NewsLink Winter 2018

University of Pittsburgh
Department of Occupational Therapy

Winter 2018 - Volume 7, Issue 2

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR PITT DAY OF GIVING

The 2018 Pitt Day of Giving is quickly approaching, so mark your calendar
for February 28! Alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of Pitt
are encouraged to come together on this day to make Pitt even stronger.

We would like to thank those who contributed on the Pitt Day of Giving last
year. In 2017, the Joan C. Rogers Occupational Therapy Student
Resource Fund was the single fund with the highest dollar amount of
contributions within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
(SHRS). This fund directly supports current and future occupational
therapy students and promotes Dr. Rogers’ vision of academic excellence,
exemplary professionalism, and commitment to advancing the profession.
Your efforts also helped SHRS take second place in the school
participation challenge, winning an additional $20,000 in prize money to
support student-alumni programming!

You can make a difference! Donations to Pitt OT will support student growth and activities. Gifts can be made
online, over the phone, or via mail. For more information, please visit www.pittdayofgiving.com

In addition to making a the gift on the Day of Giving, you can help to inspire others to support Pitt OT by
volunteering as an SHRS Social-Ite! Learn more about this low-key volunteer opportunity that will have a big
impact on the Day of Giving and join fellow SHRS alumni in the social sphere!

FROM THE CHAIR...

Although the start of 2018 has been chilly and snow-filled in western Pennsylvania, Pitt
OT is keeping warm and cozy! On January 2, we welcomed two new faculty, Cara
Lekovitch and Natalie Leland, in addition to new research staff and graduate research
students. You can read more about our new faculty in this issue’s “New Year, New
Faculty" article.

If you have been following our newsletter these last few years, you have likely noticed a
steep trajectory of growth in faculty, staff, and student numbers. This growth is
consistent with our vision and strategic plan and bolsters our efforts to “advance
occupational therapy through evidence, innovation, and leadership.”

Nonetheless, our steady growth has created the need for new and expanded
classrooms and teaching laboratories, new study spaces and student lounge, additional
faculty and staff offices, and expanded research space. I am happy to report that in
November, the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved plans to

renovate a new, larger space for the Department of Occupational Therapy at Bridgeside Point (a few blocks from
our current location). In December, the Department began working with School and University leadership to
design this new space. Plans are moving along quickly, and we anticipate a move before the end of the year!
Keep an eye out for photos and a virtual tour in future issues of the NewsLink.

NEW YEAR, NEW FACULTY

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy is happy to announce the appointment of Cara
Lekovitch and Natalie E. Leland. Their addition will further enhance the department’s depth of knowledge and
expertise in the area of aging and geriatric service delivery. Ms. Lekovitch is joining the department after more
than 10 years of clinical practice and management in the Pittsburgh region. Dr. Leland comes to Pitt after nearly
seven years as faculty at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Lekovitch received her BS from Allegheny College in 2005, double majoring in neuroscience and psychology.
She earned her MOT degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2007. In the last 10 years, she has provided
occupational therapy services to adults in short term rehabilitation, long term care, and home health settings.
Lekovitch has extensive clinical management experience, serving on national clinical leadership teams and
developing national programs to support the clinical supervision of therapy students in long-term care settings. In
her role as instructor, Lekovitch will be teaching courses in the foundations of occupation and therapeutic
approaches and directing the supervision of Pitt occupational therapy students in community-based fieldwork
placements. Under Lekovitch’s direction, Pitt occupational therapy students will receive guidance, mentorship,
and evaluation from an on-site instructor in a variety of new community-based settings.

Leland received her BS in occupational therapy from the University of New Hampshire and her MS and PhD in
gerontology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center
for Gerontology and Health Care Research at Brown University. Leland’s research is focused on understanding
and improving care quality for older adults with a particular interest in how occupational therapy can contribute to
interdisciplinary patient-centered outcomes. She is an expert in secondary data analysis, implementation
science, and evaluating the impact of health services in post-acute and long-term care settings. Drawing on her
extensive geriatric clinical experience, Leland’s research program examines access, outcomes, and quality of
care for vulnerable older adults. Her past work has been funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ) and the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research within the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development. Currently, Leland is principal investigator on a national multi-site Patient-
Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funded study aimed to optimize care delivery for long-term care
nursing home residents with dementia.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

"The CScD curriculum was a huge confidence booster – I gained so much
useful knowledge and skills related to clinical practice guidelines and
program development that have supported me in my innovation efforts."

You may remember Kelly Dickson, CScD, OTR/L (MOT '16, CScD
'17) from the Summer 2017 edition of the NewsLink, where she was
recognized for her capstone project and graduation from the Clinical
Science Doctorate (CScD) Program. Within three months of graduation,
she obtained a job with UPMC where she works full time as an
occupational therapist, splitting her time between SNF/LTC facilities and
the Geriatric Function and Safety Assessment (FSA) Program at the CRS
Chapel Harbor Clinic. Dickson’s current responsibilities include performing
skilled evaluations and interventions with residents to improve
independence, safety, confidence, and satisfaction with ADL/IADL
performance while in the SNF/LTC facilities. She also assists in program
development, marketing, and home- and community-based intervention
sessions with community-dwelling older adults to promote aging in place
as part of the FSA Program.

Dickson is currently working with Dr. Pamela Toto, associate professor, to present a lecture at the Geriatric
Virtual Conference in February 2018 and will be presenting a poster at the AOTA Conference in April 2018. She
has also been working with Toto to write an article for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT)
which has been accepted for publication in the August 2018 issue.

In her free time, Dickson enjoys going on snowy trail runs and meditating in a sensory-deprivation float tank.
Kelly, you make us Pitt Proud!

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Authors: Maggie Feltman and Natalie Little (OTD Class of 2020)

Maggie Feltman and Natalie Little are first-year OTD students, both working as graduate research assistants in
the pediatric research laboratory under the guidance of Assistant Professor Roxanna Bendixen. Feltman started
working with Bendixen as an undergraduate research assistant in 2015. Currently, her main project focuses on
using the wrist-worn ActiGraph monitor to collect activity patterns in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(DMD) participating in a Phase 2 pharmaceutical trial. Little started working with Bendixen in July of 2017 and her
main project utilizes the ActiGraph monitor to track boys with DMD and their families in their daily activity and

sleep patterns to evaluate the relationships between them. This information will also be compared to data
collected on boys who do not have DMD.

Feltman and Little have many important responsibilities including assisting with protocol development, participant
recruitment, technology operation, data collection, data management, and maintaining relationships with
participants. Working in the Pediatric Research Laboratory has allowed them to develop their professional skills
in many different areas. Bendixen’s research has given Feltman and Little opportunities to present posters,
collaborate inter- and intra-professionally, and contribute to national and regional conferences. Working as a
research assistant while being a full-time student is not without its challenges, but both students have benefited
from being able to integrate knowledge from their work experiences into the classroom. Also, the skills that
they are learning in the classroom contribute to a more holistic view of occupational therapy.

Feltman and Little are both looking forward to submitting abstracts for the upcoming 2018 POTA Annual
Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

The opportunity to study occupational therapy at the University of
Pittsburgh has been a dream come true for Jessica Gass (MOT
'18). She truly appreciates the rich culture of Pittsburgh and the
many valuable learning experiences she has had both inside and
outside the classroom.

In spring 2017, Gass was the inaugural recipient of the Caroline
Robinson Brayley Student Enrichment Award to support
extracurricular educational experiences. The award provided an
opportunity to expand expertise both professionally and
academically. As an active member of both the Pennsylvania
Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) and the American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Gass was able to
travel to the 100th AOTA Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia
and the POTA conference in State College, where she presented
a poster alongside faculty mentor Dr. Angela Caldwell. During the
summer of 2017, outside of her academic commitments, she
participated in the Connections for Health Fellowship at the
Birmingham Free Clinic located in the Southside of Pittsburgh.
Through this fellowship, Jessica served as a community resource
aid to individuals who receive services at the clinic.

Jessica, we wish you the best as you begin your Level II Fieldwork placements with the Allegheny Intermediate
Unit in Pittsburgh, Pa, and HealthSouth Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Sarasota, Fla. You make us Pitt
Proud!

PEDIATRIC RESEARCH LABORATORY:
USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO EVALUATE PERFORMANCE IN THE

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The pediatric research laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Roxanna Bendixen, is focused on improving
community-based participation and quality of life for children and youth with physical and/or intellectual
disabilities.

Bendixen and her team are studying the relationships between disease severity and physical activity, sleep and
participation in daily activities, and how these factors vary in children with rare neuromuscular disorders, such as
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Advances in wrist-worn activity tracking devices are making it possible to
collect this “real world” information with minimal burden on research participants. Valid and sensitive tools to
measure outcomes in the child’s natural environment are essential for understanding the effects of investigational
drugs and therapies.
Bendixen’s ongoing research is currently evaluating the use of the ActiGraph monitor to record activity patterns in
children participating in clinical drug trials to explore daily activity and sleep patterns in boys with DMD and their
caregivers. The team is also studying the effects of newly-developed mobile arm supports designed to
compensate for upper extremity weakness and increase participation in non-ambulatory individuals with DMD.

To read more about the Pediatric Research Lab, please visit www.shrs.pitt.edu\ot.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 29 - February 2, 2018
SHRS Virtual Open House

February 19, 2018
POTA District II Presentation
5068 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Role of Myofascial Trigger Point Treatment Methodology in Managing Hand and Upper Quadrant Pain
Syndromes - Presented by Karen Gallagher, OTR/L, CHT, CMTPT

April 5, 2018
Pitt OT Colloquium
O'Hara Student Center Ballroom, Pittsburgh, Pa.

We invite you to join us for the inaugural Pitt OT Colloquium where we will discuss the newest OT research,
education, and theory so we can create the best OT practice for the future. This event is open to OT

students, alumni, fieldwork supervisors, educators, practitioners, and partners. The University of Pittsburgh
Department of Occupational Therapy is a pre-approved provider of continuing education in Pennsylvania.

Participants will receive 3 FREE Contact Hours for attending.
April 19 - 22, 2018

AOTA Annual Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah

October 12 - 13, 2018
POTA Annual Conference

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Don’t forget to vote Alyson Stover for AOTA Director to the Board of Directors!
AOTA members can log in to view Alyson’s full profile.
Voting ends January 30, 2018.

FACULTY ACCOLADES STUDENTS MAKING NEWS

Dr. Roxanna Bendixen received funding from the Foundation to Markia Ashe was awarded the 2018 Caroline Robinson Brayley
Eradicate Duchenne for her project “Use of a Powered Arm Student Enrichment Award in Occupational Therapy.
Support Device for Upper Limb Function in Non-Ambulatory Men
with DMD.” This project seeks to explore the benefits of powered Katrina de la Cruz and Mikayla Redding each received a UPMC
arm support devices (PASDs) in non-ambulatory young men with Endowed Scholarship.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), using the Ayura Actively
Actuated Device. Ashley Martin and Madie Wirth were awarded the Jewish Healthcare
Foundation 2018 Fellowship on Death and Dying.
Dr. Natalie Leland and Felicia Chew are co-leading a multi-site
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) study Abby McKinley received an SHRS Alumni Endowed Scholarship.
“Optimizing Care of Patients with Dementia: A Comparison of Two

Non-Pharmacological Treatment Approaches.” This project Alexa Schreiber was awarded the 2018 Department of Occupational
capitalizes on existing collaborations between the University of Therapy Award of Professional Excellence for leadership in the
Pittsburgh, Genesis Rehab Services, Thomas Jefferson University, promotion of occupational therapy through community service
and the University of Southern California. The $4.7 million project is activities.
aimed to optimize care delivery for long-term care nursing home
residents with dementia. Kelly Stipetich was awarded the 2018 Joan C. Rogers Occupational
Therapy Award for high-level scholastics, exemplary professionalism,
Dr. Natalie E. Leland gave an oral presentation at the Panther and commitment to advancing the occupational therapy profession.
Rehab Grand Rounds Series in January titled “Post-acute Care Fall
Prevention in the Era of Value-based Payment.” Maria Violante was awarded an Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)
Mini Grant.
Dr. Amit Sethi received funding from the Pitt Innovation Challenge
for his project “I-HITS: Individualized Hand Improvement and Sarah Walker was awarded the 2018 Department of Occupational
Tracking System after Stroke.” The I-HITS system is a novel Therapy Award of Scholarly Excellence for contributions to
solution to improve arm and hand movement and increase occupational therapy research through analysis of predictors of stroke
independence in daily tasks after stroke. rehabilitation outcomes.

Dr. Amit Sethi was accepted into the 2018 Health Sciences Megan Esarove, Haley Feller, Maggie Feltman, Ashley
Leadership Academy for Early Career Faculty. Greivenkamp, Alyssa Kallenbaugh, Elise Krause, Natalie Little,
Ashley Martin, Abby McKinley, Annie Rubino, Anna Shaw, Sierra
Dr. Elizabeth Skidmore gave an oral presentation titled Simon, Caitlin Smith, Alysssa Synek, Leanne Tabit, Emily
“Examining Disability in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairments” at Wenz, Madie Wirth, Natalie Wise, Therez Young, and Kristen
the Geriatric Research and Education Coordinating Center – VA in Zink organized and participated in the Pitt OT Loves Homewood
Pittsburgh in January. Holiday Present Event to support children in the United Lutheran
Community Mission After School Program.

Ashley Martin, Janelle Moody, Marybeth Moscirella, Laura
Otchy, Alyssa Synek, andTherez Young, along with faculty member
Denise Chisholm, provided a hands-on workshop for the SHRS
Investing Now event on January 20, 2018. This event is intended to
show high school students what opportunities exist for their future and
to help them develop interest in the profession.

SHARE YOUR STORY

Pitt OT Alumni, we would like to highlight YOU in a future issue of the Pitt OT NewsLink.
Please e-mail us to share your stories!

Also, don't forget to contact us with changes to your mailing and/or e-mail address(es).

Copyright © 2018 University of Pittsburgh Department of Occupational Therapy, All rights reserved.

University of Pittsburgh
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Department of Occupational Therapy
5012 Forbes Tower

Atwood and Sennott Streets
Pittsburgh, PA 15260