Latest Chan Division News
Clinical

Pineda named double recipient of inaugural NBCOT awards ⟩
January 27, 2021

Alumni Associations and Bodies Awards Clinical Faculty

New award highlights the work of outstanding, certified occupational therapy practitioners.

Assistant Professor Bobbi Pineda The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy has named Assistant Professor Bobbi Pineda a recipient of both an Innovation Award and an Impact Award, two new honors designed to highlight outstanding, certified occupational therapy practitioners across…

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OTD Alumni Talk About Finding Their First OT Jobs ⟩
January 8, 2021

Academics and Courses Alumni Clinical Pandemic Students

As many of our Master’s students have already applied to the OTD Program and some continue to consider their options for next year, five recent alumni from our OTD Program — Ana Sanchez, Elissa Taylor, Nicole Wright, Ozan Yay, and Patrice Zhao — discuss their experiences searching and applying for jobs under unprecedented circumstances with our OTD Student Ambassador Daniel Padilla Vega.

Where did you complete your OTD Residency? Ana: I completed my residency at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC), which is a community college. Elissa: LAC+USC Medical Center’s Adult West Primary Care clinic (supported by the USC LRCC research lab). Nicole Wright OTD, OTR/L, CIMI Nicole: I completed…

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Celebrating unsung heroes during National Family Caregivers Month ⟩
November 25, 2020

Clinical Faculty Health and Wellness

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a nationwide observance that recognizes those who dedicate their time and effort towards caring for family members in need. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of family caregivers and praise their strength and support. Within occupational therapy, including the family in treatment provides a wealth of benefits, and families can also act as a catalyst for further healing and engagement.

Six members of the USC Chan Division — faculty members Allison Chu, Celso Delgado, Janet Gunter, Stacey Schepens Niemiec, and students Delaney Smith MA ’21 and Adam Strizich MA ’21 — discuss the importance of including families in occupational therapy.

By Calvin Lee MA ’21 Allison Chu OTD, OTR/L Chu: It’s often been said that when you get married, you’re not just marrying that person but you’re marrying their family as well. Similarly with OT, when you’re working with a client, you’re not just working with the client but you’re also…

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Clinical faculty featured in AOTA’s free COVID-19 webinar ⟩
August 20, 2020

Associations and Bodies Clinical Faculty Lectures and Talks Pandemic

Associate Clinical Professor Jamie Wilcox USC Chan clinical faculty members Jamie Wilcox MA ’13, OTD ’14 and John Margetis ’11, MA ’12, OTD ’13 shared insights and expertise gained from working with COVID-positive patients at Keck Hospital of USC during an Aug. 19 webinar hosted by the…

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Neonatal therapy expert joins USC Chan faculty ⟩
July 13, 2020

Clinical Faculty Research

Certified Neonatal Therapist and research scientist Bobbi Pineda studies high-risk and premature infants and their families in the NICU.

By Mike McNulty Assistant Professor Bobbi Pineda Every year in the U.S., approximately 500,000 babies are born before reaching 37 weeks of pregnancy. The earlier the gestational age, the higher are the risks to the infant, including disability and mortality. "Just being born early changes brain…

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Inclusive LGBTQIA+ Patient Care ⟩
June 22, 2020

Clinical Diversity, Access, Equity Faculty

As we celebrate Pride Month, it is necessary to address the importance of inclusive LGBTQIA+ patient care. Four members of our division — Ava Tehrani, Daphne Carcedo Cravens, Dr. Karrie Kingsley and Dr. Tessa Milman – discuss with our student ambassador, Lamoni, how heteronormativity is harmful during patient care and how we can create more inclusive environments.

Why is inclusive LGBTQIA+ patient care important? Ava Tehrani Ava: The LGBTQIA+ community faces substantial health disparities such as limited access to healthcare. The healthcare that they have had access to may have led to bad experiences due to discrimination by healthcare providers as well as…

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USC-designed smartphone app aims to get older adults “Moving Up” ⟩
June 3, 2020

Chan in the Media Clinical Faculty Health and Wellness Research Technology

Less than 10% of people aged 65 and up meet the national guidelines for physical activity. USC researchers are seeking to increase this figure through Moving Up, a mobile phone app geared toward older adults.

By Rishbha Bhagi / USC Viterbi School of Engineering Stacey Schepens Niemiec has long been passionate about using technology to improve the health and wellness of older adults. She became concerned with the widening of a “digital divide” among older adults that was limiting their access to…

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Six Trojans featured in May issue of OT Practice ⟩
May 22, 2020

Chan in the Media Clinical Faculty

Five USC Chan faculty members and one alumna made the pages of the May 2020 issue of OT Practice magazine.

By Mike McNulty Five USC Chan faculty members and one alumna made the pages of the May 2020 issue of OT Practice magazine. The cover article, “Helping Clients Prepare for and Recover From Lung Transplant,” was written by alumna Wesley Chen MA ’18, OTD ’19, Assistant Clinical Professor Jamie…

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Making a difference: Occupational therapy fellowships impact homeless healthcare in Los Angeles ⟩
May 20, 2020

Chan in the Media Clinical Community and Partners Health and Wellness

By Matthew Lee / USC Homelessness Initiative Julian Prado works at the JWCH Center for Community Health, located in the heart of Los Angeles’ Skid Row. The community clinic is a specially designated Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to serve individuals experiencing homelessness, providing…

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Healthcare for the Homeless ⟩
March 26, 2020

Academics and Courses Clinical Community and Partners Students

Student Ambassador Kaho interviews OTD student Julian Prado about his decision to pursue the OTD and work with the homeless population in Los Angeles.

What made you want to pursue an OTD degree? I decided to pursue an OTD degree because I wanted to be able to have a clinical experience within a role emerging practice area and be able to cultivate the role under the guidance of mentorship. My mentor, Dr. Deborah Pitts has years of experience…

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