Occupational Therapy 2025 OT Knowledge Exchange

*4 CEUs for those who register and attend

Schedule and Presentations:

• 7:30 a.m. – Doors open
• 8 a.m. – Breakfast and Networking
• 8:30-8:45 a.m. – Welcome Address: from Drs. Jen Weaver and Anita Bundy
• 8:45-9:45 a.m. – Keynote in Room A: “Beyond Awareness: A Call for Action”
  presented by Clarice Grote from Amplify OT
• 9:45 – 10:00 a.m. – Break
• 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. – Future Forward: Actionable Access and Advocacy Through
  Policy
  • • Room A: “2025 OTAC Public Policy Update” Presented by Heidi Kunugi
    • Room A: “Empowering Through Digital Accessibility: Why OT’s Need to Care” Presented by Melanie Eddington and Rachel Gramig from CSU Assistive Technology and Resource Center
• 10:45 – 11:00 a.m. – Room A: Poster Winners and Lightning Presentations
• 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. – Room B: Poster Viewing, Visit Tables, and Refreshments
• 11:30 – 12:10 a.m. – Room for Growth: Developing New OT Programs and
  Approaches
  • Room A Theme: “Bridging the Gap to Developing Referral Pathways” Presenters include Jessica Bombino Elliott, Katie Freeman, Ashleigh K. Tarango, and Lauren Teague
  • Room B Theme: “Advancing OTs Role in Community Practice” Presenters include Janell Pisegna, Katie Pritchard, Laura Swink, and Emily Vaughan
• 12:15 – 12:35 p.m. – Lunch provided
• 12:40 – 1:40 p.m. – Navigating Next Steps in Your Practice
  • Room A: “Roundtables for OTD Students with Mentors” Coordinated by Haidyn Stahl
  • Room B: “Implementing A Call for Action” presented by Clarice Grote
• 1:45-2:00 p.m. – Awards and closing remarks from Dr. Anita Bundy
• After 2 p.m. – Brewery Fundraiser Event for CSU OT PTE at Intersect Brewery

Come hear the 2025 Knowledge Exchange Keynote Lecture presented by Clarice Grote

Beyond Awareness: A Call for Action

Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L, is an innovative advocate for OT, Medicare specialist, host of the Amplify OT Podcast, CEO and Founder of Amplify OT, and recipient of AOTA’s 2024 Gary Kielhofner Emerging Leader Award. Amplify OT provides dynamic resources on Medicare policy, billing, and advocacy to inspire OTPs and students to amplify the value of OT. Clarice is an American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) Ambassador for NC and the NCOTA Legal and Political co-chair. Clarice can be reached at www.amplifyot.com or cgrote@amplifyot.com. She can be found on social media @amplify_ot

Room A

2025 OTAC Public Policy Update

Heidi Kunugi, OTAC Public Policy Chair

My name is Heidi Kunugi and I live in Littleton, CO. I went to CSU for my undergraduate degree in Health and Exercise Science and Creighton University for OT school. I have been volunteering as the OTAC public policy chairperson for the last four years. I also work in acute care as an occupational therapist. I really enjoy working with the geriatric population! I grew up in southern Colorado and am a typical Colorado girl. I enjoy hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing/cross country skiing and enjoying our beautiful state!

Room A

Empowering Through Digital Accessibility: Why OT’s Need to Care

Melanie Eddington and Rachel Gramig

Rachel is an Occupational Therapist, Ergonomic Specialist, and a Musician. She has practiced as an OT for 15 years and works at CSU’s Assistive Technology Resource Center part-time along with Fort Collins Adaptive Recreation Opportunities. She runs her own business, ArtGonomics, providing ergonomic assessment, training and injury prevention for artists and musicians. She is an avid outdoorsperson, and recently thru-hiked the Colorado Trail. She loves helping students, faculty and staff access their education and occupations through the use of Assistive Technology and is proud to be a part of the awesome team at the ATRC.

Melanie Eddington is an occupational therapist at CSU’s Assistive Technology Resource Center. She previously worked in neurorehabilitation and is especially interested in using assistive technology to support diverse neuro populations. Her favorite part of working at the ATRC is getting to know students and employees across campus, and she loves the creativity and variety in her job. Before becoming an OT, Melanie worked in the non-profit world, focusing on education and sustainable agriculture. She enjoys outdoor activities, baking, and playing music.

Room A Theme: “Bridging the Gap to Developing Referral Pathways”

Bridging the Gap: Developing a Postpartum Care Experience in Acute Care?

Ashleigh K. Tarango, OTR/L, CCTS-I, PHS-C

Ashleigh is a first-generation college graduate and completed her MOT at CSU in 2020. Early in her career as an acute care therapist, she recognized a pattern of pelvic floor dysfunction contributing to patient readmissions, which sparked her pursuit of foundational pelvic health knowledge. In 2023, she co-led the development of inpatient rehabilitation services for the acute postpartum population at MCR, which officially launched in the summer of 2024.

As the Director of Engagement for the Pelvic Health Network, Ashleigh focuses on expanding professional resources, elevating the Perinatal Health Specialist Certification, and fostering engagement within the pelvic health community.

Advocating for Rehabilitation Care of Individuals with Disorders of Consciousness in the Acute Care Setting

Jessica Bombino-Elliott and Katie Freeman

Jessica Bombino-Elliott, PT, DPT, NCS, CBIS, is a Physical Therapist at the University of Colorado Hospital. She earned her DPT in 2011 and became a board-certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist in 2016. She has practiced in acute rehabilitation, acute care, and ICU settings, specializing in stroke, traumatic brain injury, and vestibular rehabilitation. Jessica teaches in the DPT programs at CU Anschutz and Regis University and is a Clinical Science PhD student at CU Anschutz. Her research focuses on optimizing rehabilitation for individuals with acute disorders of consciousness.

Katie Freeman, MSOT, OTR/L, CSRS is an Occupational Therapist at the University of Colorado Hospital. She earned her MSOT in 2010 from CSU and has worked on acute care units throughout the hospital with a special interest in working with patients in critical care and in the neurological and trauma populations. She also has been involved in research related to OT in acute care, as well as OT related education through her role as the Inpatient OT Student Program Coordinator.

Bridging the Gap: Identifying Interventions Utilized in Acute Care Settings for Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

Lauren Teague, OTD, OTR/L

Lauren Teague, OTD, OTR/L, is a PhD student in Occupational and Rehabilitation Science at Colorado State University. She previously worked as a research assistant in the Translating Meaningful Measurement in Rehabilitation Research Lab (METEOR Lab) under Dr. Jennifer Weaver, PhD, OTR/L, where she completed her Doctor of Occupational Therapy capstone, examining the interventions rehabilitation practitioners use in acute care settings for patients with disorders of consciousness. Lauren is now pursuing her PhD.

Room B Theme: “Advancing OTs Role in Community Practice”

Occupational Therapy Led Social Prescription for People with Parkinson Disease

Katie Pritchard, OTS and Laura Swink, PhD

Katie is in her third year of the OT doctoral program. In 2022, she earned her undergraduate degree from CSU in Health & Exercise Science with a focus on Biomedical Engineering. Personal health experiences introduced her to this field, but once she discovered the full scope of OT, she decided to pursue a career in it and began the OTD program shortly after. Katie has a strong interest in neurorehabilitation and is particularly passionate about working with individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. She is completing her capstone under the mentorship of Laura Swink and contributing to a research study exploring the feasibility and outcomes of an OT-led social prescription program for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Laura Swink is a PhD-trained occupation and rehabilitation scientist. She completed her PhD at CSU and went on to do an Advanced Geriatric Postdoctoral Fellowship through the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the Anschutz VA. Her passion is designing innovative and implementable interventions for older adults, and specifically people with Parkinson’s disease. She has been specifically designing and implementing interventions for people with Parkinson’s disease on and off for the past 7 years—including fall risk management, and the social prescription work she will present on today.

Occupational Therapy and Behavioral Health

Emily Vaughan, OTR/L

Emily is an occupational therapist with 5 years of experience in behavioral health. Currently she works in dual-diagnosis, crisis, and withdrawal/detox bed-based care with Summit Stone Health Partners. She has a passion for harm reduction, pain-management, and client advocacy. She also enjoys supporting students as a fieldwork educator, taking on upwards of 10 students a year. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying out new hobbies, and hiking and camping with her dogs.

NOT SAD – Neuro-rehabilitative Occupational Therapy for Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression; a multifaceted implementation program with Rehab Without Walls Neurorehabilitation

Janell Pisegna, PhD, OTR/L, CSRS

Dr. Pisegna earned her Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences from The Ohio State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Eastern Colorado VA Healthcare System in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the Physical Therapy Department. Dr. Pisegna’s scholarly interests are in conjunction with the Colorado AgrAbility Project and center on clinical and implementation research to support the uptake of evidence-based practices in occupational therapy and community health programming, especially in rural settings and neurorehabilitation.

Room A

“Roundtables for OTD Students with Mentors”

Coordinated by Haidyn Stahl

Room B

“Implementing A Call for Action”

Presented by Clarice Grote