Katie Jordan OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Chief Administrative Officer, USC University Clinical Services; Associate Chair of Occupational Therapy Clinical Services; Director of OT and Speech Therapy, Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital; and Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
CHP 118
(323) 442-2031 (CHP) | (323) 442-9530 (Hospital)
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Katie Jordan received dual bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts and in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. She worked as a pilates and dance instructor for several years while pursing her Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree at the University of Southern California. After obtaining her OTD, Dr. Jordan became the Director of the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice. She utilized her skills as a Lifestyle Redesign® specialist with clients in the Weight Management program and in Executive Health. She was also on the faculty team that designed and implemented the LifeAdvisor training program for the Four Season’s Westlake Resort Hotel, and has taught the Lifestyle Redesign® Pathway course in the USC Chan Division’s professional program.
In 2008, Dr. Jordan left USC to relocate to Austin, Texas, where she was the lead therapist at a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital. Upon her return to USC in 2009, she became Associate Chair of OT Clinical Service in the division, and the Director of OT and Speech Therapy services at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. Drawing upon her leadership experience in acute rehabilitation and Lifestyle Redesign®, Dr. Jordan is working diligently to integrate, support and expand all clinical occupational therapy services across USC’s campuses and community clinics.
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2004 | University of Southern California
Master of Arts (MA)
in Occupational Therapy
2003 | University of Southern California
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
in Fine Arts
1999 | University of California, Irvine
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
in Psychology and Social Behavior
1999 | University of California, Irvine
2023
Jordan, K., & Halle, A. (2023). Administrative and operational considerations. In S. Dahl-Popolizio, K. Smith, M. Day, S. Muir, & W. Manard (Eds.), Primary care occupational therapy: A quick reference guide (pp. 15-29). Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20882-9_3 Show abstract
To successfully integrate occupational therapy services in a primary care setting, it is essential to consider the administrative needs of the organization. This chapter addresses creating a strategic plan, considerations for the primary care environment, reimbursement, populations served, regulatory bodies, and service delivery models of primary care occupational therapy.
Jordan, K. (2023). Occupational therapy is the cost-effective solution to support high quality care and reduce readmissions in hospitals. In E. A. Pyatak & E. S. Lee (Eds.), 50 studies every occupational therapist should know (pp. 349-354). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780197630402.003.0050 Show abstract
Occupational therapy is the only hospital cost category in which increased spending is statistically significantly associated with reduced readmission rates for conditions covered in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. These conditions are heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. With approximately 75% of patients with heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, or pneumonia who are admitted not typically receiving occupational therapy services, the findings of this study suggest a low-cost and high-yield way for hospitals to improve the quality of care and reduce the number of readmissions by investing in occupational therapy services for more patients.
Keywords. hospital, readmission, quality, cardiovascular, pulmonary, rehabilitation
Jordan, K. (2023). Exploring the association between therapy time and functional recovery through mobility and self care clinical outcomes. In E. A. Pyatak & E. S. Lee (Eds.), 50 studies every occupational therapist should know (pp. 333-340). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780197630402.003.0048 Show abstract
With therapy minutes generally closely aligned with regulatory and reimbursement requirements, there is little room to consider patient characteristics, time (length of stay [LOS]), and clinical judgment in determining the most cost-effective and clinically optimal plan of care. This study provides valuable insight into client-centered variables (comorbidities, functional outcomes, burden of care) that bring meaning and perspective into determining a value-based rehabilitation plan rather than one based on arbitrary required and assigned minutes. In this study, patients are assigned to one of nine recovery groups following hip fracture surgery. Recovery groups are based on therapy minutes per LOS as low, medium, or high and functional gains in self-care and mobility as measured by the Functional Independence Measure as low, medium, or high. All groups are compared on LOS, providing insight into the role of clinical decision-making and consideration of patient characteristics in determining the dose and intensity of therapy services.
Keywords. post-acute, skilled nursing facility, inpatient rehabilitation facility, acute rehabilitation unit, hip fracture, length of stay, fee-for-service, burden of care, value-based, occupational therapy
2019
Jordan, K. (2019). Capsule commentary on Bowling et al., prevalence of activity limitations and association with multimorbidity among US adults 50 to 64 years old [Capsule commentary]. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(11), 2583-2583. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05297-9
Pyatak, E., King, M., Vigen, C. L., Salazar, E., Díaz, J., Schepens Niemiec, S. L., Blanchard, J., Jordan, K., Banerjee, J., & Shukla, J. (2019). Addressing diabetes in primary care: Hybrid effectiveness–implementation study of Lifestyle Redesign® occupational therapy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(5), 7305185020p1-7305185020p12. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.037317 Show abstract
Importance. Primary health care is rapidly developing as an occupational therapy practice area. Yet, to date, little evidence supports occupational therapy’s feasibility and efficacy in primary care settings.
Objective. To report on the implementation and preliminary clinical outcomes of a Lifestyle Redesign® (LR)–occupational therapy (LR–OT) diabetes management intervention in a primary care clinic.
Design. Patients were randomized to be offered LR–OT or to a no-contact comparison group (data not reported). We assessed implementation outcomes using mixed methods.
Setting. Safety-net primary care clinic.
Participants. Clinic providers and staff; English- or Spanish-speaking clinic patients ages 18–75 yr with diabetes and a current hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 9.0%.
Intervention. Eight 1-hr individual sessions of LR–OT focused on diabetes management.
Outcomes and Measures. Clinical and health behavior outcomes were assessed via electronic medical record (EMR) review and self-report surveys of patients receiving LR–OT at initial evaluation and discharge. We assessed implementation outcomes (acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, efficiency, and timeliness) using patient and staff surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations.
Results. Seventy-three patients were offered LR–OT: 51 completed one or more sessions, and 38 completed the program. Clinical outcomes among program completers indicate beneficial changes in HbA1c, diabetes self-care, and health status. Implementation challenges included a need for patient and staff education, securing adequate workspace, and establishing a referral process. Factors contributing to implementation success included strong buy-in from clinic leadership, colocation, and shared EMR documentation.
Conclusions and Relevance. LR–OT is a feasible approach to enhancing service delivery and clinical outcomes in primary care.
What This Article Adds. This study provides insight into factors that may create challenges or contribute to the success of implementing occupational therapy services within primary health care settings. In addition, this study provides preliminary evidence of occupational therapy’s effectiveness in improving clinical outcomes among ethnically diverse, low-income patients with diabetes in a safety-net primary care setting.
Jordan, K. (2019). Occupational therapy in primary care: Positioned and prepared to be a vital part of the team [Editorial]. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(5), 7305170010p1-7305170010p6. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.735002 Show abstract
Reilly’s (1962) now deeply cherished statement that “man, through the use of his hands, as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health” (p. 1) was followed a few years later with a question to current and future occupational therapy practitioners. In 1966, Reilly asked how the profession would respond to the challenges of an expanding knowledge base, accelerating health care costs, and escalating regulatory burden. Visionary Wilma West, a contemporary of Reilly’s, expanded on these themes by focusing on ways occupational therapy practitioners could leverage the breadth and depth of their practice to confront these challenges. These issues are now paramount in the primary care arena. An expanding body of literature, including the articles in a special section in this issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, supports occupational therapy’s role as a vital part of the solution to contemporary health care challenges. Occupational therapy practitioners are educationally prepared and successfully poised through policy to engage in evidence-based practice in the primary care environment.
2014
Koritzky, G., Dieterle, C., Rice, C., Jordan, K., & Bechara, A. (2014). Decision-making, sensitivity to reward and attrition in weight management. Obesity, 22(8), 1904-1909. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20770 Show abstract
Objective. Attrition is a common problem in weight management. Understanding the risk factors for attrition should enhance professionals' ability to increase completion rates and improve health outcomes for more individuals. A model that draws upon neuropsychological knowledge on reward-sensitivity in obesity and overeating to predict attrition is proposed.
Methods. A total of 52 participants in a weight-management program completed a complex decision-making task. Decision-making characteristics-including sensitivity to reward-were further estimated using a quantitative model. Impulsivity and risk-taking measures were also administered.
Results. Consistent with the hypothesis that sensitivity to reward predicted attrition, program dropouts had higher sensitivity to reward than completers (P < 0.03). No differences were observed between completers and dropouts in initial BMI, age, employment status, or the number of prior weight-loss attempts (P ≥ 0.07). Completers had a slightly higher education level than dropouts, but its inclusion in the model did not increase predictive power. Impulsivity, delay of gratification, and risk taking did not predict attrition, either.
Conclusions. Findings link attrition in weight management to the neural mechanisms associated with reward-seeking and related influences on decision-making. Individual differences in the magnitude of response elicited by rewards may account for the relative difficulty experienced by dieters in adhering to treatment.
Reilly, J. M., Aranda, M. P., Segal-Gidan, F., Halle, A., Han, P. P., Harris, P., Jordan, K., Mulligan, R., Resnik, C., Tsai, K. Y., Williams, B., & Cousineau, M. R. (2014). Assessment of student interprofessional education (IPE) training for team-based geriatric home care: Does IPE training change students' knowledge and attitudes? Home Health Care Services Quarterly, 33(4), 177-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621424.2014.968502 Show abstract
Our study assesses changes in students' knowledge and attitudes after participation in an interprofessional, team-based, geriatric home training program. Second-year medical, physician assistant, occupational therapy, social work, and physical therapy students; third-year pharmacy students; and fourth-year dental students were led by interprofessional faculty teams. Student participants were assessed before and after the curriculum using an interprofessional attitudes learning scale. Significant differences and positive data trends were noted at year-end. Our study suggests that early implementation, assessment, and standardization of years of student training is needed for optimal interprofessional geriatric learning. Additionally, alternative student assessment tools should be considered for future studies.
2013
Reingold, F. S., & Jordan, K. (2013). Obesity and occupational therapy [Position paper]. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(Suppl. 6), S39-S46. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2013.67S39 Show abstract
Obesity is a significant and wide-ranging health and social problem in the United States. Occupational therapy is a health care profession that is qualified to provide interventions with individuals, groups, and society to effect change to promote optimum health. Occupational therapy services often are used directly and indirectly to influence weight management and related health concerns through attention to healthy lifestyle choices and engagement in fulfilling occupations. The purpose of this paper is to explain the position of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to persons within and outside the profession on the role of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in addressing the impact of obesity on people's ability to engage in daily activities.
2007
Clark, F. A., Reingold, F. S., & Salles-Jordan, K. (2007). Obesity and occupational therapy [Position paper]. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(6), 701-703. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.61.6.701 Show abstract
Obesity is a significant and wide-ranging health and social problem in the United States. Occupational therapy is a health care profession that is qualified to provide interventions with individuals, groups, and society to effect change to promote optimum health. Occupational therapy services are often used directly and indirectly to influence weight management and related health concerns through attention to lifestyle and engagement in fulfilling activities. The purpose of this paper is to explain to persons within and outside of the profession the role of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in addressing the impact of obesity on people's ability to engage in daily activities.
Salles-Jordan, K. (2007, June). Community health promotion programs using USC Lifestyle Redesign. Special Interest Section Quarterly — Home & Community Health, 14(2), 1-4. Full text
USC Chan, Momentum PTN to introduce faculty practice model at sensory integration clinics ⟩
August 11, 2021
(Courtesy of Momentum PTN) The USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (USC Chan) has entered into a formal agreement to implement a faculty practice model at Momentum Pediatric Therapy Network (Momentum PTN). This unique partnership ensures that Momentum PTN…
Six Trojans featured in May issue of OT Practice ⟩
May 22, 2020
Five USC Chan faculty members and one alumna made the pages of the May 2020 issue of OT Practice magazine.
Lessons in leadership ⟩
January 16, 2020
What I learned during my capstone externship with Katie Jordan.
Meet the three Trojans running for national association office ⟩
January 10, 2020
Editor's note: On Jan. 30, results of AOTA's 2020 elections were made available online (AOTA member log-in required), and each of the three USC Chan candidates won their respective races. Fight On! Faculty members and student are hoping to make a difference in 2020 and beyond. Two USC Chan faculty…
Jordan, Pyatak named fellows of the American Occupational Therapy Association ⟩
October 30, 2019
Awards to be given at 2020 conference in Boston
Latest issue of AJOT features 23 USC-affiliated authors ⟩
September 30, 2019
Katie Jordan is guest editor of the journal’s special issue on primary care
Katie Jordan joins national expert panel on opioid use disorder ⟩
May 17, 2019
Jordan is the only occupational therapist on 25-member panel reporting on opioid-related healthcare quality measures to inform federal programs.
For faculty with OT spouses, love actually is all around ⟩
February 14, 2019
Have you ever wondered what it would be like, both personally and professionally, to date or marry a fellow occupational therapist? Would it affect how you manage your household? Or how you raise children?
Election Q&A with Katie Jordan ⟩
January 3, 2019
Katie Jordan (Photo by Glenn Marzano) Katie Jordan, associate chair of occupational therapy clinical services and clinical professor, has officially announced her candidacy in the 2019 elections held by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Jordan is running for the position of Director to…
Clinical professor Katie Jordan helps score profession-wide victory ⟩
March 6, 2017
AOTA advocacy success: Evaluation payments expected to rise as CMS corrects error
5 awardees and 82 presenters slated for OTAC 2014 conference ⟩
October 3, 2014
By Mike McNulty Five USC Trojans received awards and 82 Trojans presented during the 2014 conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of California, October 16-19 in Pasadena. Assistant clinical professor Sarah Bream received the Award of Appreciation, alumna Diane Mayfield received the…
Trojan Occupational Therapists Make Firsts with Two USC Awards ⟩
May 21, 2013
Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy Phuong Nguyen received the Keck Medical Center of USC’s Care Partner of the Year award at the 2013 Nurses Week Awards Ceremony. The Nurses of Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital annually nominate and select winners for various awards in…
128 Trojans Presenting at 2013 AOTA Conference ⟩
April 23, 2013
128 USC alumni, faculty, and students are scheduled to present at the 2013 Conference of the American Occupational Therapy Association, April 25-28 at the San Diego Convention Center. Presentation formats include a pre-conference institute, workshops, short courses, research and professional posters…
46 Trojans Presenting at OTAC 2012 ⟩
October 1, 2012
46 USC faculty, alumni, and students are scheduled to present lectures and/or posters during the Occupational Therapy Association of California 2012 Conference, October 4-7 in Pasadena. Click below to view the full list of USC presenters, to plan your conference accordingly, and remember to reunite…
Associate Chair Appointed to CPT Advisory Committee ⟩
July 16, 2012
Katie Jordan OTD, OTR/L, associate chair of occupational therapy clinical services at the Keck Medical Center of USC and the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, and associate professor of clinical occupational therapy, was recently appointed to an American Medical Association committee…
USC Trojans Shine at 92nd AOTA Conference ⟩
May 1, 2012
Division Associate Dean and current American Occupational Therapy Association President Florence Clark PhD (’82), OTR/L, FAOTA, presided over the 92nd annual AOTA conference, April 26-29, in Indianapolis, Ind. Conference highlights included a rousing Opening Ceremony, Clark's Presidential Address…
Trojans Presenting at OTAC Conference 2011 ⟩
October 11, 2011
The Occupational Therapy Association of California's 35th annual Conference begins this Thursday! Click below for the full list of Trojan alumni, faculty, staff and students who will be there presenting, and remember that the USC Alumni and Student Reception is the evening of Friday, October 14. See…
USC Study Shows Occupational Therapy Helps Diabetes Patients Make Lifestyle Changes that Can Prevent Serious Health Complications ⟩
Paul Karon, in
Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute | November 8, 2019
The pilot study is the first to be completed under a novel academic-government collaboration between the SC CTSI, the UCLA CTSI, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services