OOTA Sponsor and Exhibitor Spotlight
Alyssa DeCarlo, MS, OTR/L, MSCS, CSRS, LSVT
From lectures to workshops, and award ceremonies to poster presentations; this year’s OOTA Conference was one for the books with DOUBLE the attendees of last year’s conference! This was in large part due to the amazing contributions our exhibitors and sponsors made to make this event possible. Those friendly faces, beautifully decorated tables, and sweet treat pick-me-ups allowed for fruitful conversations supporting professional development between sessions each day. With so much to do and see, it may not have been possible to stop by every table. So, we wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of those tables in case you missed them and say a big THANK YOU to every single exhibitor/sponsor that continues to support OOTA and the growth of the OT profession!
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Exhibitors
Ovation Rehabilitation
Rivetus Rehabilitation
Stride Mobility
AOTF
CarFit Ohio
Cleveland State University
Envision University
Galvin Therapy Center
NBCOT
Ohio Professionals Health Program
Shawnee State University
Therapy Volunteers International
OSHSA
Teas Your Spirits
The Bibliophile Candle Company
University of Toledo SOTA
About Ovation Rehabilitation: Ovation rehab is located in skilled and assisted living facilities across Ohio (32 locations), Michigan (30 locations), and Kentucky (5 location) and proudly holds the Great Place to Work National Certification. John notes that Ovation Rehabilitation is “focused on achieving clinical results while simultaneously doing the right thing for the people we work with. We truly care for our employees.”
For more information visit: Ovationrehab.com
Of note: John remarks that in his 30 years, he has seen the evolution within the healthcare industry. He notes “there will always be a space for our services. They are needed with the growing demographics of our country, the diagnoses we see, and the advances in treatments in therapy. They’re always evolving; albeit under a tight fiscal environment.” John notes that Ovation Rehabilitation is always looking for new opportunities to offer services by partnering with reputable nursing facilities, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and maintaining the Great Place to Work status which results in lower employee turnover and leads to more consistency and therefore clinical results.
About Rivetus Rehab: Rivetus Rehab supports sub-acute facilities primarily located in Detroit, MI with 7 locations in Columbus Ohio and 1 in Bidwell, OH. Chris notes Rivetus is about “quality care that matters. We want to leave patients and families with a smile and be the best part of their day.”
For more information visit: RivetusRehab.com/careers or e-mail Chris directly at Chris.Moore@RivetusRehab.com
Of note: Chris notes that “operating as a small company where everyone knows and cares for each other is important. At Rivetus you are a name, not a number. Everyone is essential and has their part to play. That is what workers at Rivetus say makes them happy to work here. We get to see that transfer every day to the patients; that our clinicians care about them getting better. Maintaining that passion differentiates us through the tumultuous nature of medicine.”
About Stride Mobility: Jason describes the mission behind Stride Mobility is to “give people back their independence with their ADLs, higher quality of life through socialization in the community, and improved dignity that comes from a loss of mobility.”
For more information visit: Stridemobility.net
Of note: Jason describes the value Stride Mobility brings to the table as, “when you’ve reached a point with therapy that now requires a transition to maintenance or compensation, mobility devices allow a transition that fosters quality of life in a different way. People can go out to ball games and other things that improve freedom. Equipment through Stride supports picking up where traditional therapies sometimes leave off.”
About AOTF: Per Jewel and Amy, AOTF is “the only OT organization that funds OT researchers. AOTF helps to generate OT specific evidence vs relying on others. With changes in federal support of funds; AOTF is stepping up to support evidence-based research needed to facilitate OT practice.”
For more information visit: Aotf.org
Of note: Jewel and Amy advocated that “we need stronger evidence supporting clinical interventions. AOTF supporting this research bridges gaps in the medical field by supporting OTPs and researchers to set up this evidence. For example, we launched a pilot study for The AquOTic Program in which OTPs facilitated swim lessons for children with autism. The OTPs work directly translates to safety, socialization, and recreation. After AOTF demonstrated initial success by serving >100 children; AOTF secured a $3 million DOD grant to continue providing this necessary care.”
About CarFit: Emma notes, “in Ohio, older adults over-represent the number of traffic fatalities due to difficulty with recovery after collision. We help older adults adjust their vehicles to make them safer. We work closely with OTs by offering opportunities to become Car-Fit Certified (during which you can obtain CEUs and a micro-credential) to help meet the needs of this population. If an OTP is looking for something different, this is a form of non-traditional therapy where we can help provide clientele with more education on car safety and independence while providing peace of mind. This is noted by 89% of people that are seen for an appointment report leaving the appointment feeling safer.”
For more information visit: Car-fit.org
Of note: Emma champions that OTPs are excellent with “working from an interdisciplinary approach, utilizing soft skills to respect and provide adaptations to daily routines that protect a person’s autonomy, and provide the best follow up care. OTPs ensure CarFit events run well and we can continue to do what we do.”
About Envision University: Mike notes that Envision University is a “non-profit organization and proud AOTA approved provider that has 2 sectors. The first of which is the professional education arm which provides CE’s to clinicians regarding low vision. We are paired specifically with low vision clinics for adults and child development centers with OTPs completing vision rehab in KS and TX to support blind and visually impaired people across the lifespan. The second sector is that we support employment of the blind and visually impaired. We are proud to be one of the highest ranked employers for these people.”
For more information visit: Envisionus.com Mike also notes to check out Envsion’s upcoming conferences being held in Columbus. You can find details on the Whova App.
Of note: Mike shares that OTPs have a very strong place in the medical community. OTPs provide “empathy and understanding of where the patient is coming from, the impact of vision loss on their lives by partnering with the patient to develop goals that promote optimizing quality of life; and by referring to support programs, fostering community engagement, and to other members of the interdisciplinary team.”
About NBCOT: Samantha describes NBCOT as “an organization that gives the ability to be certified in OT nationally which allows clients to recognize that we are working at the highest level of care!”
For more information visit: NBCOT.org
Of note: Samantha expressed that OTPs are unique in that they provide a “person centered, holistic approach. The nurturing nature of OTPs is a unique value that lets us stay at the forefront of the medical field. We can make a difference by talking about OT every chance we get! We want to share with anyone, Why Choose OT; which is a campaign through NBCOT trying to accomplish just that.”
About Therapy Volunteers International: This amazing non-profit organization provides opportunities to place OTPs at all levels (student or clinician) of their career with partnering special education schools in Belize. Whether as a fieldwork or capstone experience, a service trip, or a new way to connect with our world; Therapy Volunteers International allows OTPs to train and work alongside teachers to improve the lives of kids in developing nations.
For more information visit: https://paa.ge/therapyvolunteers/en
Of note: Amy states that “there is a huge need for OTPs in Belize. Few teachers even have formal training in special education and many of these students living with disabilities have never attended schools or received any formal therapy. We get to be that for the first time in their lives. Seeing that progress being made is unparalleled!”
About Teas Your Spirits: Myra notes that Teas Your Spirits was developed during COVID as a personal project to “reach a calmness and meditation that traditional ways weren’t helping with. Tea is referred to as a taboo for when you’re sick. And when I started to make tea for myself, I felt better. I realized it’s not necessarily the tea, but the process of gathering, mincing, blending, the aroma, etc. It just became a ritual and a lifestyle that allowed a better mental space for myself that I wanted to share with others. I wanted it to look pretty, taste amazing, and have ingredients that allow the tea to be a healthier go to.”
For more information visit: Teasyourspirits.com
Of note: Mayra notes that OTPs are essential. “Medicine only works as much as your attitude and treatment from OTs add humanity to the science of medicine.”
Once again, THANK YOU!, to all of our sponsors and exhibitors that made this year’s OOTA Conference spectacular. See you next year for OOTA 2026!
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