Letter from the Editors
It is wonderful to be back with you for another issue of the OOTA newsletter! As we move toward the end of the summer, there is certainly a sense of excitement in the air as we put the finishing touches on what promises to be an incredible OOTA Conference.
This spring and summer have already given us plenty to celebrate. In May, OOTA members gathered at the Ohio State House for Hill Day. The enthusiasm and engagement of everyone who participated was truly inspiring. This is something special about being together in person–meeting with legislators, sharing our experiences, and making our collective voice heard.
A special congratulations is in order for Erika Eustaquio, Nichole Dearth, and Christie Tuttle, who represented occupational therapy so well in their presentation before the House Medicaid Committee. Their advocacy was an important reminder of the impact that we can have when we come together and speak with a unified voice.
These moments also remind us of something we love about occupational therapy: it is a very big world but somehow also a very small one. There are so many of us doing meaningful work across Ohio, yet we do not always have the chance to cross paths. Events like Hill Day and the Annual Conference give us the opportunity to come together, reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and celebrate all that our profession has to offer.
Behind the scenes, our volunteers have been working tirelessly over the past year to bring the 2026 Annual Conference to life. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of that work firsthand and continue to be impressed by the energy, creativity, and dedication that our volunteers have brought to this year’s event. It is packed with ample opportunities to deepen your clinical knowledge, explore emerging areas of practice, connect with colleagues and friends, or simply be re-energized by the OT community!
This issue also marks the final regular issue of the OOTA Newsletter for 2026. But don’t worry–we’re not done yet! In November, we will publish a special post-conference issue to reflect on the year, celebrate the accomplishments of our profession and our Association, and revisit some of the wonderful moments from the Conference. We are already beginning to think about what that issue will look like, so be on the lookout!
The newsletter itself has had an exciting year of growth and collaboration. Our newsletter committee has been meeting throughout the summer to continue developing meaningful, engaging content for OOTA members. We’ve featured wonderful contributors both within and outside of the committee, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see people find their own space within the newsletter.
OOTA leadership has continued to expand important discussions about how to better connect the people generating knowledge in academia and research with the clinicians who are applying that knowledge every day. How do we make sure that emerging evidence, innovative programming, and new approaches are not simply published but actually translated into meaningful changes in practice? This newsletter has an important role to play in that conversation. In this issue, we are highlighting several pieces that touch on knowledge translation and dissemination, including an article from Ohio State PhD candidate, Katarina Garibian, as well as contributions from clinicians like Bonnie Boenig, Marley Kalata, and Virginia “Ginny” Sullivan that explore practical elements practitioners can incorporate into everyday practice. These articles represent exactly the kind of dialogue we hope to continue generating–connecting research, clinical expertise, and real-world practice in ways that are useful and accessible to our membership.
And this is an invitation: We want to hear from you!
You do not have to be a researcher or an academic to have something valuable to share. (Although, we welcome all of you, too!) Maybe you have developed an innovative program. Maybe you found a creative solution to a clinical challenge. Maybe you have expertise in a particular practice area, a perspective on an issue affecting the profession, or simply an idea that you think other practitioners would benefit from hearing.
This newsletter continues to be another avenue for you to share that knowledge.
Of course, the Conference provides an incredible opportunity to do exactly that. Whether you are presenting a session or sharing a poster, you are contributing to the collective knowledge of our profession. But the conversation does not have to end when the Conference does. This newsletter gives you an outlet to take what you know, what you have learned, and what you are passionate about and share it with a much larger audience.
We are fortunate to have such a strong readership across the state, and we want to continue making the newsletter a place where members can learn and celebrate alongside one another.
As we close out this issue and look ahead to the Conference, I am reminded once again of just how important these opportunities to come together really are. Whether we are gathered at the State House advocating for our profession, sitting together in a conference session, exchanging ideas over coffee, or contributing an article to the newsletter, these moments allow us to collaborate, network, recharge, and reconnect with the reasons we chose occupational therapy in the first place.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to OOTA this year—our volunteers, writers, presenters, advocates, committee members, board members, and, most importantly, our members. Your passion and willingness to show up for this profession are what make this community so special!
We hope you will join us October 16–17 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton for the 2026 OOTA Annual Conference. I am incredibly excited about what we have planned, and I truly cannot wait to see everyone in Easton in a few weeks.
Until then, keep learning, keep sharing, and keep showing up for occupational therapy.
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