One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching at USAHS is learning from and working with experienced and passionate faculty. OT Program Director Marcia Hamilton said in 2017 she brought her more than 30 years of experience in occupational therapy clinical practice when she joined the faculty at her Miami campus at USAHS. Throughout his career, Dr. Hamilton has specialized in developing pediatric, general practitioner, primary care, subacute care, and community-based initiatives. Her recent academic research focuses on population health, COVID-19 impact and recovery efforts.
At USAHS, Dr. Hamilton is deeply involved in the clinical neuroscience curriculum, providing basic learning opportunities in the classroom that can be applied to occupational therapy practice. Her passion for community-based practice and expanding her OT range of services and impact brings great value to both the community and the students of her OT program.
“Health inequalities and social needs are more present than ever,” says Dr. Hamilton.
“I am seriously concerned about social and professional justice, health inequalities, and barriers to participation in meaningful aspects of life. When I find someone who feels that way, it’s part of the picture and I know there are other people out there with the same problem. Influenced, our recovery efforts must be viewed with a lens that addresses risk factors and removes barriers that support overall health and well-being.”
That was her idea behind the award-winning Project Fun, which she designed in 2009 to “promote health, wellness and skill development through safe, interactive play.” The playground she developed in Atlantic County, New Jersey was the result of a referral on a child with spina bifida that caused paralysis. The child was dissatisfied with the lack of access to existing playgrounds, exhibited behavioral problems, and had health implications.
“Even though only one child participated in the evaluation, we knew that what had happened to her had happened to other children. We were given limited opportunities, and my goal was to think big, from one person to an entire district serving 500 children aged 3 to 21,” Hamilton said. says Dr.
Dr. Hamilton has consulted with a school district in Southwest Florida that is interested in replicating the design for their students.
More recently, Dr. Hamilton has turned his attention to helping communities deal with the impact of the pandemic, particularly the lack of equitable access to resources due to increased poverty, mental health and social challenges.
“Here in Miami, we are tackling not only health disparities and lack of access, but also housing insecurity and homelessness. We are now partnering with community agencies that serve vulnerable populations. Through partnerships, students are able to engage with adults and children through fieldwork at Level I. Under faculty supervision, we introduce occupational therapy strategies and interventions into community-based programs such as Lotus House and WOW Centre. I am,” she says.
“This is a great opportunity for the community and USAHS OT students to expand the impact of occupational therapy.”
A key area she has worked to advance is OT via telemedicine. Like many people, Dr. Hamilton had her parents in nursing homes during the pandemic lockdown, so she spoke about the challenges facing older adults at the time and the resulting loneliness and depression. I felt keenly. With funding from her USAHS, she developed a telemedicine system for her mother’s residential facility. The system connected Dr. Hamilton and her OT students directly with these older patients, enabling them to address a variety of issues including physical activity, muscle strength, motor control and planning, and mental health. and social connections. Through the development and implementation of this telemedicine solution, Dr. Hamilton will not only help mothers and other residents, but will also explore creative problem-solving methods and the critical insights needed to deliver and manage care via the Internet. I was able to teach these skills to my students. Link. “Through Level I fieldwork and telemedicine, I see it as a bridge between the classroom and the community,” says Dr. Hamilton.
The program itself is free-flowing, allowing residents to greatly benefit from what the OT has to offer in a fun and uplifting way. The university provided connectivity to connect iPads and activity rooms to his USAHS classrooms, as well as tote his bag with scarves, journals, books, and ribbons for each resident to use in therapy sessions. bottom.
“Buying in bulk kept costs low, we used technology that was already in the facility, and we partnered with activity coordinators who were already on staff,” says Dr. Hamilton.
“This is a really valuable way to make a big impact on the lives of people who might otherwise not be able to access occupation-based interventions without access to private insurance.”
Dr. Hamilton describes his work in OT as a personal journey spanning decades. Her journey has allowed her to push her OT field into hitherto uncharted territory as new challenges emerge. Sharing her knowledge and experience with her students and serving the vulnerable is truly a dream come true for her.
“I still have a lot of work to do, especially when it comes to introducing more OT into primary care,” she says. “But I also love the leadership aspect of working with the next generation of OT. It’s been fun to watch the USAHS OT program develop and stabilize. It’s a phenomenal opportunity to have the opportunity.”
Ready to start a challenging role in occupational therapy? Discover USAHS’ Immersive OT Program and apply today.
