Quinnipiac Student-led Conference

Sunday, April 16, 2023

9AM-3PM

In-Person & Virtual Conference on Zoom

North Haven Campus

370 Bassett Rd, North Haven, CT 06473

Earn CEUs!

Light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Members - FREE
Non-Members - $20

REGISTER HERE

Schedule of Events
9:00 AM Registration, MNH 105
9:30 AM-10:30 AM Opening Remarks (MNH 101) & Light Breakfast

10:45AM-11:30AM Session 1 (MNH 201) OR Session 2 (MNH 202) 

11:45 PM-12:30 PM Networking Lunch
12:45 PM-1:30 PM Session 3: Keynote speaker (MNH 101) 
1:30 PM-2:00 PM Knowledge Bowl

2:00PM-2:15 PM Closing Remarks 

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Session 3 Keynote Speaker: 12:45 to 1:30 PM EST

Presenter: Victoria Garcia Wilburn DHSc, OTR, FAOTA

Bio: Dr. Garcia Wilburn is a 2005 graduate from Boston University, and earned her Master (2012) and Doctorate of Health Science (2014) from the University of Indianapolis. She holds a certificate in Change Leadership from Cornell University. She is Assistant Professor, both teaching and conducting research, in the School of Health and Human Sciences at Indiana University, Indianapolis and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Occupational Therapy Association. She made history being the youngest first-gen Latina to be awarded Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, her profession's highest honor of distinction. She was recognized as Occupational Therapist of the Year, inducted into the Indiana Latino Leadership Circle, awarded Boston University's Alumni Association Special Recognition Award for “outstanding contributions to humanity beyond professional responsibility,” named Outstanding Woman Leader from the Indiana University Office of Women, and selected as part of Hoosier Women Forward, a democratic grooming program for women. She is committed to educational equity, improving public health, and creating positive sustainable change as a State Representative in Indiana for House District 32-her newest leadership endeavor.

Title: Evidence-based decision making in advocacy: Using your clinical tools for creating change

Objectives:

1. Identify the similarities between the occupational profile and effective advocacy
2. Summarize the components of a bill draft 
3. Determine the critical needs of advocacy in your community

Abstract:

Attendees will learn effective strategies in healthcare advocacy, how to effectively read a bill, understand more deeply the legislative process and how to communicate your needs to your lobbyist/or effectively communicate to lawmakers. Learn the similarities in clinical decision making and the occupational profile process with drafting legislative.

Sessions (CHOOSE SESSION 1 or SESSION 2)

Session 1: 10:45 to 11:30 AM EST 

Title: This is How We Do It: Sexuality & Occupational Therapy

Presenter: Kathryn Ellis, OTD, OTR/L, AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor

Bio: Kathryn Ellis developed the Occupational Therapy Sexuality and Intimacy Clinic at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  She is the editor of the new AOTA Press Sexuality Textbook (publication pending) and the author of Sex and Intimacy for Wounded Veterans: A Guide to Embracing Change. She is the founder/CEO of a continuing education company the Institute for Sex, Intimacy & Occupational Therapy. She is an American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists Certified Sexuality Counselor and consultant on sexuality and intimacy projects and initiatives. Her private practice, Dr. Kathryn Ellis Sexual Wellness Counseling, is based in Delaware.

Abstract: This course will provide an overview of the role of occupational therapy in sexuality and intimacy assessment and intervention.  I touch on the basics of what to know and how to begin to address sexuality in OT practice.  The course reviews best-practice for healthcare providers who address sexuality and intimacy, which is to engage in self-reflection and cultural humility. 

Objectives:

1. Report an increase in comfort addressing sexual activity and intimate social participation with their clients from their pre-course assessment to post-course assessment.
2. Identify 3 specific performance skills which can impact performance in sexual activity and intimate social participation occupations
3. Identify 3 specific intervention strategies for clients in their domain of practice for sex and intimacy interventions
4. Relate 3 pieces of information from the course into practice at their facility focusing on advocacy, education, and intervention for sex and intimacy occupations

Session 2: 10:45 to 11:30 AM EST 

Title: Virtual Reality in OT

Presenter: Sarah E. Anderson, OTD, OTR/L

Bio: Sarah Anderson, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and a dual-degree PhD candidate in health and rehabilitation sciences at The Ohio State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Carnegie Mellon University (BFA ’15) and a doctorate degree in occupational therapy from The Ohio State University (OTD ’19). Her area of clinical practice is pediatrics and she currently works as an inpatient clinical therapist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Dr. Anderson’s primary area of research is the development and implementation of virtual technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), to improve health and safety outcomes in clinical, home, and community settings. Her PhD research focuses on VR for training and assessment of individuals with cognitive dysfunction, specifically the design of VR for home safety education among adolescents with brain injury.

Dr. Anderson also aims to promote multidisciplinary collaboration among stakeholders as key to driving revolutionary change in healthcare and communities. In this effort, she currently works with a technology company to improve the clinical relevance of their products. She is also the previous chair of the Games for Health Journal Early Career Committee, which aims to foster collaboration among early career professionals and improve dissemination in games for health research. Additionally, she has assisted in the development of interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate courses on gaming accessibility and the healthcare implications and applications of video games for The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Dr. Anderson has three peer-reviewed publications and has presented her research locally, nationally, and internationally at various technology and rehabilitation conferences, including IEEE VR 2020, the 2023 Annual American Occupational Therapy Association Conference and Expo, and the 2022 International Paediatric Brain Injury Society & North American Brain Injury Society Joint Conference on Brain Injury. You can contact her at [email protected].

Abstract:

Intro: Virtual reality (VR) is not a novel technology, but it’s implementation in OT clinical practice is innovative and brimming with potential. While this is an exciting new frontier for discovery, many clinicians, developers, educators, and researchers still don’t know how to address or apply these new technologies to effectively address patient needs.

Purpose: This presentation will provide a brief, informative overview of VR through several different lenses of understanding:  description and definition of VR technology, evidence for clinical application, and considerations for use and implementation.

Methods: A brief description of VR technology will be provided through explanation of its history, definitions, current devices, and anticipated iterations. Clinical application of VR will be provided through an overview of relevant evidence, and personal anecdotes of the presenter’s experiences. Lastly, considerations for VR implementation will traverse different topics of discussion including health and safety considerations, inclusion and accessibility, the pace of research and development, and the need for interprofessional stakeholder collaboration. The presentation will end with conclusions and questions, with time permitting.

Conclusions: This presentation is not intended to be a comprehensive instruction on VR and its uses, but rather a starting point to explore some of the many benefits, curiosities, and challenges for this technology. This is done through an OT-centric perspective, while also elevating the value of other professions and stakeholders who interact in these spaces. The hope is that attendees will nurture a curiosity for technological tools, and understand what VR has to offer OT and what OT can offer VR.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to define and describe the characteristics of virtual reality technologies.
2. Attendees will be able to understand the current evidence for VR and its application in clinical practice.
3. Attendees will be able to identify potential safety concerns and implementation challenges for virtual reality technologies.
4. Attendees will be able to explain how VR could be useful for them and their patients/students in clinical and academic settings.