicine Program. Tiffany is a Certified Medical Illustrator and has been a member of the Association of Medical Illustrators since 2001. In addition to medical illustration she is also a portrait artist and online art instructor. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and two young daughters.Some of the resources mentioned during this episode are Tiffany's website, Slaybaugh Studios (http://slaybaughstudios.com/), Sketchy Art School (https://school.sktchy.com/), Netter Anatomy Books, and the Apple digital pencil. To connect with Tiffany, email her at tsdavanzo@gmail.com. Be sure to check out her work on her Instagram account, @slaybaughstudios

Susannah Bailin is a former patient who was very frustrated by the handouts and generic videos that she was supposed to use to do her home exercises so she started a business called AC Health. Her goal was to make it easy for patients to bring the information - and encouragement - provided to them by their therapists home. Susannah has been a board member of seven non-profits, including schools and a senior living residence. She has worked in venture capital and in career development. She has a BA from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.On this episode, Susannah talks about the inspiration she got from her experiences in navigating the healthcare system as a patient and shares about the app she developed that's now available for use, AC Health. This app can be used as a platform for therapist and patient to stay connected and for therapists to store and share home program recommendations for specific patients in digital format. AC Health is available - for FREE - on iOS and Android platfo

It's the 100th episode of the On The Air podcast and things are being done a bit differently for milestone installment. On this episode, the podcast host, Stephanie Lancaster, is interviewed by Orli Weisser-Pike, and Stephanie shares about her professional trajectory, including her days as a candy striper, the ah-ha moment when she realized she wanted to be an OT practitioner, her days as an OT student, her segue into a clinical speciality practice area of assistive technology, advice for people starting off as OT educators, and her work as a member of the executive board of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD). Please help to celebrate the 100th episode by sharing with others about the podcast and rating or leaving a review of the podcast wherever you're listening.

Dr. Frederick B. Covington is an occupational therapist , award winning inventor, professor, author, and technology design specialist. Following his graduation from Howard University, he began his career as an occupational therapist. His areas of expertise includes pediatrics, school based intervention, autism, developmental disabilities, physical disability and dysfunction and technology as well as geriatrics. Holistic patient care is at the center of his philosophy. For the past 17 years, Dr. Covington has honed his skills in the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland regions by providing private clinic based, residential, adaptive equipment assessments, and safety/ergonomic home modifications. In addition, he has provided treatments for pediatric clients with intellectual impairments, behavioral problems, ADHD, OCD, sensory integration deficits, learning disabilities, and executive functional disorders. With a passion for technology, Dr. Covington has developed innovative animation styled OT intervention f

Erika del Pozo, MOT, OTR/L, holds a BA in Dance and Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Erika has practiced in outpatient pediatrics for five years and also has experience working with older adults with progressive neurological conditions. Erika created a modified-dance curriculum for adults with Parkinson’s Disease in Boca Raton, FL, in 2016. Erika served as an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University for three semesters, collaborating with Dr. Lambdin-Pattavina to teach Occupational Analysis and Human Interactions. Erika’s special interests include promoting work well-being and burnout prevention in healthcare. She is CEO and founder of Joy Energy Time, a wellness community dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals to grow in their wellness practices and advocate to improve the industry. She is also the creator and co-host of the Burnt Out to Lit Up Podcast, a holistic wellness show for healthcare professionals. Erika has worked with several distinguished cont

Crystal Cabrera, who is known on social media as The Brainy OT, became an occupational therapist in 2015. Her first jobs were in pediatrics; she worked per diem OT positions at a private outpatient clinic and at a prescribed pediatric extended care clinic (PPEC). After a little more than a year as an OT, Crystal sought out opportunities to work with the adult population. In 2016 she accepted a position at a large community hospital with a Level I Trauma Center and Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. Since then, she has dedicated her practice to the neurological population and attained the certification of Certified Stroke Rehab Specialist.For more details including how to connect with Crystal, visit the podcast website at www.ontheair.us

Do you know what a long-hauler is? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people with COVID-19 typically recover from the condition in about two weeks' time, but there are a number of individuals who continue to experience symptoms and/or continue to test positive for the virus for much longer - even 100+ days in some cases. This group of people is being referred to by medical personnel as the long-haulers, and experts aren't entirely sure why those who fit this description can't shake the disease.On this episode, physical therapist Barry Mangione shares about his experience after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and as a long-hauler. As a physical therapist since 1991, Barry's story provides unique insight into the lived experience of a long-hauler as well as the distinct role of occupational therapy in supporting individuals in this group. Besides being a PT, Barry is also a musician (www.bluealienmystic.com), an author, and a podcaster. He lives in New York with his wife and their family. Through

On this episode, second-year occupational therapy students Bailey Diprima, Serena Khiantani, and Pam Ponce talk about the outcome of their work in a course in OT school on evidence-based practice. Their study looked at the outcome of medical interventions used with children ages 4-18 for treatment of medulloblastoma, a malignant (cancerous) type of brain tumor that originates in the cerebellum. Their work on this project can be accessed via the following link: https://dc.uthsc.edu/mot2/6/ Bailey, Serena, and Pam are students in the Master's degree OT program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN.

Brittany Ferri has been an occupational therapist for 4 years, during which time she has developed a specialty in mental health. She founded her business, Simplicity of Health LLC, a year ago and began providing services such as health writing, community health education, corporate wellness seminars, consulting, and private pay treatment. Around the same time her company was founded, she also got more involved with teletherapy. Since this time, she has not only provided telehealth treatment to many clients but has also helped create OT programs within several existing telehealth platforms. Brittany is also the author of a textbook entitled "Effective Therapy Documentation" and a children's book educating kids on teletherapy, called "Why is there a person in my computer?" Additionally, Brittany serves as an adjunct professor at Nazareth College and has guest lectured at many universities on the topics of documentation, mental health, and health literacy. To find out more including how to connect with Brittany,