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Leadership Bulletin

FOTA Leadership Bulletin 2/28/2019

 Hello all, here is an update bulletin based on the minutes of our recent FOTA board meeting Conference call in February.

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FOTA Promo Video 2019

Hill Day 2019

FOTA Hill Day in Tallahassee, FL,  January 22 at the Capitol Building, 2nd Floor Rotunda at 8am. We were joined by our lobbying firm, Corcoran & Johnston (C&J), to establish a presence with legislators in the rotunda, promote an awareness OT on the hill, as well as engage in sit-down meetings individually with specifically selected legislators at their offices as arranged C&J. Our objective was to raise awareness of the distinct value of OT in serving Floridians, and addressing specific issues of access to care, protection and promotion of OT practice across our state. We hope many OTs join us for Hill Day in the years to come. Part of your membership dues go to ensure that FOTA as skilled advisement from our lobbying firm on strategies to promote and protect OT in Florida.  FOTA relies on membership support to advocate successfully. More members are needed to increase our ability to influence change.
Thanks to OT Students from FAMU and OTA Students from Keiser U provided a positive presence and enthusiastic representation for the future of Occupational Therapy in Florida. Students and faculty attended some meeting with legislators, toured the House and Senate Chambers, and mingled with the leaders coming and going in the Rotunda. A student poster presenting research on the important issue pain management through OT was presented near our FOTA tables. Informational Brochures were available for all passers by.
 

The FOTA Governmental Affairs Co-Chairs, President, our Lobby Firm--Corcoran & Johnston, and Members had 16 different legislators and their staff over the course of a full-day schedule. We discussed issues important to the practice of OT and the service to our clients over several talking points including the Opioid Crisis, Pain Management, Mental Health in Schools, Medicaid, and Telehealth Practice. Our meeting included leaders on important health policy, and human services committees. We thank them for a receptive discussion about OT in FL. I have included some pics of my hand-held schedule and talking points from the day of meetings.

Hill Day Schedule  of Legislator Office Visits PDF

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A New Year's Blog: From the President

From the President

Brent Cheyne, OTD, OTR/L

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Legislative Update Guest Blog by Corcoran & Johnston

Welcome to a report to keep you informed on past and upcoming legislative issues. Part of you membership dues go to ensure that FOTA as skilled advisement from our lobbying firm on strategies to promote and protect OT in Florida.  FOTA relies on membership support to advocate successfully. More members are needed to increase our ability to influence change.

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Guest Blog: Leadership Development Series

Guest Blog: Making the Case for Membership

Why Membership Matters by Michael J Steinhauer, OTR, MPH, FAOTA

FOTA and AOTA members know how valuable their associations dollars are to represent their needs with legislators, regulators, accrediting bodies, and external threats to our profession. Both state and national associations address a wide array of topics that impacts on EVERY practice setting, EVERY demographic, EVERY insurance provisions, and EVERY diagnostic category that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants see in their work every day. WOW! This article in part demonstrates the value of your association dollars and calls on every state and national association member to ACTIVELY recruit others in our profession to join.

Think for a moment: do you have auto insurance? Do you have health insurance? Do you insure your possessions in your homes with homeowners or renters insurance? If you own a home you pay for mortgage insurance, right? Do you have individual malpractice liability insurance? Do you have workman’s compensation insurance privately or through your employer? Do you pay for travel insurance sometimes? Do you have life insurance? Do you have flood insurance? Some people have death expenses insurance. Some people have pet health insurance. Right??

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Summer Updates

From the President: Summer 2018 -- From the FOCUS Newsletter

Hello and Happy Summer!

  

Pictured Left to Right are our voting board members and President-elect. Cathy Peirce, Ric Carrasco, Douglene Jackson, Tia Hughes, Kathy Frahm, Brent Cheyne, Elise Bloch, Debbie Misrahi, and Kelly Uanino.

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board report

President’s Annual Report to the Board

June, 16, 2018

Brent Cheyne, OTD, OTR/L

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Practitioners: Let's Go Ahead and Complain about Medicaid in Florida

Invitation to Take Action and Send in Concerns

FOTA representatives had a sit-down question-and-answer session with Florida Medicaid officials in March of 2018. I called in by phone. We had several questions about Medicaid policies regarding both pediatric and adult care issues. After all was said and done, the most striking comment we had to take away from our informative and respectful meeting was this:

“We just haven’t had many complaints about Occupational Therapy and Medicaid….you need to encourage your clients and practitioners to contact Medicaid to raise their concerns. When we have more complaints filed, we can look at our policies and consider what changes need to be made.”

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child mental health awareness day

Celebrating National Children's Mental Health Day: May 10th, 2018

 Join the FOTA leadership and membership in acknowledging National Children's Mental Health Day, May 10th, 2018. In service of our FOTA vision to be the respected authority on occupational therapy’s contribution to health and well-being in Florida, we have assembled a humble offering of clinician's resources and supportive information for OTs from across the state to use in service to children's mental health. Our Ad Hoc Committee on School Mental Health is developing further programming to offer to our members in the future, and we are developing policy statements to share with our advocacy team and our Florida legislators. 

FOTA believes in the potential for OT practitioners to impact child well being and provide new and innovative programs to meet the needs of our students in schools across Florida. We believe in the preventative model, nurturing social and emotional learning, and skills for emotional regulation, social skills, and collaborative learning -- all through occupation-based activities. Please take time today, and everyday to nurture the wellness of children in your life and in your practice. See our resources below --an assemblage that is still a work in development.  Take Care!

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President's Blog: March Musings

From The President: Spring FOCUS 2018

Hello FOTA Members! And welcome visitors to the blog, we hope you join us in FOTA, as an OT You Belong!

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Guest Blog: On Parkland --Mirtha Whaley, PhD, OTR/L

 

Guest Blog: On Parkland

 

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Interview: Member and President

Interview with Region 5's Samarra St. Hilaire: On FOTA, Lobbying, and the Presidency, Leadership, Membership, and Professional Growth.

 

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Happy 2018

Happy 2018! As we say goodbye to 2017, we can all take account of the highlights, rewards, and challenges of the past year and move forward looking to improve. At FOTA, our commitment is to support you as a member in practice, education, and advocacy in this new year. The FOTA board is working together on developing future leaders in our organization through our Ad Hoc committee on Leadership Development. After last fall’s success with our OTA Leadership course, we plan to offer a continuing education course to select future leaders this spring. Our commitment is to foster and support leadership in FOTA for our success in the future. Your opportunity to be involved includes volunteering for an event, project, or committee, and serving on the FOTA board. The FOTA Elections 2018 will take place in March, where nominations for President-elect and Secretary will open on the website January 22nd.

 

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Blog One: From the President

A New FOTA President: Brent Cheyne, OTD, OTR/L 

Where are we headed? 

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