OOTA Hill Day 2025: Advocate for OT in Columbus!
 Date: May 7, 2025
 Location: Ohio Statehouse, Columbus (1 Capitol Sq, Columbus, OH 43215)
 Who Should Attend: OT practitioners, students, and supporters of occupational therapy advocacy
 Registration: https://forms.gle/FNBWkFMdS9o4qTsv8
Join the OOTA for our annual Hill Day—a powerful opportunity to advocate for policies that strengthen OT practice and improve patient access to care. Together, we’ll meet with legislators, share our expertise, and push for meaningful change.
Why Participate?
~Learn how state policy impacts your profession and your patients.
~Meet face-to-face with lawmakers and legislative staff. No experience needed!
~Connect with fellow OT practitioners and students from across the state.
~Share your passion for occupational therapy and raise awareness about our vital role in healthcare.
Advocacy in Action: HB 141 Success
Thanks to collective efforts from the OT community, House Bill 141 (Copay Fairness Act) passed in 2024—ensuring fairer access to therapy services in Ohio. This victory was made possible by practitioners and students who engaged in advocacy through events like Hill Day. Now, we build on that momentum.
Help shape the future of occupational therapy in Ohio. The more voices we bring to the Statehouse, the stronger our message becomes.
Attention Ohio OT Students!! Your NBCOT® Exam Success Starts Here!
Are you preparing for the NBCOT® Certification Exam?
Join us for this informative virtual session with Rita P. Fleming-Castaldy, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, as she provides essential insights into the NBCOT® exams for both OTR® and COTA® candidates.
What You’ll Learn:
- The latest content, format, and scoring details for the NBCOT® exam (i.e., OTR® or COTA®).
- How to obtain and use ADA test-taking accommodations (if eligible)
- Effective strategies and resources to support exam success
- How to critically evaluate exam preparation products
Event Details:
 Date: April 21, 2025
 Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM EST
 Location: Online (Virtual Event)
 Cost: Free for OOTA Student Members | $15 for Non-OOTA Student Members
We are excited to announce that the 2025 OOTA Annual Conference is set for October 17-18, 2025, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus Dublin! This year’s theme, “Strength in Unity: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities,” reflects our commitment to coming together as a profession to navigate challenges, embrace change, and create new possibilities for occupational therapy. Mark your calendars and start thinking about how you’d like to participate in this inspiring event!
The Call for Papers is open now!! Submission deadline has been extended until May 27th. Visit the conference home page for more info!
🌟 Visit our Conference Home Page 🌟
Stay up to date on all conference details by visiting the conference home page. We’ll be sharing important updates, including registration, session topics, and special events, so be sure to check back often!
Tell us about your (or your colleagues') accomplishments!
The form below will be used by OOTA’s communications team to enhance our understanding of the incredible work being done by OOTA members. If you’d like to share a story/accomplishment from your own work experience, or recommend one of your peers and colleagues for recognition due to a story/accomplishment of their own, please do so!
OOTA’s staff and/or Newsletter Committee volunteers will follow up with you (or the appropriate party) with any additional details and to schedule a time to speak (briefly!). Our conversation will help staff/volunteers understand the best way for sharing your insights across OOTA’s audience.
2025 Virtual Student Conclave Recap
The 2025 Virtual Student Conclave was a fantastic success, and we want to extend our deepest thanks to everyone involved! With over 150 students registered, the event offered two exciting evenings filled with engaging presentations, insightful discussions, and valuable networking opportunities.
We are incredibly grateful to our Presenters, New Grad Panelists, and Specialty Breakout Room Facilitators for sharing their expertise and inspiring the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners in Ohio. The event earned an overall satisfaction rating of 4.3/5 across both nights — a testament to the value and energy brought by all involved.
One of the highlights of the event was our raffle, where lucky winners received NBCOT study packs and OOTA student memberships:
- NBCOT Study Pack (OT): Ciara Hampton
- NBCOT Study Pack (OTA): Kelsey Dallas
- OOTA Student Memberships: Esteban Yin and Alayna Bollinger
Congratulations to all our winners!
A special shoutout goes to our amazing Student Committee Chair, Bekah Bourgeois, for her outstanding work in creating such a fabulous event. We truly couldn’t have done it without her dedication and leadership.
Stay tuned for more exciting student events on the horizon — we can’t wait to see you at the 2026 Student Conclave!
Great News!! HB 141 Passes – Thank You for Your Advocacy!
We have exciting news to share—House Bill 141, the Ohio Copay Fairness Act, has officially passed the Ohio Legislature! This is a huge win for occupational therapy practitioners and the patients we serve, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you.
Your calls, emails, and outreach to legislators played an integral role in ensuring this bill moved forward. Advocacy works, and this victory is a direct reflection of the power of our collective voices. By reaching out to your State Senators, you helped secure fairer copays for OT, PT, and chiropractic services, making these essential treatments more accessible to Ohioans.
Stay Engaged—Unlock More Advocacy Benefits with OOTA Membership
This achievement underscores the importance of participation in the advocacy process. When we come together as a profession, we can influence meaningful change that benefits both practitioners and patients. If you’re not yet a member of OOTA, now is the perfect time to join!
As an OOTA member, you gain exclusive access to:
- Advocacy updates and action alerts
- Resources to support your practice
- Networking opportunities with OT practitioners across Ohio
- Continuing education and professional development
By becoming a member, you strengthen our collective voice and ensure that occupational therapy remains a priority in Ohio’s legislative landscape. Join OOTA today and be an official part of this thriving community!
If you’d like to learn more about how to get involved or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out ootastaff@gpsforgrowth.com.
DEIJAB Book Club
Several weeks into our inaugural DEIJAB Book Club, and we’re already seeing the power of collective action and shared learning! From exploring therapeutic use of self to discussing representation in healthcare, our Ohio OT practitioners are embracing a call for transformative change.
As we dive deeper into discussions about increasing diversity in our profession and building more inclusive practice environments, we’re reminded that change happens through consistent, intentional action. Together, we’re working to create a more equitable and accessible healthcare system—one conversation at a time.
Thank you to all our participants for your courage in sharing experiences and commitment to growth.
#OccupationalTherapy #OOTA #HealthcareEquity #ProfessionalDevelopment #TransformativeChange #Healthcare #Inclusion #BetterTogether #ContinuousLearning
Exciting Changes at OOTA! Welcome our New Staff!
We’re thrilled to announce some exciting changes at the OOTA! We’ve recently welcomed a brand new staff team supported by AOTA, that is dedicated to supporting your needs and advancing the field of occupational therapy in Ohio.
OOTA is now part of a collaborative effort with three other states – Nevada, Tennessee, and Missouri – under the AOTA-ASAP Pilot Collaborative. As shared at the 2023 OOTA Annual Business Meeting, this initiative involves utilization of an Association Management Company (AMC) among the four states, which is made possible by cost-sharing between the state associations involved.
The goals of the Collaborative include:
- Delivering a more robust and consistent value proposition to our members
- Growing both State Association and AOTA membership
- Increasing the depth of the volunteer pool and improving the volunteer leadership experience
- More effectively advancing our collective mission to assure the quality of occupational therapy services, improve consumer access to health care services, and promote the professional development of members in our respective states
Day-to-day changes for OOTA will include staff assistance and collaboration across multiple areas of daily operations for OOTA, including membership, accounting, communication, and event planning (including on demand webinars, live CE events, and Annual Conference). Visit HERE for the 2023 Annual Business Meeting Presentation to see details about the Collaborative and what it means for OOTA (slides 24-26).
Our staff comes to us with a wealth of experience supporting nonprofit membership organizations. As OOTA is now part of this initiative supported by AOTA, we have 8 new team members helping volunteers achieve their personal goals in reaching our organizational mission! All OOTA members are encouraged to get involved in activities ongoing, or ones you would like to pursue. This is a great time to explore how OOTA can help you!!
You may have noticed that our HQ address has changed to Virginia – this is correct, as our new staff is based there. In addition to our address change, we have a new OOTA email address that contacts staff directly. Please use this new email address for all inquiries: ootastaff@gpsforgrowth.com.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Next month, we will be highlighting an article introducing all our new staff members, including their contact information and a little “get to know them” section.
We are excited about this new partnership and all the benefits that it will bring to OOTA and its members! Stay tuned for more information!
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