A couple of things: First, wow! This list went from last rites to alive and kicking in a matter of a week or so. The discussions and postings over the past week have been alive and vibrant with thought-provoking and stimulating content. I wonder how many physicians or marketing managers read/have access to this list? I wonder what it would be like if they did? Ah, ever the dreamer.
Secondly, I wanted to throw my 2 cents toward a comment from Juan Turcios in this latest thread. Juan asked: "Do we as practitioners feel that we are experts in our fields?" Juan, and others, quite respectfully it doesn't matter what you or I think or feel as practitioners. It matters what we as a united front demonstrate to consumers, physicians (and other approved referral sources depending on your state practice act) and third party payers as valid, sustainable contributions to the healthcare industry. While we are taught sound Occupation-based theory, and practical clinical skills in Occupational Therapy schools nowadays which place us in a wide and marvelous array of practice settings and opportunities, all that won't matter if we can't survive as a profession. I'm sure to many out there I sound like an old, burnt-out alarmist, the crazy old loon lurking in the corner warning of the impending flood. But all I'm really implying in my verbose fashion is that we all think about our profession in the context of where we currently are, and where we hope to/want to be 10, 20, 30 years from now. OK, that's the last message from me on this line of thought. Cheers! Bill Maloney, OTR On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 8:09 AM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Send OTlist mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://otnow.com/mailman/listinfo/otlist_otnow.com > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of OTlist digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Expertise (Ron Carson) > 2. Getting Ready to Teach... (Ron Carson) > 3. Meaning (Ron Carson) > 4. Occupation From A Student's Perspective (Ron Carson) > 5. Another OT Student's Perspective (Ron Carson) > 6. OT now and in the future (Laurie Bauch) > 7. Re: Expertise (Susan Orloff) > 8. Re. getting gobbled up ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > 9. Re: Expertise (Ron Carson) > 10. Re: Expertise (Juan Turcios) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 19:33:42 -0400 > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [OTlist] Expertise > To: Ron Carson <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > Anyone??? > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 > To: OTlist <[email protected]> > Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > RC> What do you think is OT's expertise? > > RC> Ron > RC> -- > RC> Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 20:23:47 -0400 > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OTlist] Getting Ready to Teach... > To: OTlist <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > I'm just starting to prepare for a two hour guest lecture at a COTA > training program. I'm very excited because I love teaching and it's > been several years since I was in the classroom. > > My prep work for teaching takes me back through my old lectures and I > want to share some tidbits that I gathered along the way of teaching. > > In 1999, I was adjunct faculty at the Medical U. of South Carolina, my > alma mater. I was teaching a course called: > > Current Trends in Occupational Therapy: > Discovering Your Occupational Self > > This is one of the last overheads I showed to the students: > > ================================================================== > > What I hope I have taught this class! > > * Look to alternatives > > * Meaning is often hidden but that doesn?t mean it isn?t important > > * Many challenges and opportunities exist in your patients' lives. > Lead them down the path of occupational discovery. > > * You can restore meaning, value, dignity, competence and a sense of > achievement. You can fill an existing void in health care. > > * Occupation is tremendously powerful? understand and use it to its > fullest potential. > > ================================================================== > > > Ron > -- > Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 20:33:36 -0400 > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OTlist] Meaning > To: OTlist <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > ############################################################## > ## ## > ## Of what value is a measurable physical outcome if life ## > ## has no meaning to the patient? ## > ## ## > ############################################################## > Ruth Zemke & Florence Clark > > > Ron > -- > Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 20:38:52 -0400 > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OTlist] Occupation From A Student's Perspective > To: OTlist <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > The following is a letter I received from an occupational therapy > student at the University of St. Augustine. The letter was not > written as part of an assignment or required as part of any course > work. I am impressed with this student?s ability to integrate > abstract theoretical constructs into personally relevant meanings. > > ==================================================================== > > OT from the heart: This is what Occupational Therapy is to me. > > Do you ever wonder what life is all about? Do you ever struggle with > what your role in life is or will be? Questions like, ?Where am I, > and what am I doing here??, often run through my mind. For the first > time in years I feel that I may have an answer to those ever > lingering truth-seeking questions. > > I?ve known my whole life that I wanted to help and serve people in a > way that I could impact someone forever. I believe that there is no > better way to impact someone than to address and serve individuals > specific needs. Occupational therapy will allow me to accomplish > this, to serve people on a level that is at the center of life. This > is where I want to be, the very core of living. > > What is an occupation anyway? Occupations are anything in life that > we as humans do to have fun, take care of ourselves, or be > productive. What this translates to in my mind is that anything we do > of meaning is an occupation. As a result, without your occupations, > you have lost all your life?s meaning. An example of an occupation in > my life is exercising because it makes me feel productive and brings > me a high level satisfaction. If I weren?t able to exercise any > longer, then I would have an occupational deficit. As an OT, my goal > would be to empower my client to once again learn how to exercise > either the way, he/she use to or in a new way. Another example of an > occupation would be using the toilet or making a meal which can be > very critical in ones happiness and survival. > > I believe that our lives are made of occupations, and without our > occupations we are without life. There have been studies that shown > the fact that infants need the occupation of being cared for by a > caregiver in order to live and grow. To me this demonstrates how we > as humans of all ages have an internal and critical need for our > occupations and without them we are without life. > > This is what I meant when I said that Occupational Therapy is at the > core of life. Occupations are life, and there is nothing more real > than that. This is the beauty of Occupational Therapy, the capability > to help enable people to restore their occupations which restores > their lives. Occupational therapy addresses people lives > (occupations) when other health care professionals only look at the > physiological or physical body. What does this mean to you? In my > life, it means I may have found an answer to the questions I posed in > paragraph one. It means that I have the ability to empower > occupations and essentially empower life, and that is what its all > about. > > ============================================================= > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 21:02:33 -0400 > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OTlist] Another OT Student's Perspective > To: OTlist <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > Life is a complex weave of tapestries with unique interpretation, > understanding and perception. Each person on this earth is created as > an individual and with that freedom comes the joy, and sometimes > frustration, of experiencing our own unique life. What is life? This > question has been asked for generation upon generation. Just as > Solomon pondered the true meaning in life through all of his wealth > and power saying that it is all simply ?grasping the wind?, our > patients will question their existence and continually be in need of > direction as they stumble and are blinded by trials in understanding > life. Life is ?what we experience from morning to night, seven days a > week, for approximately 70 years.? Although King Solomon, clearly an > educated and wise man, probably understood the definition of life, he > continually searched for meaning in the life that he knew. As > occupational therapists, we need to guide our patients in their search > for meaning by helping them create an excellent life through > meaningful occupation. > > Occupational therapists are not professionals walking around with > ?excellent life vaccines? in their pockets, searching for a sad soul > or a broken spirit. No. OT?s are uniquely qualified people who can > direct their patients in understanding the essential connection > between meaningful occupation and experiencing an excellent life. > > Adapted from: Cari ******, OTS, April 17, 2002, Human Occupation > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 20:14:47 -0400 > From: "Laurie Bauch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [OTlist] OT now and in the future > To: <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hello > > As a lurker, "older wiser learner", COTA, and a someone who just finished > an > MS in OT, I find this a very interesting discussion. > > > > The strong emphasis in our OT program was to become practitioners who are > strongly rooted in evidence based practice. The cry of the students was > that there just isn't a lot of evidence that shows other disciplines the > hard evidence that occupation has a direct impact on health. > > > > With the coming changes of an aging population, improved outcomes for > people > with Neurodevelopmental disabilities and all the changes that are occurring > in health care, OT has a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate what many of > us have seen in practice, that occupation, -what people need to and want > to, > and can do,- does impact health, - but we have to prove it to those who > receive our services and the systems that pay for those services. > > > > The World Health Organization and the medical community are becoming more > aware of the need to look at function in context. OT is already there. > > Laurie Bauch, COTA/OT > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 08:15:19 -0500 > > From: "Bill Maloney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Re: [OTlist] OTlist Digest, Vol 41, Issue 26 > > To: [email protected] > > Message-ID: > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > > > Bear with me folks, I couldn't resist. Something Ron said, highlighted > below, hearkens back to a keynote speech from then AOTA president Barbara > Kornblau (circa 2003). > > > > Ron Carson wrote: > > *"But it's HOW and WHY we apply > > these skills that separate us from PT. And, there MUST be a clear line > between OT and PT, otherwise we are going to get gobbled up."* > > > > Barbara Kornblau (an excellent speaker/presenter) talked about the APTA's > "Vision 2020" initiative. For those of you not familiar with that plan, > the > intent is raise the entry level degree for PTs to DPT from 2020 forward. > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 19:50:19 -0400 > From: Susan Orloff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [OTlist] Expertise > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; > delsp=yes > > Before we can say what OT Expertise is we have to define "expertise"... > > on the web... > A capability of a person to perform an operation in a limited domain > with exceptional results when compared to others capable of performing > the same operation > > Special skill in or knowledge about a particular topic or activity. > > Specialized domain knowledge, skills, tricks, shortcuts and rules-of- > thumb that provide an ability to rapidly and effectively solve > problems within a particular domain. > > Knowledge and skills gained from both/either training and/or > experience, ie, practice wisdom > > > So having defined "expertise" it becomes easier to define OT > Expertise---But inclusive of all that is above, it is also about the > background of experience to have a "sixth sense" about what you are > observing (in the client both passive and interactive) so that your > therapeutic actions meld into a response that is knowledge and > experience based, intuitive and creative. > > Being able to keep passionate about not what you know but what you > have yet to learn and to emerese yourself in that process for the > benefit of colleagues and clients. > > Susan N. Schriber Orloff, OTR/L > CEO/Exec. Director > Children's Special Services, LLC > Atlanta, GA > > > On Sep 1, 2008, at 7:33 PM, Ron Carson wrote: > > > Anyone??? > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 > > To: OTlist <[email protected]> > > Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > > > RC> What do you think is OT's expertise? > > > > RC> Ron > > RC> -- > > RC> Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Options? > > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > > > Archive? > > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:57:31 +0000 > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [OTlist] Re. getting gobbled up > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: > < > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Content-Type: text/plain > > Bill, > You aren't ranting, you are simply stating the truth. My situation will > illustrate this clearly. 8 years ago, my manager proposed a procedure to > have PT screen OT orders to determine appropriateness. I fought against > this policy successfully for 5-1/2 years. I went out on a THREE day leave > with a sick child and came back one day to find the other OT had agreed to > the policy in my absence. I was absolutely stunned. At that time, I > decided that fighting the policy from the outside would not change anything > and decided to stay to facilatate change from the the inside by staying. > Also, I told them that this was the beginning of the devaluation of OT in > this organization and that we would eventually be eliminated. > > Now fast forward 2 years--The OT's were downsized from 2.5 FTE's to 2.0 > FTE's for a 700 bed hospital. PT's are addressing most orders unless they > came from an orthopedist, neurologist, neurosurgeon or a physiatrist. My > predictions have come true and I feel like I'm rearranging chairs on the > Titanic. I love acute care and strive to perform ONLY occupation-based > intervention, but, I fear, it is too little, too late. The other OT's do > not espouse the same philosophy and just have a job. I have a profession > that I love, but sadly, we have shot ourselves in the foot! > > Judy Hamby, MHS, OTR/L, BCPR > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 9 > Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 08:20:55 -0400 > From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [OTlist] Expertise > To: Susan Orloff <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > Thanks for the definitions. > > So, what do members of this list see as OT's expertise???????? > > > Ron > -- > Ron Carson MHS, OT > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Susan Orloff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > SO> Before we can say what OT Expertise is we have to define "expertise"... > > SO> on the web... > SO> A capability of a person to perform an operation in a limited domain > SO> with exceptional results when compared to others capable of performing > SO> the same operation > > SO> Special skill in or knowledge about a particular topic or activity. > > SO> Specialized domain knowledge, skills, tricks, shortcuts and rules-of- > SO> thumb that provide an ability to rapidly and effectively solve > SO> problems within a particular domain. > > SO> Knowledge and skills gained from both/either training and/or > SO> experience, ie, practice wisdom > > > SO> So having defined "expertise" it becomes easier to define OT > SO> Expertise---But inclusive of all that is above, it is also about the > SO> background of experience to have a "sixth sense" about what you are > SO> observing (in the client both passive and interactive) so that your > SO> therapeutic actions meld into a response that is knowledge and > SO> experience based, intuitive and creative. > > SO> Being able to keep passionate about not what you know but what you > SO> have yet to learn and to emerese yourself in that process for the > SO> benefit of colleagues and clients. > > SO> Susan N. Schriber Orloff, OTR/L > SO> CEO/Exec. Director > SO> Children's Special Services, LLC > SO> Atlanta, GA > > > SO> On Sep 1, 2008, at 7:33 PM, Ron Carson wrote: > > >> Anyone??? > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 > >> To: OTlist <[email protected]> > >> Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > >> > >> RC> What do you think is OT's expertise? > >> > >> RC> Ron > >> RC> -- > >> RC> Ron Carson MHS, OT > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Options? > >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > >> > >> Archive? > >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 10 > Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 08:59:44 -0400 > From: "Juan Turcios" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [OTlist] Expertise > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > I believe that OT are experts in what they do, be it early intervention, > geriatrics, driving, hands. It all depends on experience and training. Most > important is how does the individual feel about their skills as an OT. Do > we > as practitioners feel that we are experts in our fields? Would we be able > to > go into a courtroom as an expert witness, etc. But I do think that we can > be > experts. Juan C. Turcios > > On 9/2/08, Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Thanks for the definitions. > > > > So, what do members of this list see as OT's expertise???????? > > > > > > Ron > > -- > > Ron Carson MHS, OT > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Susan Orloff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 > > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > > > SO> Before we can say what OT Expertise is we have to define > "expertise"... > > > > SO> on the web... > > SO> A capability of a person to perform an operation in a limited domain > > SO> with exceptional results when compared to others capable of > performing > > SO> the same operation > > > > SO> Special skill in or knowledge about a particular topic or activity. > > > > SO> Specialized domain knowledge, skills, tricks, shortcuts and rules-of- > > SO> thumb that provide an ability to rapidly and effectively solve > > SO> problems within a particular domain. > > > > SO> Knowledge and skills gained from both/either training and/or > > SO> experience, ie, practice wisdom > > > > > > SO> So having defined "expertise" it becomes easier to define OT > > SO> Expertise---But inclusive of all that is above, it is also about the > > SO> background of experience to have a "sixth sense" about what you are > > SO> observing (in the client both passive and interactive) so that your > > SO> therapeutic actions meld into a response that is knowledge and > > SO> experience based, intuitive and creative. > > > > SO> Being able to keep passionate about not what you know but what you > > SO> have yet to learn and to emerese yourself in that process for the > > SO> benefit of colleagues and clients. > > > > SO> Susan N. Schriber Orloff, OTR/L > > SO> CEO/Exec. Director > > SO> Children's Special Services, LLC > > SO> Atlanta, GA > > > > > > SO> On Sep 1, 2008, at 7:33 PM, Ron Carson wrote: > > > > >> Anyone??? > > >> > > >> ----- Original Message ----- > > >> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 > > >> To: OTlist <[email protected]> > > >> Subj: [OTlist] Expertise > > >> > > >> RC> What do you think is OT's expertise? > > >> > > >> RC> Ron > > >> RC> -- > > >> RC> Ron Carson MHS, OT > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -- > > >> Options? > > >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > >> > > >> Archive? > > >> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Options? > > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > > > Archive? > > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > ------------------------------ > > -- > Unsubscribe? > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Change options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > Help? > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > End of OTlist Digest, Vol 42, Issue 4 > ************************************* > -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
