From Injury to Insight & Advocacy: A Journey Through Concussion as Both Patient and OT

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2026

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Course Description

Those attending this educational session will experience insight from the presenter’s personal concussion recovery journey, illustrating the human and systemic impact of both adequate and inadequate concussion education, as well as the struggle & victory in finding the appropriate healthcare professionals to address such a diagnosis. This personal journey was one which has transformed the presenter’s approach to patient education, advocacy for mTBI patients she comes in contact with in acute care, and has inspired her to work toward change in the current health care system. A general overview of concussion, as well as concussion research & trends that emphasize the current education gap in concussion care amongst healthcare professionals will be discussed.

Participants will be reminded of the crucial role of OT in concussion recovery facilitation through patient education and promotion of advocacy for long term outcomes, as well as review a brief synopsis of real-world acute care case examples. An introduction to the presenter’s current collaboration efforts with a Level I Trauma Center Trauma Team management to improve education for mTBI patients will be shared. The course will conclude with a practical guide to national and Ohio-specific brain injury resources to support patient care, patient advocacy and clinical decision making. This course blends clinical knowledge, lived experience, and a strong desire for systemic and patient advocacy, helping OTs strengthen both their treatment skills, therapeutic use of self, and ability to improve continuity of concussion care within healthcare networks.

Speakers

Stephanie Fantauzzo Johnson graduated in 2000 from Chatham College in Pittsburgh PA with a BA Psychology and Minor in Human Services Administration. She received her Master of Occupational Therapy from Chatham in 2002, where she was an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, spearheaded a pediatric life skills group at a Pittsburgh women’s domestic violence shelter, coached Special Olympics basketball, and upon graduation was awarded the 2002 Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Student of the Year award. Soon after, Stephanie returned to her hometown of Dayton, OH, where she began working in both home health and on the Inpatient Rehab unit at Miami Valley Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Dayton. With an interest in the role faith plays in both healthcare, general health and full body & mind healing, she later graduated from North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago IL) in 2008, with her Post Masters Certificate of Faith and Health.

Stephanie spent 18 years as an OT on IPR at Miami Valley, specializing in stroke and brain injury, and has been an Acute Care OT at MVH for the past 5 years. She has worn many hats, including Stroke Team OT, Department Team Lead, and staff therapist. Her main areas of interests revolve around TBI, spinal cord injury and stroke; with her most recent interest revolving around initiating a discussion with emergency room physicians & trauma leadership to address the importance of education depth & consistency prior to concussion/mTBI patient discharge.

Stephanie enjoys traveling, photography, being a ‘girl mom’ to 2 young athletes, cooking, exercising and going on long walks with her husband.  She and her family refer to life before and after January 23, 2021, which was the date in which she sustained a vestibular concussion that involved the simultaneous diagnoses of multi canal BPPV. She continued to deal with highly recurrent BPPV on the side of impact, & was also later diagnosed with PPPD, PTSD, vestibular hypofunction & vestibular migraine, a highly misunderstood and underdiagnosed migraine, which she continues to manage (& conquer) today.

Stephanie feels it was due to her nonstop self-advocacy, the help of many friends & connections in the health care world, and her keen ability to NOT ‘take no for an answer’, that she was able to identify the multi-disciplinary team & approach that helped her recover. She feels strongly that education and advocacy are key in concussion rehab, and treats her concussion patients in a manner conducive to providing them with as much information as possible, albeit in the short amount of time she has with them in acute care. Stephanie feels her own experience with concussion, and her ability to live life to the fullest alongside a vestibular disorder, has allowed her to educate her own patients, and other people in her life, in ways she would have never been able to before her own experience.

Content Level

Introductory: This level assumes the audience has little or no information regarding the content area.

Intermediate: This level assumes the audience has general familiarity with the literature and professional practice. The focus of the presentation is on increased understanding and application by the participants.

Practice Areas

Aging in Place/Geriatrics; Emerging Practice Area; Health and Wellness; Professional Issues; Rehabilitation; Other